If it is about a service vendor then Business Architecture of a Company depends more on Company's own employees' credibility and skillset. The money i would spend on a service vendor, I would rather utilize on recruitment and trainings. After this also, if I still have to hire a service vendor, then I would do my own study about the credibility, financials and most importantly references. Still I would not give a high level of Business Intervention the vendors. I will still belive my employees much more than the Vendor's employees. A Hospital would never hire a vendor to do surgeries on patients instead of it's own employed doctors/surgeons; Unless it is for some less critical, product supply or small repetitive tasks.

Of course before on-boarding a new vendor, you have to do an assessment so to be able to see whether this vendor aligns with your values or not and also if it is a good fit with your value stream. Identifying the risks is a must and asking the vendor to be part of your ROAMing session to see how they can be mitigated. Assess your flow on a regular basis to identify any waste, bottlenecks as a result of having this vendor part of your operating model.

Para asegurar la estabilidad ante riesgos de proveedores externos, es crucial: * Diversificar: No depender de un solo proveedor reduce la vulnerabilidad. * Contratos sólidos: Establecer acuerdos claros con SLAs definidos. * Arquitecturas de referencia: Usar modelos estandarizados para facilitar la integración y el cambio de proveedores. * Monitoreo constante: Evaluar el desempeño de los proveedores y su cumplimiento. * Planes de contingencia: Tener alternativas listas en caso de fallas de proveedores.

One cab do so by first doing thorough research on the vendors—checking their reputation, financial health, and security practices. Setting clear expectations in contracts, including security measures, performance standards, and penalties for breaches. Limiting the data vendors have access to only what they need, and ensuring strong security protocols like encryption are in place. Regular monitoring of their performance helps in avoiding issues crop up. Also, always having a backup plan -having backup vendors, and ways to quickly recover data if necessary & Keeping communication open with vendors,regular performance QBRs to ensure they’re still meeting security& performance standards helps to keep business architecture stable & protected.

As business architects, we are the safeguards for our organizations. We must ensure that external dependencies do not compromise its integrity and stability. Here are the four steps I'd take: 1) Define and implement a robust governance framework (assessment, clear contract terms, SLAs, and security protocols) for alignment with business objectives, regulatory compliance, and data privacy and security requirements. 2) Monitor and evaluate performance continuously to identify and mitigate risks early. 3) Manage the relationship by building strong communication channels with vendors for proactive issue resolution and collaboration. 4) Conduct regular audits and a clear exit strategy to minimize disruptions in case of vendor-related risks.