Managing Business Relationships

This chapter looks at the policies and procedures that are necessary to effectively manage relationships with third parties, whether they are Clients, suppliers, or consultants. It addresses issues such as access to the laboratory and its resources, Service Level Agreements, outsourcing, and the use of sub-contractors. It examines the procedures that need to be implemented for contracts with all of these groups and also details the types of checks that should be made before carrying out business with them. This chapter also deals with ways in which conflict resolution, whether with suppliers or Clients can be managed.