Partner selection is a seven step process comprising of  7 steps as given below.

• Partner Identification
• Request for Information (RFI)
• Request for quotation (RFQ)
• Partner Evaluation
• Sample Evaluation
• Negotiations
• Award of Business

A Partner may not require to go through all the seven steps depending on the nature of items/products/services and business needs. This decision is solely rests with the Insight Innovative Solutions.  
Partner Identification
The process starts with receiving the business need from the functions. Based on the requirement, the proposed partners are selected from Insight Innovative Solutions’s partner base. The list is then scrutinized and short listing done by an evaluation team consisting of user owner, supply chain subject matter experts and members from business divisions.

Request For Information (RFI)
RFI form would be send to short-listed partners, only if

• Partner is new and item is new
• Partner is new and item is existing
• Partner is existing and item is new
  
  Partners should submit the filled-in RFI within the stipulated time period to be considered for the business opportunity. The RFI's received are analyzed by evaluation team.
  
  RFI would requires information on the following areas
• Capability to meet demand
• Technology/product specifications
• Certifications/ statutory requirements
• Systems- Quality, production , sub contracting
• Product Innovations
• Facilities - R&D and Production

· Request For Quotation (RFQ)
RFQ would be send to all short-listed Partners for getting a technical and commercial offer. Contents of RFQ

RFQ responses would be evaluated based on all aspects of service, quality, delivery, terms and conditions, technology and price. The selected list of partners would then be updated on the same by the evaluation team.
Partner evaluation
This process evaluates partners in line with Insight Innovative Solutions’s requirements of capability, competency, culture and compliance. Partner Evaluation would be done by. Meeting with Partner Management . Visit to Operations. Verification of Credentials submitted any one or more than one of the above can be adopted for the evaluation based on the business needs.
Sample Evaluation
Sample evaluation would be done using the following criteria

• Compliance to specifications
• Functionality tests
• Product or item performance
• Factory test reports
• Certifications

Partners need to send the samples as well as supporting documents, as per the RFQ. The outcome of sample evaluation is one of the key factors for final partner selection.
Negotiation

  Upon successful completion of sample evaluation our channel management team will get in touch with the prospective partner company for final negotiations

• Two or more members from Insight Innovative Solutions would participate
• Partners' team should includes key decision making representatives
• Insight Innovative Solutions would record the negotiations details for future reference.

Award of Business

• Business would be awarded through the issue of contract for regular requirements or purchase orders for one time requirements. The contracts would state Item / service, specifications, terms and conditions, price and validity. It is the partner's responsibility to ensure that the contract accurately reflects all of the terms and conditions that were agreed to during negotiations. In the event that a discrepancy is discovered, the partner must immediately notify the Channel Manager who handles his account.

Potential partners who are awarded business would be referred to as
 "Channel  Partners" and “Development Partners”, would have a permanent partner code and would be entitled to

• Business from Insight Innovative Solutions, as per Share of Business
• Addition in Insight Innovative Solutions 's approved partners list
• Complete access rights in partners portal

· Share of Business Norms
The share of business would be reviewed along-with the contract every year. It would also be reviewed whenever there is addition / deletion of a partner. The overall performance of the partners which would be reviewed half yearly would also be considered for deciding the share of business from time to time at the sole discretion of Insight Innovative Solutions.
Change of share of business could also arise out of any of the following constraints

• Capacity
• Quality

Approval Life
Approval life would be determined by the following processes covered in the later sections

• Partner Performance
• Partner Audit feedback
• Disengagements

To maintain an active approved status, a partner must

• Update the profiles once every year
• Have Good Performance Score
• Respond to improvement and development action plans as per the audit score card.

In cases where the partner is de-listed, the partner needs to undergo the complete registration and evaluation process again to be considered for business opportunities with Insight Innovative Solutions.

All these processes have specific timelines in which they need to be completed and adherence to these timelines is mandatory from all the stakeholders involved.