Collaboration can make you more competitive, by helping you achieve better cost management, better resource and risk management, and fostering innovation. Effective partnering can help companies deliver on contracts and set you apart from the competition.

There is now a British Standard, BS 11000-1, which provides a strategic framework to help you build collaborative relationships with other organisations. It addresses the requirements for collaborative relationships to ensure they are effective, optimised and deliver enhanced benefit to stakeholders. Collaborating in this way can

• Help you to share knowledge, skills and resources effectively, and meet mutual goals
• Increase your joint efficiency
• Enhance transparency and openness
• Strengthen your ability to challenge and innovate
• Help you and your collaborators understand your respective governance and assurance processes.

BS 11000-1:2010 - 'Collaborative business relationships. A framework specification' costs £162 (£81 for BSI members).