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Companies are
relying more and more on vendors to help them complete critical project
work. In many cases, the vendor actually takes responsibility for
delivering certain components of the project. When this happens, the
vendor should not be allowed to work independently until the expected
delivery date. That is a recipe for disappointment and failure. Instead,
the project manager needs to make sure that the vendor has a complete
and clear set of requirements, as well as a contract that sets the right
expectations and motivations. The project manager then needs to manage
and monitor the vendor to ensure they meet the business requirements and
the contractual requirements established up-front. Many of the project
management techniques are similar to those utilized on internal work.
However, there are many processes and techniques that are unique to a
client - vendor relationship.