This activity consists of the following tasks:

• Understand service or product requirements as a prerequisite for selecting the appropriate suppliers
• Search for appropriate suppliers
• Evaluate supplier candidates according to predefined criteria
• Select and prioritize suppliers
• Maintain supplier catalog with supplier information
• Actively manage supplier portfolio by regularly re-visiting supplier portfolio, maintaining and optimizing it according to the required services and products as well as the supplier relationship management framework
• Manage supplier relationships to ensure optimal procurement ability.