Effective Joint Development Agreements (JDAs) —
How to Structure Co-Development Alliances for Success

Live Audio-Session featuring Kevin Schwartz Principal Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath (PRTM)

Collaborative development is an important tool in the increasingly complex and competitive business world. Consequently, more companies are partnering for new product development for many reasons. They include: increased innovation, faster time to market, internal R&D savings, access to new markets, and access to new technology. However, like with mergers and acquisitions in their heyday, most development partnerships do not live up to their original expectations and many fail altogether.

To ensure unqualified successes, it is crucial to properly structure the relationships from inception. Though it is not by any means a panacea, a properly structured Joint Development Agreement (and an effective process surrounding it) can mean the difference between a healthy partnership and one that struggles.

In this audio session, we will discuss the elements of an effective JDA and the process for gathering consensus (internally and with your partner) on the agreement.

By participating in this 90-minute session (60 minute presentation, 30 minutes Q&A), you will learn:

• What’s the difference between a legal contract and a JDA, and why is the distinction important?

• What are the critical elements to include in a JDA? What does a good one look like?

• Who needs to be involved in finalizing a co-dev relationship agreement?

• How do I know when there’s a problem? (What are the risks of a poorly structured agreement?)

This session is recommended for anyone involved in product design and development with external partners or in the legal, business development, or strategy functions that help initiate these relationships. Your entire cross-functional team may participate together in this audio session for one low, all-inclusive fee.

Kevin J. Schwartz is a Principal in the product development practice of Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath (PRTM), the leading management consultancy in implementing cutting-edge product development practices, tested through more than 700 implementation engagements. Kevin works with both large and small companies across industries including software, consumer goods, biotechnology, telecommunications, semiconductors and alternative energy to redefine and upgrade their product development processes, internally and with partners. He is frequently asked to speak about collaborative development and has been an instructor for several PDMA/MRT-sponsored Co-Development workshops. He has also conducted benchmarking on this topic and published articles in Research * Technology Management and PRTM’s Insight magazine. Kevin holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, an M.S. in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.