Ongoing management of vendors is complicated by the way most organisations are structured.  The role of managing the ongoing performance of vendors might sit largely within the business or operational unit to which the service is being delivered by the vendor. (if it is an outsource it might be HR, IT, Finance etc.)  Nevertheless Procurement and Finance and real ongoing stakeholders in the management of the vendors on an ongoing basis.  Procurement negotiate the best price possible for the delivery of the service at a specified level.  But is the service actually delivered at that level? If not how do you find out about it?

» More: Getting alerted when contractual service penalties kick in?