Tip Sheet

6 Tips for Turning Vendors into Strategic Partners

A successful strategic partner is invested in supporting your company’s goals. Use
the following tips to develop a long-lasting relationship between you and your ven-
dor.

Create a written partnering agreement that spells out the responsibilities of each
partner.
Strategic partners must have clear, shared goals. Identify who is to implement specific
plans and decisions, and make sure they have the authority and resources to execute
these decisions. The success of a long-term partnership will depend on how well each
partner lives up to the standards outlined in this written agreement.

Work toward developing a high level of trust between the partners.

Trust is essential to a win-win relationship. The goal is for each partner to respect the
other and to operate in the best interest of the other.

Propose a hierarchy of roles in the vendor’s operation similar to that of your op-
eration.
This parallel platform will enable peer-to-peer comparison of responsibilities.

Establish a standard process for communication.

Determine who is responsible for communicating outcomes of management meet-
ings back to their respective producing teams. This person must also be responsible
for bringing back issues and concerns from the producing teams to the managing
team.

Treat vendors as an extension of your in-house team.

When resolving technical issues, make sure your strategic partner has access to the
most accurate, up-to-date information, as well as the most knowledgeable subject
matter expert.

Maintain frequent check-ins with the managing team to resolve problems.

Regular communication will enable you to quickly deal with unexpected issues or
changes.

About Novatek
For 25 years, Novatek has provided technical docu-
mentation and training services to medical device and ƒƒ You may also want to consider:
manufacturing companies. Through technical commu- ƒƒ A Statement of Work
nications, Novatek helps product managers ensure ƒƒ When working on outsourced documentation projects for clients, Novatek recom-
successful product launches, quality managers ensure mends using an Statement of Work (SOW) to confirm all details about the project and
compliant documentation and R&D managers ensure serve as the formal project agreement between the client and the vendor.
valuable knowledge is retained so experiments are
ƒƒ
leveraged, not repeated. Novatek has the industry ex-
pertise, technical communications talent, and strategic ƒƒ Need help creating your SOW template?
guidance to meet manufacturing sustainability objectives. ƒƒ Contact our team: 585.482.4070
Contact us to discuss your needs: 585.482.4070.

Contact: 585.482.4070 | info@novatekcom.com | novatekcom.com