Partnering Maps

Metadata

• - Name: partnering-maps
• Description: Relationship mapping for strategic decisions
• Triggers: partnerships, alliances, make-buy-partner, outsourcing decisions

Instructions

Map relationship nature for each business activity to inform make-buy-partner decisions.

Framework

Make-Buy-Partner Decision

CODEBLOCK0

Relationship Spectrum

Relationship Type	Definition	When Appropriate
Full Integration	Own entire process	Stable, high-volume operations
Joint Venture

Shared ownership, shared risk | Entry to new markets | | Strategic Alliance | Partnership without ownership | Collaborative projects | | Long-term Contract | Dedicated supplier/customer | Stable relationships | | Transactional | Arm's-length market buy | Flexible, low switching cost | | Do-Yourself | No partnership needed | Full control |

Map Components

For each activity, map:

• - Activity: What are we doing?
• Partner Type: Who handles this?
• Nature: How is the relationship?
• Key Capabilities: What do they provide?
• Alternatives: Who else could do this?
• Strategic Importance: How critical is this activity?

Output Format

```

Partnering Map: [Business Unit/Function]

Activity Analysis

#	Activity	Current Approach	Partner Type	Importance	Alternatives
1	[Activity 1]	In-house	[Type]	High	[List]
2

[Activity 2] | Outsource | [Type] | Medium | [List] | | 3 | [Activity 3] | Partnership | [Type] | High | [List] | | 4 | [Activity 4] | In-house | [Type] | Low | [List] | | 5 | [Activity 5] | Transactional | [Type] | Medium | [List] |

---

Relationship Matrix

Partner	Duration	Dependency	Switching Cost	Strategic Fit
[Partner A]	Long-term	High	Low	🟢
[Partner B]

Medium-term | Medium | Medium | 🟡 | | [Partner C] | Short-term | Low | High | 🔴 |

---

Strategic Decisions

Activity 1: [Activity 1]

• - Current Approach: [Description]
• Recommended: [Keep/Change]
• Rationale: [Reason 1], [Reason 2]
• Timeline: [When]

Activity 2: [Activity 2]

• - Current Approach: [Description]
• Recommended: [Keep/Change]
• Rationale: [Reason 1], [Reason 2]
• Timeline: [When]

---

Capabilities Gap Analysis

Capability	Internal	Available via Partner	Gap	Priority
[Capability 1]	Strong	Weak	Medium	Build internal
[Capability 2]

Weak | Weak | Low | Outsource |
| [Capability 3] | Strong | Weak | High | Develop |

---

Risk Assessment

Risk	Partner	Impact	Mitigation
[Risk 1]	[Partner A]	High	[Action]
[Risk 2]

[Partner B] | Medium | [Action] |
| [Risk 3] | [Partner C] | Low | [Action] |

---

Next Steps

Step	Action	Owner	Deadline
1	[Action 1]	[Name]	[Date]
2

[Action 2] | [Name] | [Date] |
| 3 | [Action 3] | [Name] | [Date] |

---

Governance

Decision Authority: [Who approves partnerships]
Review Process: [When to review partner relationships]

---

Portfolio Strategy

Partnership Philosophy: [Integrated vs. Arm's-length]
Balance: [Strategic priorities across relationships]

Relationship Types Breakdown:

• - Core strategic: [Count] - %
• Important but non-core: [Count] - %
• Transactional: [Count] - %

---

Value Capture

Relationship Type	Value Created	Cost	Net Benefit
In-house	$X M	$Y M	[Positive]
Outsource

$Z M | $W M | [Mixed] |
| Partnership | $A M | $B M | [Positive] |

Total Value: $X M

---

Strategic Implications

Supply Chain Resilience:

• - [Analysis of dependency on key partners]

Innovation Pipeline:

• - [Partners contributing to new capabilities]

---

Exit Criteria

Relationship	When to Consider Exit	Triggers
[Partner A]	[Condition 1]	[Trigger 1]
[Partner B]

[Condition 2] | [Trigger 2] |
| [Partner C] | [Condition 3] | [Trigger 3] |

---

Monitoring

Metric	Frequency	Owner	Status
Partner performance	Quarterly	[Name]	🟢 On track
Cost of outsourced activities

Monthly | [Name] | 🟡 Needs attention |

Tips

• - Consider total cost of ownership, not just price
• Look for strategic synergies beyond cost savings
• Assess switching costs and relationship investment
• Don't underestimate cultural alignment and trust
• Plan for governance and conflict resolution
• Build multiple relationship types based on activity needs
• Review relationships regularly - market conditions change

References

• - Various strategic alliance and partnership frameworks
• Joint venture and strategic alliance literature
• Make-or-buy decision frameworks
• Supply chain management best practices