Information technology depends upon the acquisition of products and services for use by the business to achieve operational goals and become profitable. Building and managing productive relationships with suppliers (the description of which includes vendors) is an integral responsibility for many IT departments.

Ensuring suppliers are properly vetted, negotiated with, and serve as a valuable resource for providing those products and services helps both the IT department and the company itself succeed. This also helps protect company data and employees from potential data breaches produced by associations with subpar external entities.

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for creating the foundations of beneficial supplier relations.

This policy can be customized as needed to fit the needs of your organization.