# Vendor Onboarding > Creates vendor onboarding checklists with documentation requirements, compliance checks, and setup procedures for smooth partnerships. - Skill: `reaperinvest/vendor-onboarding` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/vendor-onboarding` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/vendor-onboarding/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Docs & Writing - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/vendor-onboarding --- # Vendor Onboarding ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Create a standardized process for onboarding new vendors, suppliers, or service providers - Build documentation checklists to collect before engaging a new vendor - Set up compliance and quality checks for vendor relationships - Design a repeatable vendor evaluation and setup workflow **DO NOT** use this skill for employee onboarding, customer onboarding, or vendor contract negotiation. This is for the operational setup process after a vendor has been selected. --- ## Core Principle A VENDOR ONBOARDING PROCESS PREVENTS THE TWO BIGGEST PARTNERSHIP FAILURES — MISALIGNED EXPECTATIONS AND MISSING DOCUMENTATION THAT CREATES LIABILITY. --- ## Phase 1: Vendor Profile Gather context about the vendor relationship before building the checklist. ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Vendor type** | "What will this vendor provide? (software, physical goods, professional services, manufacturing)" | Professional services | | **Relationship scope** | "One-time project or ongoing relationship?" | Ongoing | | **Payment terms** | "How will you pay? (monthly retainer, per project, per unit)" | Monthly | | **Risk level** | "Does this vendor handle sensitive data, customer interactions, or critical operations?" | Low-medium | | **Industry** | "What industry are you in? (affects compliance requirements)" | General business | **GATE: Confirm vendor profile before building the onboarding checklist.** --- ## Phase 2: Build Checklist Create a comprehensive onboarding checklist tailored to the vendor type. ### Documentation Checklist ``` ## Vendor Onboarding Checklist: [Vendor Name] ### Business Documentation - [ ] W-9 or W-8BEN (tax identification) - [ ] Certificate of insurance (if applicable) - [ ] Business license or registration - [ ] Contact information (primary + backup) - [ ] Banking/payment details for invoicing ### Agreement Documents - [ ] Signed contract or statement of work - [ ] NDA (if handling confidential information) - [ ] Service level agreement (if applicable) - [ ] Data processing agreement (if handling personal data) - [ ] Terms and conditions acknowledged ### Operational Setup - [ ] Add to project management tool - [ ] Create shared communication channel - [ ] Grant necessary system/tool access - [ ] Share brand guidelines or style guides - [ ] Provide login credentials for relevant platforms - [ ] Schedule kickoff meeting ### Compliance Checks - [ ] Verify business registration - [ ] Confirm insurance coverage meets requirements - [ ] Review data handling practices (if applicable) - [ ] Check references (for new relationships) ``` ### Vendor-Type Customization Adjust the checklist based on vendor type: - **Software/SaaS:** Add security review, data backup provisions, uptime SLA - **Physical goods:** Add quality standards, shipping terms, return/defect policy - **Professional services:** Add portfolio review, deliverable templates, revision process - **Manufacturing:** Add quality inspection schedule, sample approval process, minimum order terms **GATE: Present checklist for user review and customization.** --- ## Phase 3: Communication Setup Define how the vendor relationship will operate day-to-day. ### Kickoff Meeting Agenda ``` ## Vendor Kickoff Meeting **Duration:** 30-45 minutes **Attendees:** [Your name], [Vendor contact] 1. Introductions and relationship overview (5 min) 2. Scope and deliverables review (10 min) 3. Communication norms — preferred channels, response times (5 min) 4. Reporting and check-in cadence (5 min) 5. Escalation process for issues (5 min) 6. Questions and next steps (5 min) ``` ### Communication Framework ``` ## Communication Norms **Primary channel:** [Email / Slack / Project tool] **Response time expectation:** [Within X hours for standard, X hours for urgent] **Regular check-ins:** [Weekly / Biweekly / Monthly] **Invoice submission:** [Process and timeline] **Issue escalation:** [Contact person and method] ``` --- ## Phase 4: Performance Framework Set up how vendor performance will be tracked. ### Performance Metrics Define 3-5 measurable KPIs based on vendor type: ``` ## Vendor Performance Metrics | Metric | Target | Review Frequency | |--------|--------|-----------------| | On-time delivery rate | 95%+ | Monthly | | Quality score / error rate | Under 2% | Monthly | | Response time to requests | Under 24 hours | Quarterly | | Invoice accuracy | 100% | Per invoice | ``` ### 30-60-90 Day Review Schedule - **30 days:** Check-in on initial deliverables, communication quality, any early issues - **60 days:** First performance review against KPIs - **90 days:** Full review — continue, adjust, or terminate the relationship --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Skipping the NDA** — if a vendor sees any business data, an NDA is not optional. - **No written scope** — verbal agreements lead to scope disputes. Everything in writing. - **Granting full system access** — give vendors the minimum access they need, not admin rights to everything. - **No payment terms documentation** — unclear payment terms are the #1 cause of vendor conflicts. - **Onboarding without a trial period** — always define a probationary period with clear evaluation criteria. --- ## Recovery - **Vendor is unresponsive during onboarding:** Set a 48-hour deadline for documentation. If missed, flag it as a reliability risk before the relationship deepens. - **Vendor pushes back on documentation:** Explain it protects both parties. If they refuse basic documentation, reconsider the partnership. - **Missing insurance or compliance docs:** Provide templates or links to resources. Set a hard deadline before any work begins. - **Vendor relationship already started without onboarding:** Create a retroactive checklist and schedule a "reset" meeting to fill gaps. - **Multiple vendors to onboard at once:** Prioritize by risk level — onboard vendors handling sensitive data or critical operations first.