As corporations grow they come to rely on a continuous flow of materials, parts, and services essential to their ongoing success. With the convenience of a third party providing these to the corporation, there comes some risk. A manufacturing concern may base production on sales with a contracted delivery date. Any interruption of parts and materials could be a disaster. Equally important is knowing that there is consistent quality in the materials and parts which are being purchased. But the question of whether the vendor can provide quality goods or services is only part of what must be known.

With the franchising of well-known names on goods produced by an outside vendor comes the risk of over-runs and seconds being sold “out the back door.” Counterfeits, knock-offs, and improperly sold “seconds” can become a very serious problem which erodes a corporation’s hard-earned goodwill and profits and, in the minds of the consumer, puts the quality of their products at grave risk.

But there are other concerns. For example, a corporate employer which outsourced operations of their corporate dining room is potentially liable if the service provider's employees transmit illness to the employees of the corporation. Likewise, when a corporation relies on temporary employees to staff secretarial and support positions, how can that corporation be assured those temporary employees are not seeking information for a competitor, or even worse, are themselves felons? When a plumbing company has a contract to handle all problems in a corporate high-rise, how do you know that the repairs have actually been completed, or were in fact, necessary? Another concern may be that the vendor may be in financial difficulty, and in the middle of the contract, he declares bankruptcy, closes his doors, lays-off his people, and leaves the corporation to scramble to replace those goods or services.

Our investigators have experience in the full range of concerns which corporations face. We have conducted pre-contractual due diligence to learn of the vendors' past business practices. We have learned if other corporations have experienced problems with the vendor. We do not rely on the references provided by the vendor. Our due diligence includes learning of any past legal actions against the vendor, its officers, or employees. We have provided background searches on the people who will be on-site to determine if they have previous credit or criminal problems. We verify licenses and permits to determine if a vendor is legally permitted to provide those services. For vendors of parts and materials, we can verify their relationships with their suppliers and ensure they are financially sound. In short, we can assist you in making the right decision before a vendor is selected, during a vendor audit, and should you have a problem with a contracted vendor.