Assigning responsibility for vendor management is the best way to avoid the situation where the IT department outsourced application support and negotiated service level agreements (SLAs) directly with the vendor, but the business owner expectations were not met and senior management cancelled the contract. Vendor management is the process of managing the relationship with a supplier, also known as a vendor or a third party1. Vendor management involves selecting, contracting, monitoring, evaluating, and communicating with vendors to ensure that they deliver the goods and services that meet the business needs and objectives1. Assigning responsibility for vendor management helps to ensure that there is a clear and consistent governance structure, strategy, and policy for working with vendors2. It also helps to align the expectations and interests of all the stakeholders involved, such as the IT department, the business owners, and the senior management2. Assigning responsibility for vendor management also helps to avoid duplication of efforts, conflicts of interest, or gaps in oversight that could result in poor vendor performance, dissatisfaction, or risk exposure2.
References := 9 vendor management best practices for 2023 - Juro, Best Practices for Vendor Management | Smartsheet.