Partnering is a Management Approach used by two or more organisations to achieve specific business objectives by maximising the effectiveness of each participant's resources. The approach is based on Mutual Objectives; an agreed method of Decision Making and an active search for "Continuous Measurable Improvements"
(Trusting the team; Reading Construction Forum; 1995)
Partnering and Alliancing are based on the same concept that a better job results from a team which works in a trusting and cooperative manner, where conflict and the attendant negative attitudes are driven out.
Because of the concern that an agreement to partner may have some conflict with the terms of the contract so the contract in an Alliance has been scripted to expect and manage collaboration.
Partnering works best when all parties to the arrangement have a fundamental belief in the process and the commitment, vision and stamina to see the arrangement through to the end of the project. This commitment must start at the top of each business and be reflected in the willingness to empower employees, management and staff, to make appropriate decisions. A culture based on heavy line management, with all decisions referred back to the highest level, will stifle the Partnering culture.
"The benefits of Partnering Relationships are cumulative so that strategic alliances produce significantly more advantage than single project arrangements."
Partnering in the team; CIB; 1997
Partnering is a set of strategic actions which embody the mutual objectives of a number of firms achieved by cooperative decision making aimed at using feedback to continuously improve their joint performance"
or put more simply.........
Partnering is about companies and people working together for each others success.
Partnering relationships begin with workshops which focus on three key elements...
Once the new relationships are established the team can focus on improvements through the systematic elimination of waste.....
......and the pursuit of innovation and standardisation.
The earlier the involvement in the project the more influence in the development of best practice, innovation and the certainty of meeting the clients success criteria.
Project partnering has been shown to deliver better quality and improvements in time and cost of between Strategic partnering can provide further improvements of in time and cost with virtually defect free work when handed over.
University of Reading Centre for Strategic Studies in Construction