A vendor management policy is a way for companies to identify and prioritize vendors that pose a risk to their business.
The policy identifies potentially risky vendors and prescribes controls to minimize risk and ensure compliance with regulatory rules. Vendor management policies are a critical component of an organization’s overall compliance risk management strategy.
The more vendors you work with and share sensitive information with, the more exposed your organization is to security threats. This guide will help you create a Vendor Management Policy for your organization. We suggest that you work with your applicable internal team to assist with the development of the policy. See below for the sections you should include when creating your firm’s policy.
Please note that policies set some parameters for decision-making but leave room for flexibility. They show the “why” behind an action. Procedures, on the other hand, explain the “how.” They provide step-by-step instructions for specific routine tasks. They may even include a checklist or process steps to follow.
Vendor Management Policies typically include:
Use this section to explain why it's important to have guidelines and standards for selecting and managing vendors throughout their lifecycle.
Also, specify the parties in the organization to whom the policy applies. This description can be brief or detailed, depending on the complexity of your organization. See the example below to get you started:
Use this section to explain who the policy applies to. It can be as simple as one sentence or more detailed according to the complexities of your organization. See examples below to get you started:
Use this section to explain critical risk elements identified by your organization for this policy. Provide a definition for each element and categorize them by level of risk. This description can be brief or detailed, depending on the complexity of your organization. See the example below to get you started:
Use this section to describe how your company plans to conduct due diligence assessments and vendor selection to mitigate risks by assessing potential vendors.
This description can be brief or detailed, depending on the complexity of your organization. Please find below the suggested due diligence process that we can follow to evaluate our vendors:
Use this section to explain how the results of the vendor assessment determine any required contractual agreements prior to commencing services with each vendor.
The description can be brief or detailed, depending on the complexity of your organization. See examples below to get you started:
Use this section to explain how your organization will have oversight and monitoring for the services provided by each vendor.
It can be as simple as one sentence or more detailed according to the complexities of your organization. See examples below to get you started:
Use this section to outline your firm's standard for vendor termination and ensure alignment with contractual obligations, security, and regulatory requirements.
This description can be brief or detailed, depending on the complexity of your organization. See the example below to get you started:
Use this section to define who in the organization will have ownership of the Vendor Management Policy.
Get as detailed as needed in order to cover specifics that pertain to your organization. See the example below to get started:
Use this section to explain how your organization will structure a regular review of the Vendor Management Policy so it stays current.
Get as detailed as needed in order to cover specifics that pertain to your organization. See the example below to get started: