Collaboration is working together to create something more valuable than either or any of you could create alone. In other words, by working with other organisations or individuals, either competitors or those in your supply chain, you can add more value for your customers.

Why Collaborate?

The main purpose of collaborating is to achieve something that neither of you could achieve alone.

It is particularly useful where you both (whether organisations or individuals) need to achieve the same thing, but you have very different talents and resources available. Of course, you could both buy in the missing skills and talents—but by working together, you avoid having to spend more, and you both win.

Collaboration has become more important in recent years because both organisations and individuals have been encouraged to specialise. When you have more specialist skills, you are more likely to need others to fill in gaps in your skill set. It is also especially helpful when solving problems, because a broader range of backgrounds can often lead to better solutions.