The mission for managing successful supply chain organisations is incredible. The consequences of failure are unimaginable. The ending is unthinkable if not well managed. "Partnership" is an increasingly important area of interest in the academic and the business world. Companies focus strongly on the development of closer ties with other organizations in search of competitive advantage and improved market positioning. So far, little is known about the mechanisms determining the evolution of collaborative relationships, nor about the existence and interplay of collaboration at various levels...