A project is a solo or collaborative establishment executed carefully to meet desired objectives.

Project objectives are usually set before project works begin. A successful project follows a

systematic cycle, and it’s the role of the project manager to ensure that the cycle is followed until

the project is complete and the objectives are achieved. Basically, the nature of project management

is complex and requires to be handled by someone who has a perfect understanding of its scope. The

job requires somebody who possesses unmatched planning and coordinating skills, such that he is able

to delegate and monitor the duties assigned to his team members. Delegating duties ensures there is a

division of labor, and each segment is handled through skilled personnel. Within the scope of project

management, lays project budgeting, which enables a project manager to determine the number of

human resources needed to complete each segment. In delegating duties to team members, the project

vendors need to be included as team members as they have perfect comprehension of the project,

compared to others.

Role of the Vendors

The project in question, as per the scenario, is the upgrading of the company's legacy system of billing.

As the company's project manager, one of my many tasks is breaking down the project into multiple

segments and assigning duties to the project team members as per their skills and qualifications.

However, some segments of the project are too complex to be executed by team members upon

delegation. Such segments require the touch of vendors, because they have more knowledge about the

project, compared to the rest of the people in the organization. For example, a segment like coming up

with the unique specifications of the new billing system cannot be handled any other person apart from

the project vendor. A vendor needs to handle such because he originally designed the system that needs

an upgrade, and comprehends how the system works. As the project manager, I'll have to delegate this

responsibility to the vendor.

Another responsibility needed to be handled by the vendor is the continuous upgrade of the newly

upgraded system. Upon implementation, the billing system will need constant supervision and

maintenance for it to be used continuously. With time, it will also need to be expanded to accommodate

the widened scope of the organization. Such functions are better delegated to the vendor, because it is

easier for him to handle such, considering that he is the original developer of the software.

The vendor will also handle the responsibility of training the users on how to use the upgraded system,

and this includes equipping the users--clients, staff, and company's executives-- with the necessary

knowledge and skills of successfully operating the new system. For the organization to reap from the

new system, the users need to master how to use the system. Apart from the vendor, no one else is in a

position to offer such training; hence, important when left for the vendor to handle that.

Benefits of Employing the Services of a Vendor

Vendors' services are necessary that an organization cannot forgo them. Involving vendors in project

management is important because it is a factor determinant of a project's success. In this scenario, the

legacy billing system cannot be successfully upgraded lest the vendor is included. Not that the success of

this project includes knowing how to use it. Only the vendor can train on how to handle the system. The

vendor is the original developer of the system; hence, he understands even the most complex things

within the software, which no other person, including the IRCT management, can understand.

Involving the vendor is also advantageous to the organization because it is cost-effective, compared to

hiring someone to execute the duties of the vendor. The IRCT Company will actually spend less if it hires

the services of the vendor, especially when it comes to training. External expertise might overcharge the

company and deliver shoddy training, which is both costly to an organization. A vendor takes the

training responsibility as part of his assigned duties and handles it as a collective duty. He'll also deliver

quality training, which is again to the organization.

The newly upgraded system may not function to the optimum standards unless it is continuously

reviewed to accommodate all its specifications. Additionally, the system has to be reviewed constantly

to ensure that it serves the organization as it is required, including easing the process of billing. To

ensure that the system suits its prescriptions, the company must need the services of a vendor. They are

in a better position to deliver this compared to other people who may have knowledge of the system

but not a perfect understanding like the developer.