Determined the capabilities and needs of the organization

Assessed if it was possible & how long it would take to acquire capabilities that the organization does not currently possess

Interviewed experts at industry associations to determine best in class companies

Performed a literature search on industry and players in it

Interviewed company executives to determine their capabilities and future plans

Interviewed past customers to determine quality of service

Tested products

Benchmarked similar organizations to see how their deal is structured

Agreed on a deal which provided incentives for each entity to add value to the other