Centre for Technology Management

Assessing co-developments relationships

P Fraser, C Rose, M Gregory, University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering

Abstract

Few firms have all the skills and resources to develop technologically complex products. Increasingly, firms choose to concentrate on core technologies and opt to collaborate with others to gain access to complementary skills and resources. Collaboration is however acknowledged to be difficult, and the capacity to collaborate successfully has been considered to confer competitive advantage. This paper describes the development of a self-help approach to assist in managing the processes of starting, operating and withdrawing from product development collaborations involving SMEs. Drawing from literature and insights gained in eight exploratory cases, the key issues have been organised in a framework including a simple audit process which has been piloted with a number of companies. The work points to the benefits of modular system architecture for task partitioning, the importance of personal contact in the formation of partnerships and the value gained through the development of long-term relationships.