How to manage third-party relationships

Effective management of third-party relationships helps your businesses to reduce financial risks, streamline operations, and ensure compliance. From service providers and contractors to financial institutions, the right financial practices and management strategies directly contribute to your business performance and protect your bottom line.

What are third-party relationships?

Third-party relationships are partnerships with external organizations or individuals that provide goods or services to your business. These partners include service providers, vendors, suppliers, contractors, and financial institutions.

These partnerships drive your day-to-day operations but also introduce risk management challenges. Understanding the criticality of these relationships and how they affect your financial condition will help you manage them effectively, such as by applying strategic budgeting techniques to better allocate resources.

Third-party relationships offer opportunities for cost reduction, improved cash flow, and enhanced vendor performance when handled effectively. However, they also expose your business to potential fraud, payment disruptions, and compliance violations if not managed properly.

On the other hand, effectively managing these relationships offers financial benefits, including:

Best practices for financially managing third-party relationships

Finance leaders who excel at vendor management focus on three core areas: Thorough vetting before signing, precise contract terms that protect your interests, and continuous performance monitoring that catches issues early.

Due diligence and vendor selection

Without a solid vetting process, you risk exposing your business to financial instability, fraud, or non-compliance. Here's how to conduct thorough due diligence:

Analyze financial stability

Before entering a relationship, review your vendor’s financial condition. This includes analyzing financial statements, credit reports, and payment histories. You need to be confident that the vendor can meet its financial obligations without risking disruption to your own operations.

Verify security certifications

Make sure your third-party providers meet industry standards and hold relevant certifications. Information security certifications such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2 can help provide assurance that your third-party vendor complies with essential data protection and security requirements.

Conduct comprehensive risk evaluation

Perform a risk assessment to evaluate potential risks such as fraud, operational disruptions, or cybersecurity threats that the vendor may pose. Consider the risk profile of each third-party partner to determine the level of exposure your company is willing to accept. This will allow you to make an informed decision on whether to proceed or explore alternative options.

Payment terms and contract negotiation

A significant part of managing third-party relationships is negotiating favorable terms and using contract negotiation to make sure working business arrangements. Proper contract management will ensure that expectations, performance, and payment terms are clear from the outset. Key considerations include:

Establish clear payment schedules

Define clear payment terms to avoid misunderstandings. Establish whether payments will be made on a monthly, quarterly, or project-based basis. Include provisions for penalties if payments are delayed or if performance does not meet agreed-upon standards. This helps support smooth cash flow management.

Create detailed service agreements

An SLA outlines the expectations and guarantees for the vendor's performance, such as response times, quality of service, and delivery schedules. Including these in your contract will create clear benchmarks for performance, which can help mitigate risks related to poor service.

Monitor subcontracting arrangements

If third parties plan to subcontract any part of the work, you need transparency around those arrangements. Subcontractors must live up to the same financial and service standards as the primary vendor. Make sure you clearly state these provisions in the contract to avoid confusion or hidden costs further down the line.

Ongoing financial monitoring

Once you’ve signed the contract, ongoing monitoring is key to making sure the vendor meets all agreed-upon terms and that no new risks arise. Tools such as automated expense reporting can help you optimize the process. Key practices for continuous monitoring include:

Implement regular financial reviews

Stay current on your third party’s financial health by requesting periodic financial reporting, including profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow projections. This will help you assess the ongoing financial stability of the vendor and spot any early signs of distress.

Schedule systematic performance audits

Evaluate the vendor’s performance regularly. This includes both the financial aspects, such as cost efficiency and billing accuracy, and service delivery, such as adherence to timelines and service quality. Hold performance reviews at regular intervals to identify and address any issues early on. This will allow you to make adjustments before problems affect your business.

Deploy automated monitoring tools

Use finance automation platforms to automate and enhance your monitoring processes. Real-time data and analytics help track financial performance efficiently, flagging discrepancies or emerging risks without manual intervention. Integration improves accuracy, reduces errors, and enhances decision-making.

Building strong vendor relationships

Foster strong, long-lasting relationships with your third-party vendors to create a foundation for better terms and exclusive benefits.

Maintain transparent communication

Open, transparent communication underpins any successful partnership. Check-in with vendors regularly, clarify expectations, and resolve issues quickly. Good communication prevents misunderstandings and enables smoother operations.

Cultivate mutual trust

Build trust for long-term business success by working collaboratively with vendors and valuing their contributions. Trust encourages vendors to prioritize your needs and provide better pricing, improved service, or more favorable terms as your relationship grows.

Contract renewals and re-negotiation

Contract renewals are an excellent opportunity to revisit the financial terms of your third-party relationships. Consider the following:

Negotiate better pricing

Contract renewals are an ideal time to reassess pricing structures. If your vendor has performed well, you may be able to negotiate better rates for continued business. If performance has fallen short, use the renewal as an opportunity to renegotiate terms or explore alternative providers.

Update compliance clauses

As regulations and standards change, make sure your contracts are current. Incorporate new regulatory compliance requirements that may have emerged since the last contract. Also, verify that the contract reflects any updated third-party risk management practices.

Leverage relationship history

Use your track record with the vendor as leverage during renewal negotiations. As a reliable customer, you can negotiate discounts or enhanced service offerings to improve both financial terms and service levels.

Risk management in third-party relationships

The most significant risks typically involve vendors who handle sensitive data, provide critical services, or have access to your financial systems. For instance, a payment processor outage can halt your ability to collect revenue, while a data breach at your cloud storage provider can expose confidential information and trigger regulatory penalties.

A mature risk management framework addresses both prevention and response. Financial health monitoring helps identify vendors showing signs of distress before service disruptions occur. Contract provisions that specify security standards, service levels, and audit rights provide legal protection. Meanwhile, contingency plans for critical services ensure business continuity—as demonstrated by companies that maintained operations during recent supply chain disruptions by having pre-established relationships with alternative suppliers. The most successful businesses view third-party risk management not merely as compliance, but as a competitive advantage that enables them to partner confidently with innovative vendors while maintaining appropriate safeguards.

Take control of your third-party relationships with Ramp

Effective third-party relationship management directly impacts your bottom line. Finance leaders who excel in this area gain strategic advantages through risk reduction, which prevents costly disruptions and compliance penalties. They achieve cost optimization, which improves margins without sacrificing quality, while enhancing financial visibility, which supports better decision-making. Their streamlined operations allow finance teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than administrative tasks.

By implementing automated accounts payable processes, you gain real-time insights into vendor performance, automate payment approvals, and catch compliance issues before they escalate into more significant problems. This technology-enabled approach transforms vendor management from an administrative burden into a strategic advantage.

The most successful finance teams combine the right tools with consistent monitoring practices, regular relationship-building efforts, and strategic contract management to create sustainable value from their third-party relationships.