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Vendor Management: A Quick-Start Guide

Implementation Team
Updated

Introduction

The Vendor module is your central hub for managing third-party risk. From tracking and assessing your vendors to sending out security questionnaires, everything you need for TPRM (Third Party Risk Management) lives here.

You’ll find the Vendors module in the left-hand navigation bar of Complyance, just below the Risks section. There are two key areas to be aware of:

  • Vendors Module – your central register of third parties
  • Questionnaires Module – for managing and sending vendor security questionnaires

These two modules are closely linked and designed to work together.

Navigating the Vendor Management Module

When you open the Vendors module, you’ll see a table listing all your vendors—this is your Vendor Register.

You can customize the columns in this table to show the fields most relevant to your team. For details, see How to Configure Your Table View.

By default, the Vendor Register includes:

  • Status: Indicates whether the vendor is Reviewed, Expiring, or Overdue based on the assigned review frequency and last review date
  • Name: The vendor’s name
  • Description: A brief description of the vendor and the services they provide
  • Approval: The vendor’s current approval status (Accepted, Rejected, or Pending)
  • Risk Level: The vendor’s assigned risk level
  • Tier: The vendor’s tier or criticality
  • Owner: The in-platform user responsible for the vendor; they’ll receive overdue notifications
  • Vendor Contact: The email address used for sending questionnaires to this vendor
  • Frequency: How often the vendor needs to be reviewed
  • Last Reviewed: The most recent review date (a full history of reviews is available in the Reviews tab)

Any fields listed below Last Reviewed are custom fields, added by your team.

 

Vendor Statuses

Vendor status is automatically calculated based on the vendor’s assigned review frequency and their last review date. The statuses are:

  • Pending: Before any review has been logged (via the review tab) 
  • Reviewed: Within the review frequency window (e.g., within 11 months for an annual review)
  • Expiring: Approaching the review deadline (typically the final month before it becomes overdue)

  • Overdue: Review frequency has passed without a new review

     

Navigating the Vendor Drawer

Clicking on a vendor’s name in the table will open the Vendor Drawer, where you can view and manage all related information.

 

Details Tab

The Details tab includes key information about the vendor:

  • System Fields: Vendor Name, Description, Owner, and Approval status
  • Custom Fields: Any additional fields your team has set up

At the top of the drawer, you’ll see the vendor’s unique ID (e.g., Vendor / V0201) and their current status.

Documents Tab

To find the documents tab go to the top right of the Vendor drawer once it is opened in the side peek.

Store and manage any vendor-related documents here. You can drag and drop files from your device directly into this section.

Documents collected via questionnaire automations will also appear here.

Questionnaires Tab

Track the status of all questionnaires sent to this vendor. This table includes:

  • Questionnaire Name
  • Status (Pending, Submitted, or Overdue)
  • Due Date
  • Submitted Date
  • Sender (Complyance user who initiated the questionnaire)

To send a new questionnaire, click + New Questionnaire from this tab.

More on this here: How to send a Vendor Questionnaire

Risks Tab

This tab shows all risks linked to the vendor. You’ll see:

  • Risk Name (clickable to view the risk record)
  • Status of each risk

Learn how to link risks to vendors here: How to Link Risks to Controls and Vendors

Reviews Tab

This tab logs every review completed for the vendor, giving you a clear audit trail.

To learn more about reviewing vendors, see: Reviewing Vendors

Other Vendor Drawer Tabs

From the tab section on the right-hand side of the Vendor Drawer, you can access:

  • Comments Tab: Add notes or comments, attach documents, and collaborate with your team
  • Tasks Tab: Assign tasks related to the vendor, including due dates and assignees—email notifications are automatically sent to assigned users
  • History Tab: View a full log of all actions taken on the vendor, with timestamps and user details

Still have questions? Reach out to our support team via the Support Center for assistance.

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