Topic-Strategic Alliance--Whirlpool Corporation and Inland Steel

1. Discuss what the following statement means: 'It can take years for a buyer/seller partnership to begin delivering results.'

2. Discuss the advantages of having point-to-point contact between suppliers and buyers at different companies. Are there any disadvantages to this approach?

3. What role does trust play in the relationship between Whirlpool Corporation and Inland Steel? Provide examples from the case that illustrate trust within this relationship.

4. Why is it important to have a strategic fit between the companies involved in a buyer/seller alliance or partnership?

5. When formulating its purchasing strategy, what other strategy alternatives besides an alliance with another company could Whirlpool Corporation have pursued?

6. How can the companies involved in a buyer/seller partnership tell if the partnership is successful? What specific indicators can the companies use to measure progress and performance?

7. Under what conditions might the parties to the alliance discussed in this case dissolve or end the relationship?

8.How can firms minimize or manage the bumps, hurdles, or conflicts that often occur when firms join together in an alliance or partnership?

9. What is a supplier council? What role does a council have in supporting the strategic supplier alliance between Whirlpool Corporation and Inland Steel?

10. What might cause an alliance or partnership to end?