<p>Copyright TM Forum 2005<br/></p><p><br/></p><p><b>Extended Description</b><br/></p><p><br/></p><p>The S/P Performance Management processes track, monitor and report on the service provider initiated performance engagements to ensure that the interactions are in accordance with the agreed commercial arrangements between the service provider and the Supplier/Partner.<br/></p><p><br/></p><p>External suppliers/partners are engaged by the service provider in performance related activities when:<br/></p><p><br/></p><p>- higher level expertise and/or higher level support is required to resolve the product performance, service performance or resource performance issues;<br/></p><p>- the service provider has outsourced specific activities to a supplier/partner which are needed as part of performance improvement activity (i.e. outsourced field maintenance);<br/></p><p>- the specific product and/or service are purchased from an external supplier (as in an interconnect service); or<br/></p><p>- the specific product and/or service, or specific product and/or service component, are owned and delivered by an external partner.<br/></p><p><br/></p><p>In all of the above cases, the actual engagement in the performance related activities is initiated by the specific Track & Manage process of either the RM&O or SM&O process layer.<br/></p><p><br/></p><p>Where the engagement with an external supplier/partner is for purchased or delivered product and/or services, as the case may be, these processes create and close S/P performance reports, undertake tracking and management of the supplier/partner performance improvement activity, and provide reporting.<br/></p>