COI tracking for facilities managers

Approved-vendor lists go stale

An approved vendor list in a purchasing system often stores a yes/no flag and a PDF from the day the vendor was added. The flag does not flip when the policy expires. The facilities coordinator finds out when risk management asks for a current certificate, or when the vendor is already on the roof. Put the expiration on a board that changes status by itself when the date passes. Valid, inside the reminder window, and expired are easier to scan than a folder of PDFs named with the vendor's initials.

Collect general liability and workers' compensation from contractors who bring employees. Automobile liability matters for vendors who drive on a campus road or a loading dock. Umbrella is common on roofing, electrical gear, and restoration. A W-9 is still not insurance. If your institution requires a specific certificate holder, the legal name of the college, hospital, or owner, write that name in the document description so the next renewal asks for the same words.

Service contracts and project contractors on one list

You do not need two trackers. The nightly janitorial company and the one-week painter are both parties. The painter stays on the list after they leave so the next repaint does not start with a hunt through email. Reminders at 30, 14, and 7 days go out before the expiration, including for vendors you are not currently scheduling. That feels early until the leak happens on the weekend the policy ended.

The update link is how a vendor sends the renewal without a facilities login. The file waits in Review. A night-shift supervisor should not be the person who silently accepts a certificate that names a different campus. Someone who knows the contract accepts it. Seats exist so the coordinator and a backup both can, without sharing a password.

• Replace the approved-vendor yes/no flag with a date.
• Keep one-off contractors on the board.
• Match the certificate holder to the legal entity, not the building nickname.
• Split coverage lines so a workers' compensation lapse is not hidden behind a current general liability date.

Campus scale

A single building with a short vendor list can fit Starter, 25 parties and 3 seats. A campus or a portfolio of buildings is more often Pro, 100 parties and 10 seats, or Business, 300 parties and 25 seats, when several coordinators share the work. Annual billing is two months free and uses the same limits. First-time subscribers get 7 days. The tracker does not review indemnity clauses. If the contract requires additional insured status, use the checklist and your institution's risk office. The software stores what you accepted and when it ends.