Alliance health check to keep your alliance in good shape

In this part of our knowledge base, you’ll find out more about the alliance health check. Why is it valuable to perform a health check every once in a while? And how should you carry one out? Here I inform you about the basics. However, if you are more interested in a deep dive into the subject, at the bottom of this page you will find many articles on the subject.

Why should I perform an alliance health check?

A health check presents you great opportunities. It is a way to assess your alliance and get some face-to-face time with your partners. In general, you evaluate your alliance on three main areas, namely the strategic, operational, and cultural fit. It is always good to learn what went well and celebrate the collaborative success of your alliance. Yet the real value of a health check is identifying the areas for improvement.

How to perform an alliance health check?

There are several ways to evaluate your alliance success. A well-known method is conducting a personal interview with your counterparts. You can run these interviews in a way that best suits you and your company. For example, some companies just look at what went well and what can be improved, while others use a workshop format with representatives from the alliances. 

If you would like the input of more representatives, an online health check can be useful. These alliance health checks usually work with a 5-point rating scale of which the results are combined in a diagram. This diagram highlights the areas for improvement and shows where the partners differ in opinion. 

Another option to conduct a health check, is to combine the best of both worlds. This way you combine the objectivity of an online survey with personal recommendations from a small group of key people.  

When are you due for your next health check?

When I discuss the importance of a health check with alliance managers, everybody agrees. They recognize the value an alliance health check can bring. However, this does not mean everybody also performs their health checks regularly. Health checks are important, but not urgent. Consequently, they easily get overruled by tasks with a higher priority. The irony of this is that the longer you wait with investing in your health, the more expensive it gets. So, stop postponing and block some time to work on your alliance success. To help you get started, these articles might be helpful: