International collaboration – a Vertical case study in business cooperation

Cooperations between large established organizations and small agile companies can be beneficial for everyone, and is becoming necessary to stay viable.

Working simultaneously in several different markets is complex. For an international organization, responding to local companies and local requirements means managing a lot of information in very dynamic environments. Without the appropriate processes in place this could mean losing track of projects. Poor project documentation can result in double work and the possibility of missing out on potentially business changing opportunities. This was the realization for one of Vertical’s most recent clients.

In a recent project, Vertical was given the opportunity to work with an international pharma company that is working to respond to and capitalize on great opportunities. For this particular pharma company, separate business units from around the world operate independently. These independent international business units allow for the faster response time that is required for working with agile small businesses and start-ups. But, problems arise and expenses grow when the Malaysian business unit begins similar projects as the Canadian unit and there is no proper channel for project documentation and communication.

In this international business case, Vertical was given the following challenges to consider:

• Regional sections of an international company are independently pursuing potential business co-operations in their local market.
• There is no clear reporting of regional partnership data being updated and shared with the international operations teams.
• A requirement of mapping the status of all the past and ongoing partnerships and co-operations.
• Clarification on the beneficial partnership information to be collected and stored, and efficiently presented to the appropriate management groups.

This was an immediate demand, with a required overview to understand what is happening in the different regions of operations – a partnership mapping project that had never been done.

Vertical was given the opportunity and access to work with the different innovation and partnership professionals from around the world. Through the communication with the different groups, the criteria and requirements were quickly established:

• Project mapping is an essential starting place for aligning the International ways of working.
• An initial tool for communication and tracking of digital health partnerships was wanted by everyone involved.
• Efficiently starting to document basic information as a starting point for better international internal and external cooperations.
• There is a need for streamlined information channels to improve management decision-making.
• A foundational situational analysis is required before more projects are taken on board.

Communication is made easier with the modern technology used in today’s business world. It is the right tools used at the right times that will make the communication beneficial for all those involved.

The Vertical solution building included:

• Selecting the most effective solution for the client’s time frame and budget.
• Modifying that solution based on the client’s local and international requirements.
• Confirming that the information process conforms to the company regulations and policies.
• Delivering a tool that becomes a customized solution of the client organization.
• Following up with the utilization, understanding, and data collection processes.

The goal is to build a clear picture on how and where the company research projects were happening. This understanding is one part of building a picture of what to do next, a picture of resource analysis, decision-making prioritization, added value potential, and projects that can add to the research and development processes.

Cut-and-paste solutions rarely suit the needs of big organizations. Customizable solutions for business communication, management, and progress can be close at hand if the right questions are being asked. This is where the Vertical expertise has been excelling as the international projects grow – we are here to shine a light on the areas provided and ask the right questions, no matter how challenging, to make international business better.