The main task of the supplier management is to ensure that suppliers adhere to the conditions and targets contained in the contracts. Suppliers make a key contribution towards the delivery of the IT services. The supplier management process should therefore be supplier strategy driven. Contracts and suppliers are documented in the supplier and contracts database so the consistency of the contracts and adherence to the corporate guidelines can be verified on a centralized basis.

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The supplier management must cover all suppliers and contracts required to deliver a service for the business. The relationship between supplier and service provider must be formally defined. However, depending upon the strategic importance of the supplier, provision must be made for greater integration of the supplier within the strategy planning or service design. The smaller the additional benefit generated by the supplier the more it can also be managed on the operational level in the transition or operation phases.