Business to Business Partnership Enhancement

Businesses enter into agreements with others, be they with vendors, other businesses, or buyers, with a hope to grow and improve their business positions and increase sales and profitability.

Organizations and individuals use the word “partnership” repeatedly in the course of any given day.  As with personal relationships, the concept means different things to different parties, and also seldom delivers the true spirit or benefits of an authentic partnership approach. "It is, what it is", just isn't enough in these times, nor should it be enough.

Ask yourself:

• Is this what we envisioned when we agreed to move forward initially?

• How open and candid are we with our partners in addressing the relationship and its limitations?

• Do we have a clear sense of our organization’s greater opportunities and to how to achieve improved outcomes?

• Are our arrangements as good as they can be to our organization and have we devoted the time to make them such?

Why does this happen? The truth is that both parties have limited time and ability to fully uncover, define and fully explore these opportunities. Areas which should be examined to uncover greater synergies are often missed because of levels of trust and the usual interpersonal and organizational dynamics that typically frame negotiations and business relations.

Above The Line Solutions works with both parties to uncover those opportunities and create a system of facilitation to implement changes and take advantage of underutilized opportunities. By first understanding the parties, we establish an open expression and discovery of the root causes of roadblocks and uncover opportunities. We then facilitate joint party meetings with all stakeholders to identify how to get beyond hurdles to find the best approach, scope of opportunity and how to best make changes to ensure winning outcomes for all parties.

 

The "Above The Line" Approach

Above The Line is both a cultural philosophy of organizations and individuals, as well as a measure of successful results. Being Above The Line means being fully personally accountable, taking responsibility for outcomes and mindsets, being proactive, and delivering results that exceed expectations. It also means constantly redefining, through increased expectation, where “The Line” of success should be.

As the business environment continues to see unprecedented change, organizations must ask themselves, “How can we alter our approach to excel in this new environment?” The answer is found in examining how businesses work both internally and with others, whether with business partnerships, and with vendors or customers.

• Is your company’s structure and approach such that you are getting the best possible outcome of existing partnerships?

• Are you sure you understand the market and the key drivers and motivators in those you deal with enough to be as successful as possible?

• Are you working on agreements without taking all steps to take advantage of the benefits of a truly synergistic partnership?

• Are you preparing to renew agreements without having had the chance to examine how to improve them prior?

• Have you had business review meetings that didn’t give you the type of information that provides actionable results or improvement?

• Are you a sales organization with a sales team that isn’t delivering all that it could yet not changing its approach?

• Is your leadership and team members aligned in organization, with measurable personal accountabilities, daily behaviours and mindsets to deliver results that match the organization’s goals and targets in this challenging environment?

Examining these questions effectively and taking an Above The Line approach to addressing them will result unequivocally in a realization that there are unlimited and achievable opportunities to enhance the outcomes and results of your business.

Taking an Above The Line approach to your business results in a renewed spirit of accountability, drive and commitment with a higher achievable expectation and result.

Above the Line Solutions works with your organization to determine opportunities for improved outcomes, whether internally or through partnerships. We use proven techniques, tools, resources, and programs to deliver Enhanced Business Results and strengthen your organization and it’s positioning in the marketplace.

 

Program Implementation, Review & Compliance Outcomes

Companies define terms of agreements with others based on a set of expectations, whether envisioned, specifically defined, or contractual. These expectations often appear realistic and achievable when two parties are working on finalizing or reviewing the relationship, but unfortunately the reality is often quite below the line of those expectations.

• Have you executed programs only to find that they did not deliver the impact or results that you desired?

• Did unanticipated issues and challenges come to light once a program or purchase is in place or the agreement already made?

• How can addressing these gaps create wins for the organization, or better yet; for both parties?

• What is it costing you in terms of time, efficiency, or actual hard dollars, to not address these opportunities?

• What is the best way to start or alter the program to avoid operational disruption and achieve maximum benefit?

• Are all involved taking responsibility to effectively ensure their organization's commitments to the other are being met?

Even with the best belief of their abilities and intentions to deliver, one or both parties can overpromise versus the actual execution process, results and outcomes. Most often a lack of time, resources, commitment, and focus to the project, once launched is the cause. Frequently it is a result of how the program is pre-planned and communicated in regards to understanding outcome and expectation of both parties. These gaps can result in shortfalls in financial outcomes and business relationship depth. As a result, both parties have less partnership and benefits than they had anticipated. In the busy world we live in, too often the time just doesn't come to invest in something that people know they "really have to address when we have the time". As many admit, "we know we should do something about these things, but we only can handle so many priorities".

Above The Line Solutions works with you to review programs and review gaps that result in lost opportunities or unnecessary costs. For new a program, where possible we assist prior to finalizing the agreement. We review launch and roll-out plans, and effectively define expectation parameters prior to initiating it, to ensure it is a success and timelines are met. We identify areas and programs that have opportunities to be targeted for improvement. We then lead the expectation and execution process. Compliance reviews and monitoring ensure that expectations are being met and exceeded. This includes a cost-benefit review in advance of any implementation as well as logistical planning.

 

Strategic Contracting and Purchasing

Has your organization recently reviewed key purchases and looked at taking advantage of strategic partnerships with vendors to achieve the greatest value and lowest costs? 

Suppliers of all types can offer more to their customers based on relationship, understanding each other’s needs, and mutual commitment. A thorough review of purchases and the approach to how they are made can result in significant savings and other value added outcomes, dramatically improving your bottom line.

Having a specific vendor partner for your key purchase categories, examining third-party relationships that can be of help, negotiating improved agreements, and improving the process in which you purchase are the keys to improved business profitability.

Ask yourself:

• Does the organization have strategic partners in place that understand and support our needs?

• Have we effectively considered the best choices for purchasing key items, goods and services?

• Do we have a method of sourcing that aligns all areas of our business to the same best choices?

• Are agreements ever renewed without effectively examining the options because of time or other constraints?

• Do we have current agreements in place with our vendors that are of most benefit to us?

• Do we have distributors, designers, or others that determine what we buy, or from whom?

• Do we have procurement people already, but could use assistance in moving us to a better level?

• Are the processes in place for determining where to source items, such that they ensure the best choices are being made?

Understanding key areas of spending that should have strong supply agreements, doing so with the best partnered vendors and then effectively negotiating agreements with them based on a number of factors, is an absolute requirement of profitability. Unfortunately, too many times the processes and people that make these decisions do so without having all the available information required, or sufficient time available to get the most for your investment.

Above The Line Solutions reviews your purchases of consumables, method of distribution, capital purchases, and services and works with various supply options to determine the best partnership options and then negotiates beneficial agreements delivering betterment.  Where appropriate, we will go to market and utilize a combination of direct investigation, third-party value propositions and RFPs to find you the best balance and the lowest net cost available based on your organization’s needs. By understanding vendors’ key drivers and how they operate, we can work with them to arrive at win-win partnerships. Most importantly, we will improve your bottom line and enhance the overall value received for your spending.