ICT

We see the benefits of collaboration as being

• Money savings can be achieved relatively quickly and the savings can be impressive
• Responsiveness can be increased through economies of scale and availability of more resources
• Increased capacity and expertise means that more can be achieved for less
• Waste can be reduced by better decision making and a broader understanding of the bigger picture of activity
• Investments can be made once so that the wheel is not reinvented over and over again

Collaboration brings enormous challenges and these shouldn’t be ignored.

• Sometimes not everyone is starting from the same place; a flexible implementation strategy that is aware of local issues will be needed
• Decision making can become more complex and sometimes more protracted so clear communication and a coherent decision making process will be essential
• Savings can take time to materialise and delays can be frustrating
• Return on investment can be difficult to measure empirically
• A perception may exist that each partner is unique and certainly different, so helping them collaborate may be challenging