Understanding and managing “relationships” are fundamental to supporting a successful business in Asia. Relationship Mapping is a method of visualizing, describing and analyzing all the relationships of an existing or prospective business partner by establishing a dynamic “map”.

Our Process: Identify the key players related to the target (both internal and external); Perform “deep dives” into the relationship web to determine the nature and level of influence; Evaluate the quality and stability of the relationships; Identify relationship “gaps” and implications; Workshop the results with the client to create a relationship strategy.

The Result: Getting the “real story” behind the scenes to better measure the off-balance sheet risks and benefits of a business arrangement; Understanding where the holders of power reside, the nature of relationships among them, and the real objectives of all players on the map; Uncovering structural problems or hidden liabilities before they come out as a surprise; Providing strategic insight to construct a mutually beneficial alliance for our client.

For more on our collaborative approach to touchpoints between supplier and buyer, visit our Supplier Relationship Management page.

A sample Relationship Map for a client’s China acquisition strategy: