Professional Documents
Culture Documents
All vendors should be subject to continuous monitoring and assessment. Each business unit engaging
outside vendors should designate an individual or group responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of
vendor performance. The frequency and depth of each vendor evaluation should be based upon the
scope and risk exposure of the service being outsourced.
Vendor scorecards should be established to continuously monitor and assess strategic vendors. After
scoring, each business unit should provide a detailed explanation of the reasons why a vendor scoring
lowly is being retained. The results of these assessments should be stored in the vendor management
system to track positive and negative trends.
A Vendor Management Program (VMP) should be implemented as an ongoing control function to
monitor the effectiveness and costs of outsourced services and leverage the existing obligations of the
corporation. The VMP should be seen as a strategic activity that proactively collaborates with executive
management, business units, IT, and Finance to help identify, select, monitor, and report on strategic
partner relationships that are critical to the enterprise. The VMP leadership must thoroughly understand
the strategic goals and objectives of the organization and provide a key role in strategic alignment,
operational risk management, and cost control.
An effective VMP works proactively with both internal business units and vendors to foster strong and
efficient partnerships that result in innovative solutions. Consistent monitoring of the environment for
new or emerging risks and partnering with the internal stakeholders will help promote clear Service
Level Agreements (SLA). The establishment of clear SLAs is critical because they are the bases for
measurement, and provide a roadmap for issue management.
In order to achieve this, AlixPartners should review and assess each vendor relationship to assess
accountability in the decision‐making process, relevance in the centralized business functions, and
significance in the future operation of the business. Business units should prepare a detailed and
complete business justification for existing vendors and establish procedures for new vendors to be fully
considered by business managers before contracting. An objective evaluation standard should be
established with executive and business leadership for all future vendor selection.
The selection process should be designed to allow flexibility to include various risk factors including
overall costs, project risks, and complexity. In order to implement an effective, manageable process, a
centralized group needs to have the authority to review all requests for new vendors.
Phone: 248.731.8572 6441 Inkster - Suite 240 – Bloomfield Hills – Michigan – 48301 Fax: 248.341.1216
For existing vendors, the review should focus on:
Agreement construction
Statement of services
Deliverables and acceptance criteria
Term and termination
Payments
Relationships and third‐parties
Confidentiality and data protection
Intellectual property rights
Performance warranties and service‐level agreements
Audits and record retention
Dispute resolution
Insurance, indemnification, and limitation of liability
General provisions
Monitoring and assessment requirements should be tied to a comprehensive risk assessment,
including total spend, access to customer data, financial stability, provisions for business
continuity planning, and system integration as minimum criteria. High‐risk vendors should be
required to proved independent certification or attestation, e.g. SAS/70 or compliance with ISO
standards. Vendors unable to provide such assurance should be subjected to on‐site reviews
and audits conducted to test and verify risk, and associated control environments. The ongoing
vendor management program will include active tracking and managing in a centralized
repository.
For new vendors, the developed process should focus on:
The current issue or challenges that require the external provider
The type of product or service that will be provided and how this service will particularly
resolve the current business issue
How this service supports one or more strategic business objectives
How this service improves the current operational environment, e.g., improves internal
controls, complies with legal/regulatory requirements, enhances customer experience,
provides new products, etc.
Why this service cannot be performed by existing resources
RFP preparation in accordance with corporate standards
The detailed documented business requirements of the requesting business unit
Detailing a cost/benefit analysis defining how the new service will provide a positive ROI
Consideration of the above criteria will help AlixPartners in the development of a robust environment to
partner, manage, and excel with their current and future vendors, while leveraging their expertise to
assist in the areas of compliance.
Phone: 248.731.8572 6632 Telegraph Rd - Suite 292 – Bloomfield Hills – Michigan – 48301 Fax: 248.341.1216