Vendor/client information system architecture

1. A method, in a computing system including a processor and memory, for creating a relationship between a client and a vendor within a client/vendor data store, the client/vendor data store being stored in the memory and containing vendor records for a plurality of vendors, the method comprising:

retrieving a list of vendors for which the client/vendor data store contains vendor records wherein each vendor provides professional services to clients of the vendor;

in order to create a relationship between a distinguished client and a first vendor for which the client/vendor data store contains a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the first vendor in the client/vendor data store has not previously been created:

receiving a selection, by a client user of the distinguished client, of the first vendor in the retrieved list, and

adding to a client record for the distinguished client a reference to the vendor record for the first vendor, wherein the vendor record for the first vendor includes vendor information already present in the computing system, and wherein the adding of the reference to the vendor record for the first vendor is performed by the processor;

in order to create a relationship between the distinguished client and a second vendor for which the client/vendor data store does not contain a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the second vendor has not previously been created:

receiving information from the client user of the distinguished client identifying the second vendor,

creating in the client/vendor data store a vendor record for the second vendor that contains the received information, wherein the creating of the vendor record for the second vendor is performed by the processor, and

adding to the client record for the distinguished client a reference to the created vendor record for the second vendor, wherein the adding of the reference to the created vendor record for the second vendor is performed by the processor; and

in response to creating a relationship between the distinguished client and any vendor,

providing to one or more users of the vendor with which the relationship was created the ability to submit invoices to the distinguished client in connection with the vendor's ongoing provision of professional services to the distinguished client by the vendor for a project.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved list of vendors includes performance statistics for the vendors.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the performance statistics for the vendors include an indication of the extent to which each vendor has achieved predicted outcomes.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the performance statistics for the vendors include an indication of the extent to which each vendor has satisfied project budgets.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the performance statistics for the vendors include an indication of the extent to which each vendor has satisfied project schedules.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the performance statistics for the vendors include an indication of the extent to which each vendor has maintained the currency of project information.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the performance statistics for the vendors include an indication of the extent to which each vendor has achieved positive substantive results.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the performance statistics for the vendors include an indication of each vendor's specialty areas.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed in connection with an application service provider used by both clients and vendors, and the retrieved list of vendors includes only vendors already using the application service provider.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the relationship is created between the distinguished client and the first vendor without receiving vendor information for the first vendor from a vendor user of the first vendor, and without creating in the client/vendor data store a vendor record for the first vendor that contains received vendor information for the first vendor.

11. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to perform operations for creating a relationship between a client and a vendor within a client/vendor data store, the client/vendor data store containing vendor records for a plurality of vendors, the operations comprising:

retrieving list of vendors for which the client/vendor data store contains vendor records;

in order to create a relationship between a distinguished client and a first vendor for which the client/vendor data store contains a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the first vendor in the client/vendor data store has not previously been created:

receiving a selection, by a client user of the distinguished client, of the first vendor in the retrieved list, and

adding to a client record for the distinguished client a reference to the vendor record for the first vendor, wherein the vendor record for the first vendor includes vendor information already present in the computing system;

in order to create a relationship between the distinguished client and a second vendor for which the client/vendor data store does not contain a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the second vendor has not previously been created:

receiving information from the client user of the distinguished client identifying the second vendor,

creating in the client/vendor data store a vendor record for the second vendor that contains the received information, and

adding to the client record for the distinguished client a reference to the created vendor record for the second vendor; and

in response to creating a relationship between the distinguished client and any vendor,

providing to one or more users of the vendor with which the relationship was created the ability to submit invoices to the distinguished client in connection with the vendor's provision of services to the distinguished client for a project.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving information from the client user identifying the second vendor includes receiving a designation of a vendor administrator, wherein the designated vendor administrator cannot later be modified by the client user.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein receiving information from the client user identifying the second vendor includes receiving a designation of a vendor administrator, wherein the designated vendor administrator cannot later be modified by the client user.

14. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to perform operations for creating relationships clients and vendors within a client/vendor data store, the operations comprising:

creating a first relationship between a first client and a first vendor for which the client/vendor data store does not contain a vendor record at least in part by:

receiving, from a first client user of the first client, information identifying the first vendor,

creating in the client/vendor data store a vendor record for the first vendor, the created vendor record including the received information, and

adding to a first client record for the first client a reference to the created vendor record;

creating a second relationship between a second client and the first vendor, wherein the second relationship between the second client and the first vendor has not previously been created in the client/vendor data store, at least in part by:

generating a list of vendors for which the client/vendor data store includes vendor records, the list including at least a portion of the received information identifying the first vendor,

receiving, from a second client user of the second client, a selection of the of the first vendor in the generated list, and

adding to a second client record for the second client a reference to the vendor record for the first vendor, wherein the vendor record for the first vendor includes the information received from the first client user of the first client;

in response to creating the first relationship between the first client and the first vendor,

providing, to one or more users of the first vendor, the ability to submit invoices to the first client in connection with the vendor's provision of services to the first client for a first project; and

in response to creating the second relationship between the second client and the first vendor,

providing, to one or more users of the first vendor, the ability to submit invoices to the second client in connection with the vendor's provision of services to the second client for a second project.

15. A system comprising:

a component configured to create, in a client/vendor data store, a vendor record for a first vendor for which the client/vendor data store does not contain a vendor record, the created vendor record including information, received from a first client user of a first client, identifying the first vendor;

a component configured to add to a first client record for the first client a reference to the created vendor record to create a first relationship between the first client and the first vendor;

a component configured to generate a list of vendors for which the client/vendor data store includes vendor records, the generated list including at least a portion of the received information identifying the first vendor;

a component configured to receive, from a second client user of a second client, a selection of the of the first vendor in the generated list;

a component configured to add to a second client record for the second client a reference to the vendor record for the first vendor to create a second relationship between the second client and the first vendor, wherein the second relationship between the second client and the first vendor has not previously been created in the client/vendor data store and wherein the vendor record for the first vendor includes the information received from the first client user of the first client;

a component configured to, in response to the creation of the first relationship between the first client and the first vendor, provide, to one or more vendor users of the first vendor, the ability to submit invoices to the first client in connection with the vendor's provision of services to the first client for a first project; and

a component configured to, in response to the creation of the second relationship between the second client and the first vendor, provide, to one or more vendor users of the first vendor, the ability to submit invoices to the second client in connection with the vendor's provision of services to the second client for a second project.