To select a partner with these three charecteristies, a firm needs to conduct comprehensive research on potential alliance candidates. To increase the probability of selecting a good partner, the firm should
1. Collect as much pertinent , publicly available information on potential allies as possible
2. Gather data from informed third parties, including firms that have had alliances with the potential partness, investment bankers who have had dealings with them, and former employees.
3. Get to know the potential partner as well as possible before committing to an alliance. This process should include face-to-face meetings between senior manager ( and perhaps middle-level manager ) to ensure that the chemistry is right