Meaning ● Inter-Organizational Value Creation, particularly relevant for SMB growth strategies, refers to the collaborative processes between two or more independent organizations, resulting in synergistic advantages exceeding what individual firms could achieve alone. Within SMB contexts, this frequently manifests through strategic alliances that extend market reach, access innovative technologies, or optimize supply chain operations, directly affecting scalability and profitability. ● Such collaborations often involve the automation of key processes to facilitate data sharing and streamlined workflows, ensuring efficient implementation of shared resources and technologies. It is essential for SMBs to focus on value alignment and mutual benefits when initiating such partnerships to enhance competitiveness and sustainable growth. For instance, a small manufacturer might partner with a logistics firm to automate order fulfillment, thereby creating greater value for both entities and their customers. ● Successful inter-organizational value creation for SMBs is intrinsically linked to their ability to leverage digital tools and platforms, ensuring effective communication, transparency, and agile responses to changing market demands. The successful deployment hinges on strong governance structures and clearly defined key performance indicators, which allow for efficient performance tracking and continuous optimization. This creates a pathway to sustainable competitive advantage.