Choosing Partners for Collaboration

Choosing Partners for Collaboration

Introduction

Organizations choosing partners for collaboration in projects often look for strategically compatible individuals or organizations with the necessary resources to complete the project successfully. Strategic innovations in the modern organizational setting require access to external resources that make collaboration an indispensable part of the development lifecycle (Deken, Berends, Gemser, & Lauche, 2018). Organizations often look for the best strategic fit for collaboration based on the resources and strategic plans required by the technology. Organizations with ‘complementary resources’ are often the most compatible collaboration partners, although other external factors may lead to a breakdown in the collaboration effort. This paper discusses the best strategies for choosing a collaboration partner in the information technology sector. It will examine how these strategies have worked in favor of the innovations by 23andme and its affiliates.

23andme

23andme is an organization that provides health and wellness solutions to individuals based on their DNA (23andme). The organization conducts cutting-edge research into the human genome, identifies historical and environmental factors that affect the genes, and provides personalized wellness solutions to customers. The company’s mission is to improve healthcare and promote wellness through proper understanding of human DNA and accelerate the rate of research into the field (23andme). Extensive collaboration is, therefore, a critical part of the process that makes up the standard operating procedure of the company. 23andme requires collaboration with doctors, scientists, retailers, legal experts, and individuals willing to test the products and ascertain their progress.

Recent trends towards open innovation have made it possible for companies like 23andme to achieve such goals that would have been almost impossible in the past due to the closed nature of innovation and collaboration. Open innovation allows for the free flow of ideas inwards and outwards of the organization (Yoon, Shin, & Lee, 2016). The advantage of this strategy is that it allows organizations to identify the best strategic fit fr a myriad of publicly available potential partners. Organizations can identify partners with the most efficient tools to accomplish the desired task and learn alternative strategies that can enhance innovation through faster techniques and fewer resources.

23andme offers potential partners such as scientists and medical professionals an opportunity to join the project through its website. The organization recognizes the need for collaborative agreements with professionals in these fields, considering the novelty of the ideas they propose and innovate. Russo and Cesarani (2017) note that cooperative agreements help organizations mitigate weaknesses in their innovations and cope with the complex business environment of the modern world.

23andme has also partnered with major retailers to ensure that their products get maximum exposure to the market.  These retailers include Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Walgreen, and CVS Pharmacy (23andme). The choice of vendors reflects the need for the organization to maximize product availability to the public. The organization also employs an individual recruitment strategy that offers incentives for individuals and organizations to market the products and receive a commission for purchases made using their referral code. All these strategies indicate the forethought put in place by the organization in determining strategic fits for the research and innovation.

Conclusion

Collaboration is an essential part of innovation in modern organizational structures, and a successful partnership is dependent on the choice of strategic partners and resources. Most organizations choose collaboration partners with resources that complement theirs. The modern business environment allows for the open innovation concept to flourish, enabling companies like 23andme to conduct innovations into complex fields such as healthcare based on DNA research. 23andme employs collaborative strategies that make it easier for professionals in appropriate areas to contribute to the study. It also partners with multinational retailers to enhance the availability of its innovations to the public. This strategy has made the organization a leading innovator in the field of personalized healthcare and wellness based on DNA research.