A biopharmaceutical company preparing for the approval and commercialization of its first drug wanted to ensure its alliance management was ready for growth. They needed a baseline assessment of its current state and a roadmap to guide its development.

Using our Alliance Management Foundation model and the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Alliance Professionals, we conducted interviews among the company’s executives and program leaders to gather data about their experiences with the company’s alliances and its alliance management team. We reviewed the processes and tools the team was using. The alliance portfolio was analyzed to understand the profiles of the company’s alliances. We developed contextual understanding about the company’s strategy and structure, as well as the competitive landscape.

The result was a comprehensive baseline analysis against our frameworks, with a clear articulation of strengths to capitalize on and guidance for achieving operational excellence in alliance management fundamentals and measuring and communicating the value of alliance management.

A series of workshops with the alliance management team developed and prioritized a number of short- and longer-term initiatives to address our findings. An executive presentation and communications plan was developed, together with a budget request and business case for expansion of the team. With the Executive Leadership Team’s support and an approved budget request, a roadshow ensued to help stakeholders understand what to expect from the alliance management team and what its expectations were of stakeholders.