Are you in it for the long term? Consider making a strategic alliance

Description

Abstract: Companies often enter into strategic alliances to pursue mutually beneficial goals, such as increased sales or lower costs. Such relationships can bear fruit in the short term and provide the perfect merger partner down the road. This article explains how an alliance enables parties to envision what a permanently combined organization might achieve — and smooth the way to an M&A deal. A sidebar discusses how to keep an alliance on track.