Supplier Management

Supplier management covers the entire supplier lifecycle — from evaluation and selection through contract negotiation, performance monitoring, and relationship management to contract renewal or termination. Suppliers are typically categorised by strategic importance: strategic (critical, long-term partners), tactical (significant but replaceable), operational (commodity suppliers), and commodity (easily substitutable). In multi-vendor environments, supplier management becomes critical — poor supplier performance directly impacts service quality. SIAM (Service Integration and Management) provides a framework for managing multiple suppliers.