How to measure alliance success?

Today the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP) chapter in the Benelux will conduct a round table. When I started to organize this table I asked a few people what topic they would like to discuss this time. Actually I asked them with the specific question “what do you struggle with the most in alliances at the moment” and the first answer that came back was “how to measure alliance success?“. So we worked with Capgemini as sponsor for the session to organize and we started to invite members and a few guest invitees for this table and topic. It looks to be a hot topic, the table was quickly filled and a lot of warm, positive, responses came back from people who can not make it Today.

While preparing for the session and in conversations about the topic I noticed that many people already have a different impression of the question. One talked about pipeline management, while another spoke about reporting of the success and a third about influencing the success. Measurement of the success can however be a complete different, additional, angle to the discussion. With a diverse set of industries at the table, who may all have a different view on alliances, let alone alliance success, it looks a promising foundation for a lively discussion this afternoon. I don’t think we will come up with one single answer to the question, alliances have different meanings in different industries and every alliance is different and will have its own peculiarities. It will be a learning experience though Today, where each of the participants will have the opportunity to learn from the others.

And you, how would you answer the question “How to measure alliance success?