Select, monitor, and analyze processes used by the supplier.

In situations where there must be tight alignment between some of the processes implemented by the supplier and those of the project, monitoring these processes will help prevent interface problems.

The selection must consider the impact of the supplier's processes on the project. On larger projects with significant subcontracts for development of critical components, monitoring of key processes is expected. For most vendor agreements where a product is not being developed or for smaller, less critical components, the selection process may determine that monitoring is not appropriate. Between these extremes, the overall risk should be considered in selecting processes to be monitored.

The processes selected for monitoring should include engineering, project management (including contracting), and support processes critical to successful project performance.

Monitoring, if not performed with adequate care, can at one extreme be invasive and burdensome, or at the other extreme be uninformative and ineffective. There should be sufficient monitoring to detect issues, as early as possible, that may affect the supplier's ability to satisfy the requirements of the supplier agreement.

Analyzing selected processes involves taking the data obtained from monitoring selected supplier processes and analyzing it to determine whether there are serious issues.

Typical Work Products

1.    List of processes selected for monitoring or rationale for non-selection

2.    Activity reports

3.    Performance reports

4.    Performance curves

5.    Discrepancy reports

Subpractices

1.    Identify the supplier processes that are critical to the success of the project.

2.    Monitor the selected supplier's processes for compliance with requirements of the agreement.

3.    Analyze the results of monitoring the selected processes to detect issues as early as possible that may affect the supplier's ability to satisfy the requirements of the agreement.

Trend analysis can rely on internal and external data.

Refer to the Verification process area for more information about recording the results of verification and analyses.

Refer to the Project Monitoring and Control process area for more information about taking corrective action.