Improving strategic planning processes by means of cross-company collaboration along the value chain

The necessity of continuously improving managerial planning processes to support cost reduction ambitions is a constant topic in dynamic business environments. Against this background we explore the importance of collaboration in strategic planning processes. Starting from the relevant literature we develop a quantitative approach which is used to demonstrate the benefits achieved through collaboration by means of computer-based simulation. The results suggest that economic benefits can be realised by softening inter-firm boundaries regarding the strategic planning processes and collaborating along the value chain.