March 2008 – April 2009

In today’s networked business environment, knowing how to get what you want from a partnership or collaboration is fast becoming a critical strategic skill.

The unique new Value Network Creation Masterclass Program will prepare experienced professionals from various backgrounds to take on key roles in this increasingly important activity. It will provide them with tools, skills and insights that will enable them to set up and develop successful Value Networks.

Value Networks – a strategic imperative
Many businesses are finding that by working in networks with others they can create value together that they cannot create alone. They can gain access to new markets, technologies and other resources. They can acquire the flexibility they need to be able to hedge risks and cope with continuous change. And they can more easily make the transition from stand-alone products or services to total solutions.

Additionally, as continuous innovation becomes vital for sustainable growth, working through networks enables companies to engage in ‘open innovation’. These benefits make Value Networks undeniably the way of the future for successful enterprises.

Creating a Value Network
But creating Value Networks that really deliver the full value they promise is not easy. It is not enough simply to bring a diverse group of people together and expect the value to flow. Due to their varied backgrounds, they may approach fundamental matters very differently. Some may take a rational, analytical approach (focusing on ‘information’), others a more teamoriented, value-based approach (focusing on ‘formation’), while others again may tend to approach things more from a designer's perspective (focusing on ‘form’).

In addition, the business models prevailing in their various businesses may differ radically. And indeed, increasingly, participants are likely to be drawn not only from the private sector but also from the public or not-for-profit sector.