1. Know your customer

To put it simply, and without taking sides, there are two main ways of working for a client: either to put two or more suppliers out to tender, or to work with a single supplier; in the latter case, we can speak of a partnership. There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to both systems, for both parties. So it's a strategic question that needs to be considered, even before the project has been sketched out.

You're planning to develop an innovative solution for your customer, who only works with suppliers who are in constant competition. You're likely to find that they refuse to follow you down a path leading to a monopoly situation. You then have two options: either abandon the solution altogether, or share it with one or more of your competitors, with no guarantee that they will be willing to contribute to the costs incurred by your innovation. In both...