Final answer:
Strategic alliances provide vital resources and inputs to core processes, helping businesses achieve mutually beneficial objectives and gain a competitive advantage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The entities that provide vital resources and inputs to core processes are b) Strategic alliances. Strategic alliances are partnerships where two or more companies work together to achieve objectives that are mutually beneficial. These alliances can offer a range of vital resources such as technology, market access, capital, and expertise, which are integral to the core processes of a business. They help in expanding a company's capabilities and can be essential for gaining competitive advantage.