Strategic Alliance In Business Management

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Strategic Alliance in Business Management A strategic alliance is essentially a partnership in which you combine efforts in projects ranging from getting a better price for supplies by buying in bulk together to building a product together with each of you providing part of its production. The goal of alliances is to minimize risk while maximizing your leverage and profit. Alliances are often confused with mergers, acquisitions, and outsourcing. While there are similarities in the circumstances in which a business might consider one these solutions, they are far from the same. Mergers and acquisitions are permanent, structural changes in how the company exists. Outsourcing is simply a way of purchasing a functional service for the company. An alliance is simply a business-to-business collaboration. Another term that is frequently used in conjunction with alliances is establishing a business network. Alliances are formed for joint marketing, joint sales or distribution, joint production, design collaboration, technology licensing, and research and development. Relationships can be vertical between a vendor and a customer, horizontal between vendors, local, or global. Alliances often are established formally in a joint venture or partnership. Businesses use strategic alliances to: •achieve advantages of scale, scope and speed •increase market penetration •enhance competitiveness in domestic and/or global markets •enhance product development •develop new business opportunities through new products and services •expand market development •increase exports •diversify •create new businesses •reduce costs. Strategic alliances are becoming a more and more common tool for expanding the reach of your company without committing yourself to expensive internal expansions beyond your core business. Advantages of Strategic
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