1. Summary
Derout Jean-Philippe
Promotion 2008 – 2011
Title :"Being big while staying small" How to support service’ companies in the
development of a strategic alliance?
Bibliography:three main references books
BOUAYAD A., La Stratégie des 3 portefeuilles, DUNOD,
1996
GARETTE B., DUSSAUGE P., Les Stratégies d’alliance, les
éditions d’organisation, 1996
SERIEYX H., Mettez du réseau dans vos pyramides, Village
Mondial, 1996
Summary by the author
Keywords: Strategy, Development, SMEs, Strategic alliance, Methodology
Strategic alliance appears as one of the fittest strategy for small and medium
enterprises and for small office.
To optimize the creation of a strategic alliance, it seemed relevant to study them in
order to propose a methodology and recommendations.
We studied the strategic alliances from theoretical data collected in diverse works
and from the analyses and observations made on the ground.
This study allowed us to advance the present ambiguity in this strategy returning its
creation and its delicate management
So, we set up a progressive and rigorous methodology to minimize these risks.
Furthermore, our observations allowed us to establish a certain numbers of
recommendations to facilitate the creation and the management of a strategic
alliance.

2. Sommaire
Acknowlegment ....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Summary ............................................................................................................ 1
Table of contents ................................................................................................. 2
Introduction ............................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
I. What is a strategic alliance? .............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.1 Why make an alliance with a competitor ?....... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.2 Definition ......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.3 What are the advantages of a strategic allianceError! Bookmark not defined.
1.4 Which are the risks and limites placing by a strategic alliance ?Error! Bookmark
not defined.
1.5 Typology of strategic alliance.............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.5.1 Co-integration alliances .............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.5.2 Pseudo concentration alliances ..................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.5.3 Complementary alliances ............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
II. From the creation to the management of a strategic allianceError! Bookmark not
defined.
2.1 The major axis of a strategic alliance ................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.1.1 The purpose ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.1.2 The project................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.1.3 The relationnal system................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.1.4 The contract............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2 Setting up a methodologyfor a strategic alliance ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2.1 Specify the first idea ................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2.2 Set up the pertinence of a network approche... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2.3 Plan the steps ............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2.4 Enroll the partners ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

3. 2.2.5 Assess and complete the project .................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2.6 Organize thenetwork ................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2.7 Implementandmanage the network ................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
III. The strategic alliance into practice ................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.1 Foreword .......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2 Presentation of the companies ............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2.1 Lotura Conseil............................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2.2 Linkki Consulting ....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2.3 Enlace ....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.3 The express needed and his context .............. Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.3.1 Elaboratea strategic alliance project in a participative wayError! Bookmark not
defined.
3.3.2 The goals persued ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.3.3 TheBenefits expected .................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.4 Leading actions ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.4.1 Inventory ................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.4.2 Final result’s meeting .................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.5 From thedifficulties to the recommandations......... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.6 Synthesisof therecommandations ......................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.6.1 Primary recommandation ............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.6.2 Recommandation into the creation of the allianceError! Bookmark not defined.
3.6.3 Recommandation into management of the allianceError! Bookmark not defined.
Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 4
Bibliography ........................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Annex...................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

4. Introduction
Today strategic alliances have become the subject of research and many
publications. The publications essentially concern big companies, multinationals, and
most of them are industrials.
But, what is the situation of strategic alliances of small and medium enterprises? And
in particularity in the service’s sector?
According to the barometer of the quarter conjuncture of SME published by
FIDUCIAL and IFOP in 2010, 97% of French companies are SME, and quarter of
them belong to the sector of companies’ services.
Those enterprises used to be mono-services and poor in resources (human,
financial, physical, time…) that not permit to develop themselves in an isolate way.
However, if an enterprise wants to stay viable, it must to develop his business, to
enrich his offer, to acquire new markets…)
Small enterprises are more present in the market, must also deal with international
concurrence. This concurrence provide from big groups who are often
multidisciplinary and with a solid notoriety.
Howto be large but still small? How to take advantage of a sales
force, marketing, and visibility and reliability of a large SME while retaining the
flexibility and low cost structure of a small business?
The strategic alliance is naturally come as an answer to this problem and lot of
entrepreneur has quickly chosen to use this strategy.
In fact, a strategic alliance is a long term project, which must be created methodically
and in a share way if he wants to have results one day.
This bachelor thesis answers the problematic “being big and small in the same time”,
how accompany services’ companies in the creation of a strategic alliance? Thus we
will analyse the failure’s factors in the creation of a strategic alliance in order to set up
a methodology and recommendations to avoid them.

5. This careful though is making around three principal parts. First, we will define the
theatrical aspects of strategic alliance.
Second, we will take interest to the implementation of this theory by proposing a
methodology in order to create and manage a strategic alliance. Finally, in a third part
we will expose a practical case from whose we will establish recommendations for
the creation and the management of a strategic alliance.

6. Conclusion
Now, the entrepreneur desiring to create a strategic alliance has hereafter at his
disposal all essentials information.
Thus, for now he can understand the foundation of strategic alliance base on the
association of rival companies in order to lead well a project or a specific business by
coordinating their competences, means, and resources. Moreover, he can apprehend
the advantages and risks of this strategy.
Indeed, the strategic alliance allows the member’s companies to keep their autonomy
and the comeback in their decisions thanks to the reversibility of this cooperation. it’s
possible to him to understand the ambiguity of this strategy, merging relations of
rivalry and cooperation, leading to some risks in his management and administration.
Moreover, the ceo desiring resort to a strategic alliance can hereafter has at one
disposal a flexible and precise methodology. It permits him to optimise the success of
the creation of the alliance. Based on three major axes and one foreword, this
methodology particularly insists on the necessity to precise the first idea of the project
and on the need to use a gradual and collaborative step, including further and further
the actives involved.
Finally, the presentation and analyse of a practical case allow the entrepreneur to be
aware of the difficulties that he could meet and relatives recommendations for using
this strategy.