Skill: flynndavid/vendor-onboarding-workflow (version 1.0.0)

# Vendor Onboarding Workflow — VendorGate System **Framework:** VendorGate System **Price:** FREE **Category:** Productivity / Vendor Management **Tags:** vendor management, onboarding, procurement, ops, compliance **last_validated:** 2026-03-03 --- ## What This Is The VendorGate System is a complete vendor onboarding operating system for mid-market ops teams. It replaces ad-hoc email chains and scattered spreadsheets with a structured, repeatable intake-to-activation workflow that any team can execute from day one. **Problem it solves:** Most organizations lose 3-5 hours per new vendor onboarding to back-and-forth emails, missing documents, and unclear approval ownership. VendorGate closes the gate until all requirements are met — then opens it on command. **Output:** A fully onboarded vendor with all documents collected, all approvals signed off, and a welcome communication sent — with a complete audit trail. --- ## The VendorGate Framework VendorGate operates across **5 sequential gates**. A vendor cannot advance to the next gate until the current gate is cleared. Each gate has a defined owner, checklist, and exit condition. ``` GATE 1: Intake & Qualification ↓ (Pass/Fail) GATE 2: Document Collection ↓ (Complete/Incomplete) GATE 3: Internal Approval Routing ↓ (Approved/Rejected/Conditional) GATE 4: System Setup & Access ↓ (Configured/Pending) GATE 5: Welcome & Activation ↓ VENDOR ACTIVE ✓ ``` --- ## GATE 1: Intake & Qualification **Owner:** Procurement / Ops **Timeline:** Day 1 **Exit Condition:** Vendor passes basic qualification criteria ### 1.1 — Vendor Intake Form Fields Collect the following at intake (use a form tool: Typeform, JotForm, Google Form, or intake email template): **Company Information** - Legal entity name - DBA name (if applicable) - State of incorporation / country of origin - Business address (physical + mailing) - EIN / Tax ID number - Website URL - Year founded - Number of employees (range: 1-10 / 11-50 / 51-200 / 200+) **Primary Contact** - Name, title, email, phone - Accounts payable contact (if different) - Emergency / escalation contact **Services / Products** - Category of service or product (dropdown: Technology / Professional Services / Facilities / Marketing / Logistics / Other) - Description of what they'll be providing - Estimated annual spend (range) - Contract start date (anticipated) **Certifications & Compliance (initial self-report)** - Is your business licensed to operate in [our state]? (Y/N) - Do you carry general liability insurance? (Y/N) If yes, coverage amount? - Do you carry workers' compensation? (Y/N) - Are you minority/women/veteran-owned? (Y/N — for reporting purposes) - Do you have any active litigation against your business? (Y/N) ### 1.2 — Qualification Decision Matrix Score the intake responses using the following logic: | Factor | Disqualifying Condition | |--------|------------------------| | EIN / Tax ID | Missing or invalid → cannot proceed | | Business license | "No" for regulated service categories → hold | | Active litigation | "Yes" → flag for legal review before advancing | | Insurance self-report | "No" for GL → flag for Gate 2 follow-up | | Estimated spend > $50K | Requires executive approval added to Gate 3 | **Gate 1 Exit:** All non-flagged fields complete + disqualifying conditions resolved (or escalated). Log decision in vendor tracker with timestamp. --- ## GATE 2: Document Collection **Owner:** Ops / Vendor (vendor submits, ops verifies) **Timeline:** Days 2-5 **Exit Condition:** All required documents received, not expired, legible ### 2.1 — Document Checklist by Vendor Category **All Vendors (Universal)** - [ ] W-9 (US vendors) or W-8BEN (international) - [ ] Certificate of Insurance (COI) — see COI skill for full requirements - [ ] Signed NDA / Confidentiality Agreement (use your standard template) - [ ] Business license or equivalent registration **Technology / SaaS Vendors (additional)** - [ ] SOC 2 Type II report (or equivalent security certification) - [ ] Data Processing Agreement (DPA) — required if handling any personal data - [ ] Subprocessor list (if applicable) - [ ] Penetration test summary (if accessing internal systems) **Professional Services (additional)** - [ ] E&O / Professional Liability proof of coverage - [ ] Proof of relevant professional licenses / certifications - [ ] References (minimum 2 client contacts) **Facilities / Contractors (additional)** - [ ] Contractor's license (state-specific) - [ ] Workers' Compensation certificate - [ ] Equipment / tool insurance (if applicable) - [ ] OSHA compliance certification (if applicable) **Logistics / Shipping (additional)** - [ ] Cargo insurance certificate - [ ] DOT number (if motor carrier) - [ ] Operating authority / MC number ### 2.2 — Document Review Standards For each document received: 1. **Verify authenticity** — Is it on letterhead? Signed? From a recognized insurer/authority? 2. **Check expiration** — No document should expire within 60 days of receipt. If expiring soon, request renewal before completing Gate 2. 3. **Confirm coverage/scope** — Does it cover the work being contracted? (e.g., tech vendor COI must list "technology services") 4. **Log receipt** — Date received, document type, expiration date, reviewer initials ### 2.3 — Missing Document Follow-Up Protocol **Day 0:** Send initial document request (use Template A below) **Day 3:** If incomplete — send reminder (use Template B below) **Day 7:** If still incomplete — escalate to vendor's senior contact **Day 10:** If no response — pause onboarding, notify internal requestor #### Template A — Initial Document Request ``` Subject: [Your Company] Vendor Onboarding — Documents Required Hi [Contact Name], Thank you for your interest in partnering with [Your Company]. To complete your onboarding, we need the following documents by [DATE — 5 business days]: [List required documents from checklist above] Please send to: [ops email or portal link] Questions? Reply to this email or call [contact]. Best, [Your Name] [Your Company] Operations ``` #### Template B — Follow-Up Reminder ``` Subject: Action Required: Outstanding Documents for [Vendor Name] Onboarding Hi [Contact Name], We're still waiting on the following documents to complete your onboarding: [List missing items with checkboxes] We need these by [DATE] to keep your start date on track. If there's a delay, please let us know so we can plan accordingly. [Your Name] ``` --- ## GATE 3: Internal Approval Routing **Owner:** Ops (routing) + Department Heads (approvals) **Timeline:** Days 5-8 **Exit Condition:** All required approvals received ### 3.1 — Approval Routing Matrix | Spend Tier | Required Approvers | |------------|-------------------| | Under $10K/year | Department head only | | $10K-$50K/year | Department head + Finance | | $50K-$100K/year | Department head + Finance + COO/VP Ops | | Over $100K/year | All above + CEO/Executive team | | Any vendor with data access | All above + IT/Security sign-off | | Any vendor with legal exposure | All above + Legal/Counsel review | ### 3.2 — Approval Package (what each approver receives) Send each approver a package containing: 1. **Vendor Summary Sheet** (1 page): vendor name, service category, estimated spend, contract term, key contacts 2. **Gate 1 Intake Summary**: qualification responses 3. **Gate 2 Document Status**: confirmation all docs received + any flags 4. **Risk Flags** (if any): litigation, expiring coverage, missing certs 5. **Requestor's Business Case**: why we need this vendor (brief — 3-5 sentences) 6. **Approval Action Requested**: Approve / Reject / Approve with Conditions ### 3.3 — Approval Conditions If an approver approves with conditions: - Document the condition in the vendor record - Set a calendar reminder to verify the condition is met within 30 days - Do NOT pause onboarding for minor conditions — note and track If rejected: - Document reason - Notify internal requestor with reason - Pause onboarding - If vendor resubmits with corrections, restart at Gate 2 ### 3.4 — Approval Turnaround SLA Approvers have **3 business days** to respond. If no response: - Day 4: Ops sends a nudge ("Quick approval needed for [Vendor]") - Day 6: Ops escalates to approver's supervisor - Day 8: Decision defaults to "hold" — document and notify requestor --- ## GATE 4: System Setup & Access **Owner:** IT / Ops **Timeline:** Days 8-10 **Exit Condition:** Vendor configured in all required systems ### 4.1 — System Setup Checklist **Finance / Accounting** - [ ] Vendor added to accounting system (QuickBooks, NetSuite, etc.) - [ ] Payment terms set (Net 30, Net 60, etc.) - [ ] ACH banking info collected (via secure form — never email) - [ ] W-9 / tax document filed in accounting system - [ ] Vendor contact assigned to PO workflow **Procurement / Contracts** - [ ] Signed contract uploaded to contract management system (or shared drive folder) - [ ] Contract start date, end date, renewal date logged - [ ] Reminder set for 90 days before contract end - [ ] Contract assigned an internal owner **Operations / Project Management** - [ ] Vendor added to relevant project boards (if applicable) - [ ] Scope of work documented and linked to vendor record - [ ] Performance review schedule set (quarterly or annually per contract value) **IT / Security (if vendor has system access)** - [ ] Access permissions defined per least-privilege principle - [ ] SSO / 2FA configured if accessing internal tools - [ ] Vendor's security questionnaire responses filed - [ ] Access provisioned with expiration date tied to contract end **Compliance Record** - [ ] COI expiration date entered in compliance tracker - [ ] Business license expiration entered - [ ] Next compliance review date set --- ## GATE 5: Welcome & Activation **Owner:** Ops / Department Head **Timeline:** Day 10-12 **Exit Condition:** Vendor confirmed active and relationship initiated ### 5.1 — Welcome Communication Send a welcome email to the vendor's primary contact upon activation: #### Template C — Vendor Welcome Email ``` Subject: Welcome to the [Your Company] Vendor Network Hi [Contact Name], Congratulations — you've completed our vendor onboarding process and are now an approved vendor for [Your Company]. We're looking forward to working with you. Here's what to expect: **Your key contacts at [Your Company]:** - Day-to-day: [Name], [Title] — [email] - Invoicing / Payments: [Name], [Title] — [email] - Escalations: [Name], [Title] — [email] **How to submit invoices:** [Payment process — email to AP, portal link, etc.] **Payment terms:** Net [X] days from invoice approval **Your contract start date:** [DATE] **Quarterly check-ins:** We conduct brief performance reviews with our key vendors each quarter. You'll hear from [Name] to schedule your first one. If you have questions, reply to this email or contact [Name] directly. Welcome aboard. [Your Name] [Title] [Your Company] ``` ### 5.2 — Internal Activation Notice Notify the internal requestor and relevant team members: ``` Subject: ✅ [Vendor Name] — Onboarding Complete [Vendor Name] has completed our vendor onboarding process and is now active in our system. Key details: - Service: [What they're providing] - Contract start: [DATE] - Contract end: [DATE] - Internal owner: [Name] - Payment terms: Net [X] - Next compliance review: [DATE] All documents are on file. Questions → [ops contact]. ``` --- ## Vendor Tracker Setup ### Required Fields in Your Vendor Master List Create a tracker (spreadsheet or your vendor management tool) with these columns: | Field | Type | Notes | |-------|------|-------| | Vendor ID | Auto-generated | e.g., VEN-001 | | Vendor Name | Text | Legal entity name | | DBA | Text | If applicable | | Category | Dropdown | Technology / Services / Facilities / etc. | | Status | Dropdown | Intake / Gate 2 / Gate 3 / Gate 4 / Active / Inactive / Terminated | | Internal Owner | Text | Who manages this relationship | | Contract Start | Date | | | Contract End | Date | | | Renewal Alert Date | Date | 90 days before end | | Estimated Annual Spend | Currency | | | W-9 on file | Y/N | | | COI on file | Y/N | | | COI Expiration | Date | Alert 60 days before | | Business License Expiration | Date | Alert 60 days before | | Last Performance Review | Date | | | Next Performance Review | Date | | | Risk Tier | Dropdown | Green / Yellow / Red | | Notes | Text | | ### Tracker Automation (if using spreadsheet) Set up conditional formatting: - **Red highlight:** COI Expiration or License Expiration within 30 days - **Yellow highlight:** Expiration within 60 days - **Orange highlight:** Status = Gate 2 or Gate 3 for more than 7 days (stalled onboarding) --- ## VendorGate Implementation Checklist (First 30 Days) Use this to stand up VendorGate in your organization: **Week 1: Foundation** - [ ] Customize intake form with your company fields - [ ] Identify your approval routing matrix (fill in the spend tiers) - [ ] Create vendor tracker (copy the field list above into your tool) - [ ] Set up document collection folder structure (shared drive or vendor portal) - [ ] Customize all email templates with your branding **Week 2: Process** - [ ] Run a test onboarding with one current vendor to validate the flow - [ ] Identify gaps and update checklists - [ ] Brief your team on the 5-gate process and their responsibilities - [ ] Define who owns each gate **Week 3: Automation** - [ ] Set up expiration alerts (calendar reminders or spreadsheet alerts) - [ ] Connect to your accounting system if possible - [ ] Create a shared "Vendor Onboarding" email alias for document submission **Week 4: Launch** - [ ] Begin using VendorGate for all new vendors - [ ] Review your backlog of existing vendors — identify any compliance gaps - [ ] Schedule first quarterly vendor review for your top 5 vendors --- ## Expected Outputs After running a vendor through VendorGate, you should have: 1. ✅ Complete vendor intake record (all fields populated) 2. ✅ All required documents collected, verified, and filed 3. ✅ All required approvals documented with timestamps 4. ✅ Vendor configured in accounting, contracts, and relevant systems 5. ✅ Welcome communication sent and confirmed received 6. ✅ Compliance calendar reminders set for document renewals 7. ✅ Vendor tracker updated with active status and all key dates **Time to onboard (target):** 10-12 business days for a standard vendor **Time to onboard (expedited):** 5-7 business days with dedicated ops focus --- *VendorGate System — Part of the Vendor & Compliance Operations Pack by Remy Claw* *More at remyclaw.com | @Remy_Claw on X*


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: clean (LOW)