ESSAY 1 Copyright © 2020 CASE #8 ESSAY TRAINING DEPARTMENT [Assigned on 5/19/20. Execute before 5/22/20 12 PM ET NOON] ESSAY 2 Copyright © 2020 CASE #8 ESSAY Introduction Technology has increased rapidly in the past two decades. This rapid technological advancement has provided organizations an opportunity to participate in an international marketplace. The international marketplace is portrayed by intense pressure and competition to drive cost down. The pure transactional way of sourcing materials is not realistic in the current modern era. Organizations should look for ways to restructure the ordering process and focus on their main competencies to sustain a competitive edge in the business market. This is only possible through the development of a strategic sourcing that would help the organizations in reducing their material and procurement costs. The shifts in economic trends and global expansion of businesses have augmented the intricacy of several supply chains, which have resulted in increased demand for successful supply chain management in current marketplace. Markets have become more globalized and organizations are affected by international trade either directly through their customers and supply chain or indirectly through the competitive strategies used by their industry rivals. Many organizations have attempted to develop partnerships or alliances with other supply chain members located in foreign countries, so that they could bypass the global business barriers created through the government policies, and gain access to foreign markets by managing the market risks. Discussion & Analysis The rising level of foreign direct investment in recent years is the proof of this attempt by the organizations. The trend toward economic globalization has made alliances important for corporate strategy, since globalization drove the convergence of customer preferences and needs. The high cost of speedy technological changes made it impossible for a firm to offer customers the best products at the lowest price (Baldwin, 2013). Additionally, sharing huge gaining presence and fixed costs in foreign markets were also claimed as reasons for global alliances. These alliances have helped firms in elimination of duplicated research efforts and control uncertainty in competitive environment. In addition, alliances could also stimulate more research and development investment on both sides. The benefits of global alliance ranged from lowering risk & cost of high tech product development and gaining economies of scale, to reduction in ESSAY 3 Copyright © 2020 transit time of products to market. Increased innovation, flexibility, better quality, strategic advantage, and economic necessity were also given as the benefits of global alliances. In the current, competitive business setting and global economy, organizations are highly recommended to actively .