Healthy vendor relationships can have a major impact on a company’s operations. An executive or business owner may spend many hours researching the best vendor options and far longer cultivating good relationships with specific vendors. Vendors can supply unique products that no one else in the area can source, giving a restaurant or retail establishment a competitive edge. Other times, certain vendors might offer goods or materials at a very competitive rate, allowing a company to maximize its profits.
Companies of all sizes and functions rely on vendors to provide retail goods and raw materials consistently. Contracts with vendors help lock in specific delivery schedules and prices. They make business operations more predictable. There are certain terms that companies often need to include in their vendor contract for optimal protection.
Non-disclosure agreements
Restrictive covenants included in contracts can impose limits on what either party who signs the agreement can do. Although people often associate them with employment contracts, they can be useful in any kind of written agreement. Non-disclosure agreements help ensure that a vendor providing raw materials won’t share a company’s trade secrets with others. The information that vendors have about how an organization operates could undermine the company’s competitiveness if made public. Therefore, prohibiting vendors from sharing details about the company and the contract is often a smart decision.
Penalty clauses
Non-delivery of materials could be a real issue for an organization that has to meet certain deadlines for clients. Businesses could suffer financial setbacks and reputation damage if they cannot complete a production run or a project because a vendor failed to deliver supplies. Penalty clauses allow either party in a contract to demand compensation from the other when the circumstances meet specific standards. They can also increase the damages a company can claim if a dispute leads to litigation.
Alternative dispute resolution clauses
Going to court over a dispute with a vendor can be very expensive. It could also do permanent damage to the relationship between the companies. If the parties can resolve things by attending mediation or arbitration, it may be easier to preserve a healthy working relationship in the future.
Taking the time to include thoughtful terms in a vendor agreement can minimize the likelihood of disappointments and conflicts in the future.