ABSTRACT
This chapter develops a lifecycle, one that does not concern the client but that forms the basis for management of the vendor's business. The vendor lifecycle is focused on business issues and gives control of risk and commitment. The chapter describes five phases of the vendor lifecycle, namely opportunity, bid, initiation, execution and completion. The vendor lifecycle requires the core documents from initiation—primarily the contract or equivalent document committing the parties to the project, and the completed checklist that verifies all necessary setup actions have been performed. There is some work duplication, as the vendor project manager (PM) must also prepare a client status report (CSR) tailored for the client. The natural consequence of a sound vendor lifecycle is formalization and development of a comprehensive methodology. The project status report (PSR) is a business-focused report intended for the firm's management; thus, it is inappropriate for distribution to the client.
