Creating preferred vendor list

I would like to advice everyone envolved with vendors, too keep your options open. Depending on one group or groups may limit you to some degree. I spend a lot time talking to vendors, and some times I do have the time spend. But in the end I have abetter selection and it helps keep my project within budget. I deal with many staffing projects needing hard to find IT Consultants and by having options to look at candidates from different vendors allows me the best resources, not the only resources.

I am always within budget!!!!!

At first it will take time and understanding,
of which you may feel that you do not have room. But the only really way to find the right vendor is to let them all try to deliver your requirements. To see which ones are really hungry,and will look out for you and your companies needs and goals. The one that won't take advanance of being the only vendor in your shop, by keeping time frames, budgets, and quality. This may take time on your company setting policy for a perferred vendors list, atleast until you have put some requirements out too all...Use vendors from across the Nation for best contact with Many and the best resources. The net does wonders....

Your Project Manager....

PS: What type of Vendors are you using? Staffing, Products, Services, ?????
Maybe I can refer some good vendors we have used in the past/present....

As with everything else, some have a process, some don't. The key steps in my opinion are:
1. to set-up a committee with people with the most interest in the success of this endeavor (remember to include a few that have been complaining about how outsourcing has not worked well in the past, to get them in on the process), to come up with the must-haves and the key drivers (a scorecard works great) for the vendor selection and evaluation, and
2. sharing these criteria and the selection process with the vendors - this will ensure they understand and focus on what is really important and only those really interested will be left standing.

A Q&A session to address the vendor questions before the proposals are invited is another best practice where everyone listens in on the discussion and get the scoop first hand.

I am interested in knowing what other inputs you are getting in this regard.

When building our preferred vendor list for our ISO 9001 compliance, we listed the vendors that we currently work with. Each was rated by the groups that use them and comments were made as to their strengths and weaknesses. Each time they are used, new comments are added as to their satisfaction rating.
As new vendors are used, they are added and rated with the same information at the end of the engagement.
We include contractors and suppliers in this list and keep it on a database that is accessible by all managers and buyers.
This process is handled by our purchasing department since they have the master list of who we are using at any given time.
We are not limited to utilizing previous vendors but have criteria at hand to use when comparing.