Strategic Alliances: Managing The Supply Chain

Tim Underhill's new book, Strategic Alliances, focuses on alliances that involve supply chain partners: the customer (end user), the supplier (commodity/service provider), and manufacturer. The author takes a realistic look at how these alliances work, basing the information on actual industry successes and failures. He looks at how companies have taken existing customer/supplier relationships - or built new ones - and moved these relationships from transactional-focused interactions into total cost-focused alliances.

Strategic Alliances applies not only to the petroleum and electric utility industries, but to any major industry dependent upon the purchase and sales of goods and services. The strategic alliance concept allows businesses and suppliers to work together in creative new unions that reduce costs and increase profitability for all parties -- if they are developed and managed correctly. Author Tim Underhill specializes in hands-on training of companies such as Exxon, Dupont, and Wisconsin Electric in the methods of strategic alliance, ISO 9000, and total quality management. His book helps readers understand the range of alliance types from the simple to the most complex and gives detailed instruction on the structure and maintenance of a healthy alliance. Details include the definition of "alliance, " which cost drivers can be impacted, how to select the right partner, and how to structure the interaction for maximum effect.