Module 12 — Vendors, technology, and network boundaries

Section 1 · Pre-work (45 minutes)

Required reading

• Operations Manual §14 (all subsections). 30 minutes.
• The trainee’s current vendor register (or working list of vendors engaged or under consideration). 10 minutes.
• Partner Portal preferred-vendor lists for the franchisee’s region and scopes. 5 minutes.

Pre-session knowledge check

Submitted via Partner Portal at least 24 hours before the session.

1. The franchisee’s preferred local snow-removal contractor is not on the Partner Portal preferred-vendor list. The contractor has 15 years of commercial experience and competitive pricing. May the franchisee engage them without HiON approval?
2. A state energy office offers a $50,000 grant for fast-charging infrastructure that requires the site to participate in a state-managed charging network for 3 years. May the franchisee accept this grant?
3. The franchisee’s IT consultant proposes integrating the Partner Portal’s reporting data into the franchisee’s accounting software via a third-party API connector. Is this acceptable?
4. The franchisee’s marketing agency proposes deploying a Level 2 charger near the HiON EV Facility’s entrance “to serve drivers waiting for a Supercharger stall.” Is this acceptable?
5. Within how many days must vendor performance be reviewed at minimum?

Bring to session

• The trainee’s current vendor register (or template)
• A list of all current and prospective vendors across all scopes
• The trainee’s Designated Business Manager

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Section 2 · Learning objectives

By the end of this module, the trainee can:

1. Apply the four §14.1 vendor categories — Mandated / Designated / Preferred / Independent — to any scope and identify the constraint level
2. Apply the 10-criterion §14.2 minimum qualification baseline to every vendor engaged, regardless of category
3. Execute the 6-step §14.2 vendor onboarding procedure including HiON-awareness briefing with written acknowledgment
4. Submit [APPROVAL REQUIRED] requests for new-to-system vendors in Designated/Preferred scopes under §1.2.6 (M02)
5. Maintain a §14.3 [MANDATORY] vendor register — every vendor, scopes, insurance expiry, agreement dates, performance summary; producible on audit
6. Conduct annual vendor performance reviews and execute the §14.3 [MANDATORY] removal triggers (HiON disqualification; licensing/insurance lapse; repeated SLA failure after remediation; safety/brand/Confidential Information conduct; regulator/law-enforcement action)
7. Operate the HiON technology stack as the single system of record per §14.4 [MANDATORY] — no parallel ticketing, reporting, vendor register, or training records; no unauthorized third-party integrations
8. Enforce the §14.5 [MANDATORY] interoperability boundaries — no third-party networks; no OCPP/OCPI/OpenADR integration; no Level 2 / battery / solar / V2G / managed-charging deployment without HiON approval; no incompatible grant programs

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Section 3 · Why this matters

§14 is the structural framework that holds the System’s interoperability moat in place. The Manual frames it directly at §14.5 Purpose: “Interoperability in the HiON System is intentionally narrow: every HiON EV Facility is a node in the Tesla Supercharger network, connected only through the Tesla payment and driver experience.” That narrowness is not an oversight — it is the System’s design. The Voice Playbook describes it strategically: the Tesla-network single-channel discovery, the Tesla-payment single-channel transaction, the Tesla-equipment single-source supply are what make a HiON EV Facility a first-class node on the most reliable fast-charging network in the country. The moment the franchisee enrolls in a third-party network, integrates with OCPP, or deploys a Level 2 unit next to the Supercharger cabinet, the System’s category claim collapses.

The vendor categorization framework (§14.1) is the operational mechanism that protects that interoperability moat. Mandated vendors are the System’s structural commitments (Tesla equipment, Tesla payment, HiON tech stack). Designated vendors are HiON’s brand- and quality-critical selections (charger wraps, decals, stanchion treatment). Preferred vendors are HiON’s vetted standard-bearers for major scopes (general contractors, electrical contractors, engineering firms, primary signage). Independent vendors are the franchisee’s choices in scopes HiON does not centrally manage (snow removal, legal, accounting). Each category has its own constraint level, and the franchisee’s discipline is to apply the right level to the right scope.

The 10-criterion qualification baseline (§14.2) is the same baseline that has appeared in §5 (lease vendors), §7.4.1 (construction contractors), §8.5 (contractor qualification), §11.6 (marketing vendors), §13.4 (insurance brokers). §14.2 consolidates them into a single framework. Every vendor — Mandated, Designated, Preferred, Independent — must clear the 10 criteria: licensing, insurance, track record, financial responsibility, safety program, written agreement with confidentiality + indemnification + lien-waiver + insurance + termination-for-convenience, HiON-awareness briefing, background and reference checks, data and access controls, no disqualifying status. The criteria are the baseline; categories add constraints on top.

The §14.3 vendor performance and removal framework is what keeps the vendor base operating to HiON standard over time. The annual review is the minimum cadence; site-area maintenance vendors are reviewed against §9.2 response windows; signage vendors against §2.4 cadences. Vendor removal triggers are categorical — HiON disqualification, licensing/insurance lapse, repeated SLA failure after remediation, safety/brand/Confidential Information conduct, regulator/law-enforcement action material to scope. The franchisee removes; HiON does not absolve the franchisee of removal responsibility.

The §14.4 technology stack discipline is where the franchisee’s operating data integrity lives. No parallel ticketing system. No parallel reporting tool. No parallel vendor register. No parallel training records. The HiON Partner Portal is the system of record for everything it is designed for. The franchisee’s supplementary tools (their finance system, their CRM, their HRIS) are permitted but must feed required data into the Partner Portal per the formats HiON publishes. Third-party integrations to the HiON stack require HiON prior written approval — and the Manual is explicit that unauthorized integrations compromise data integrity and may breach HiON’s agreements with upstream providers (read: Tesla).

The §14.5 interoperability boundaries are the system’s hardest constraints. No third-party networks. No OCPP/OCPI/OpenADR integration. No Level 2 / battery storage / solar / V2G / managed-charging deployment at or adjacent to the HiON EV Facility without HiON prior written approval. No grant programs that would require operating the site on a non-Tesla network. These are not negotiable — even where the proposed integration would seemingly enhance the site’s revenue, capacity, or perceived sustainability narrative.

Acknowledged Elephant: a sophisticated operator sees adjacent opportunities. The franchisee’s site is operating; the lease has years to run; the operator notices that the site could host battery storage for grid services, or a Level 2 charger for “pre-Supercharger” customers, or a solar array on the canopy, or participation in a state demand-response program for additional revenue. The Manual is categorical that every one of these requires HiON prior written approval — and most of them, in current System posture, are unlikely to be approved. The reason is not parochialism. The reason is that adjacent infrastructure creates compliance, brand, network-integration, and Tesla-relationship complexity the franchise system is not designed to absorb. The franchisee who pursues these without HiON approval is creating exposure that may not surface until an audit, a Tesla escalation, or a transfer event.

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Section 4 · Core content

4.1 — The four vendor categories (§14.1)

Category	Definition	Constraint
Mandated	Vendors, products, or services the franchisee must use. No substitute.	No choice. Deviations are not available through the exception process.
Designated	Vendors, products, or services HiON has selected and directed the franchisee to use on a current basis.	Use the designated vendor unless HiON has approved an alternative in writing under §1.2.6 (M02).
Preferred	Vendors, products, or services HiON recommends based on track record, pricing, insurance readiness, training.	Use preferred vendors by default; use alternatives consistent with §14.2; track alternative performance.
Independent	Vendors, products, or services the franchisee selects for categories where HiON does not publish a preferred list.	Meet the qualification, insurance, confidentiality, and contracting standards in §14.2.

Category assignments for key scopes (§14.1):

Scope	Category	Notes
EV Charging Equipment (Tesla Supercharger hardware, connectors, cables, firmware, network integration)	Mandated	Tesla-manufactured + HiON-designated distribution (§§2.1.3, 6.1, 9.1)
Payment processing (driver)	Mandated	Tesla app only. No franchisee-level processing (§10.2)
Partner Portal, ticketing, reporting, training platform	Mandated	Single authoritative system of record. No parallel vendor permitted
Charger wrap, decals, stanchion treatment	Designated	HiON-designated vendor only (§2.4.2)
Primary identification signage and wayfinding	Preferred	Partner Portal list by region where available; alternatives must meet Brand Asset Library specs exactly
General contractor, civil contractor, electrical contractor	Preferred	Engineering/electrical scopes often have a preferred list; alternatives permitted under §14.2 and §8.5
Engineering and design (civil, electrical, structural)	Preferred + site-by-site Approved	Engineering and Design Review approves the specific firm for each HiON EV Facility before mobilization (§7.1.2 / M06)
Snow removal and landscape	Independent (with HiON briefing required)	Briefed per §9.2.2 and meets §14.2
Security systems (camera, alarm)	Preferred (where list available); otherwise Independent	Coordinate with §13.2 (M14) and §9.2.9 (M10)
Insurance broker	Independent	Qualified in scopes required by §13.4 (M14)
Legal, accounting, tax advisors	Independent	Qualified in the franchise’s jurisdiction(s) and in franchise-related matters
Permit expediters	Preferred (where list available); otherwise Independent	Brief per §7.2.2 (M06)
Marketing agencies and creative vendors	Preferred (system-level) or Independent (local)	Outputs go through Marketing-Review per §11.6 regardless of source (M08)

Three [MANDATORY] §14.1 standards:

1. Use Mandated vendors and products without exception. Use Designated vendors absent a written exception under §1.2.6
2. For Preferred and Independent scopes, select vendors meeting §14.2 qualification, insurance, contracting, and performance standards. Document selection and performance.
3. No engagement of any vendor HiON has disqualified, suspended, or removed from a preferred or designated list, regardless of the vendor’s qualifications in other respects

4.2 — The 10-criterion qualification baseline (§14.2)

Every vendor — Mandated, Designated, Preferred, Independent — must clear all 10 criteria:

#	Criterion	Standard
1	Licensing	Licensed for the work and jurisdiction (electrical license, contractor license, signage permit authority)
2	Insurance	Carries coverages, limits, additional-insured language required for the scope per §13.4 and FA. Current certificate on file
3	Track record	Demonstrated experience in scope, ideally including commercial EV charging, medium-voltage commercial electrical, branded retail signage, or comparable
4	Financial responsibility	Sufficient balance-sheet and operational posture to complete engagement and honor warranty obligations
5	Safety program	Documented program and OSHA-compliance posture per §13.2 (M14)
6	Written agreement	Confidentiality (§1.3 / M02), indemnification, insurance, lien waiver (for contractors), termination-for-convenience — consistent with HiON templates
7	HiON-awareness briefing	Briefed on applicable Manual sections for the work; acknowledgment on file
8	Background and reference checks	Appropriate to scope and access
9	Data and access controls	For vendors with Confidential Information or HiON-system access: tier-appropriate access (§1.3 / M02); no shared credentials; MFA where supported
10	No disqualifying status	Not on any HiON disqualification, suspension, or removal list; not subject to material enforcement or injunction affecting work

4.3 — The 6-step vendor onboarding procedure (§14.2)

1. Confirm the vendor meets every minimum qualification criterion and collect supporting documentation
2. Execute the vendor agreement using HiON’s template (or HiON’s template as adapted by counsel); deliver a copy to the vendor
3. Deliver applicable Manual sections (or Partner Portal vendor briefing materials); obtain the vendor’s written acknowledgment
4. Record the vendor in the vendor register (§14.3): legal name, contact, scopes, qualification evidence, agreement date, insurance expiry, next scheduled performance review
5. For Designated or Preferred vendors, confirm the current Partner Portal list status and note any conditions
6. For the first engagement of a new-to-system vendor in a Preferred-list scope, notify the FBC so the vendor’s performance can be observed against system norms

[APPROVAL REQUIRED] §14.2.1: engagement of any new-to-system vendor for a scope where HiON maintains a Designated or Preferred list requires HiON prior written approval. May require completion of HiON’s vendor-qualification questionnaire and reference interviews HiON designates. Submit under §1.2.6.

4.4 — Vendor performance, service levels, and removal (§14.3)

Five [MANDATORY] standards plus one [RECOMMENDED]:

1. Maintain a vendor register for the franchise (or a shared register across multiple franchises): every vendor, contracted scopes, current insurance expiry, agreement dates, performance summary. Required audit item.
2. Define in each vendor agreement the service levels, response windows, and acceptance criteria appropriate to scope. For site-area maintenance vendors: consistent with §9.2 response windows. For signage and wrap vendors: consistent with §2.4 and §9.2 response windows
3. Review vendor performance at minimum annually. Document the review. Act on the review (continue, remediate, or replace). For site-area maintenance vendors, performance issues observed in any site inspection must be addressed before the next snow or seasonal cycle
4. Remove any vendor that:
   • (a) HiON disqualifies, suspends, or directs removal of
   • (b) Fails to maintain required licensing or insurance
   • (c) Repeatedly fails to meet service levels after remediation
   • (d) Engages in conduct implicating safety, the brand, or Confidential Information
   • (e) Is the subject of a regulator or law-enforcement action material to the scope
5. [RECOMMENDED] Build a bench. For every site-area maintenance scope, qualify a second vendor as backup so a performance issue does not become an operational crisis

Vendor-triggered incidents (§14.3): if a vendor action creates a SEV 1 safety incident, a SEV 2 outage, a brand or accessibility violation, or a regulator or insurance event, follow §3.2 (M02) and §13.2 (M14) incident procedure. Document the vendor’s involvement in the incident file. Do not attempt to apportion fault publicly.

4.5 — Technology stack and Partner Portal (§14.4)

Six components of the HiON technology stack:

• HiON Partner Portal — authoritative franchisee-facing platform; access to the Manual, Brand Asset Library, ticketing, reporting, training, pipeline, vendor tools, feedback channels
• Tesla Supercharger network interface — integrated and operated by Tesla; driver-facing; the franchisee does not operate it
• Reporting and analytics — dashboards and reports HiON publishes for the HiON EV Facility (session and revenue data, uptime, maintenance ticket trends, compliance status)
• Training platform — online delivery for Franchisee Training and Continuing Training modules (§8 / M09)
• Marketing-review queue — submission and approval channel for creative (§11.6 / M08)
• NOC hotline and NOC Fault Escalation — voice and portal channels for SEV 1 and SEV 2 (§3.2 / M02)

Four [MANDATORY] §14.4 standards:

1. Use the HiON technology stack as the system of record for every function for which it is designed. No parallel ticketing system, parallel reporting tool, parallel vendor register, or parallel training record in lieu of the Partner Portal. Supplementary tools (own finance system, CRM, HRIS) are permitted but must feed required data into the Partner Portal per HiON-published formats
2. Maintain Partner Portal access per §1.3 (M02) and §13.5 (M14): named-user accounts, MFA, prompt offboarding. Credential sharing prohibited.
3. No integration of the HiON technology stack with any third-party system, API, or data broker without HiON prior written approval. Unauthorized integrations compromise data integrity and may breach HiON’s agreements with upstream providers
4. When HiON issues updates to the technology stack (new reports, changed submission formats, new modules, deprecated features), implement the change on the timeline HiON announces

4.6 — Interoperability and network integration (§14.5)

The Manual’s verbatim framing: “Interoperability in the HiON System is intentionally narrow: every HiON EV Facility is a node in the Tesla Supercharger network, connected only through the Tesla payment and driver experience.”

Four [MANDATORY] standards plus one [RECOMMENDED]:

1. No enrollment of a HiON EV Facility in any network, roaming agreement, CSMS, station-locator platform, payment aggregator, or third-party routing service other than the Tesla Supercharger network (§2.1.3 / M01)
2. No integration of the EV Charging Equipment with any third-party system through any protocol (OCPP, OCPI, OpenADR, or any other), directly or through a vendor. All integration performed by HiON and Tesla under the MSA
3. No deployment of any additional charging-adjacent infrastructure (Level 2 charging, battery storage, solar, demand-response participation, vehicle-to-grid, managed-charging) at or adjacent to the HiON EV Facility without HiON prior written approval
4. No acceptance of any proposal, grant, or program that would require operating the HiON EV Facility on a non-Tesla network or under a rule set incompatible with a single-network Tesla Supercharger site (e.g., certain federal or state funding programs). If approached about such a program, notify HiON before engaging; HiON may identify a compatible program or path to exclusion
5. [RECOMMENDED] Federal funding programs for EV infrastructure have evolved to accommodate NACS-based sites in various forms. Eligibility and compatibility are fact-specific and change over time. Consult HiON before pursuing any such funding for a HiON EV Facility

§14 audit posture (§14.5 Metrics):

• Vendor register current; insurance current for every contracted vendor
• No unauthorized vendors or products on audit; Mandated/Designated vendors used where required
• Partner Portal used as the system of record; no parallel ticketing or reporting systems
• No unauthorized network integration, third-party enrollment, or infrastructure co-location at the HiON EV Facility

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Section 5 · Decision drills

Drill 5.1 — The competitive snow contractor not on the preferred list

The franchisee’s preferred local snow-removal contractor is not on the Partner Portal preferred-vendor list (which for this scope is empty in the franchisee’s region — meaning snow is an Independent scope). The contractor has 15 years of commercial experience and offers competitive pricing.

State whether the franchisee may engage this contractor and the cited basis. State the onboarding sequence.

Drill 5.2 — The state grant requiring a non-Tesla network

A state energy office offers a $50,000 grant for fast-charging infrastructure. The grant terms require the site to “participate in the state’s interoperable charging network for at least 3 years,” which the franchisee’s research indicates would require enrolling the site in a non-Tesla network platform.

State the response and the cited basis. State the next two actions.

Drill 5.3 — The third-party API integration

The franchisee’s IT consultant proposes building a third-party API connector between the Partner Portal’s reporting data and the franchisee’s accounting software, so financial reporting is auto-populated. The connector would only read Partner Portal data; it would not write back.

State whether this is acceptable and the cited basis. State the path the franchisee follows.

Drill 5.4 — The “pre-Supercharger” Level 2 idea

The franchisee’s marketing agency proposes deploying a Level 2 charger near the HiON EV Facility’s entrance to “serve drivers waiting for a Supercharger stall during peak hours.” The Level 2 unit would not connect to the Tesla network and would be operated independently.

State the response and the cited basis. State whether this is approvable via §1.2.6.

Drill 5.5 — The HiON-disqualified contractor at lower price

The franchisee’s previous electrical contractor was removed from the HiON preferred-vendor list 6 months ago for repeated SLA failures. The contractor is still licensed and offers the most competitive bid for an upcoming punch-list electrical scope.

State whether the franchisee may engage this contractor and the cited basis.

Drill 5.6 — The parallel ticketing system

The franchisee’s DBM, finding the Partner Portal ticketing UI slow, sets up a Jira-based parallel ticketing system to track operational issues, with weekly export-uploads to the Partner Portal.

State whether this is acceptable and the cited basis. State the corrective action.

Drill 5.7 — The vendor without HiON briefing

A new signage vendor has been engaged. The franchisee’s records show: licensing verified; insurance certificate on file with HiON as additional insured; written agreement signed. The HiON-awareness briefing and vendor’s acknowledgment are not yet on file.

State whether the vendor may mobilize and the cited basis. State the corrective action.

Drill 5.8 — The annual vendor review skipped

The franchisee’s snow-removal contractor has not been formally reviewed in 18 months. Performance has been adequate but the franchisee has not conducted the §14.3 annual review or documented the review.

State whether this is a §14.3 violation and the cited basis. State the corrective action.

Drill 5.9 — The Site Host’s solar array proposal

The Site Host proposes installing a small solar array on the canopy above the HiON EV Facility’s charging bay. The array would feed the property’s general electrical system, not the EV Charging Equipment. The Site Host will pay for installation and maintenance.

State the response and the cited basis. State the path the franchisee follows.

Drill 5.10 — The expired vendor insurance certificate

During a routine vendor register review, the franchisee notices the landscape contractor’s certificate of insurance expired 6 weeks ago. The contractor is still working on the property.

State the franchisee’s next two actions and the cited basis.

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Section 6 · Common operator errors

6.1 — Engaging a vendor outside §14.2 qualification baseline

A new vendor is engaged on cost or convenience without the 10-criterion baseline check, or one or two criteria are skipped (e.g., the HiON-awareness briefing is “to be completed”).

• Consequence: §14.2 [MANDATORY] violation. Audit finding under §14.5 Metrics. Compounds with §8.5 (M09) contractor qualification standards.
• Discipline: the 10 criteria are a checklist. All 10 cleared before engagement. Documentation in the vendor register.

6.2 — Skipping the HiON-awareness briefing acknowledgment

The vendor is engaged with verbal acknowledgment of “the rules” but without written briefing acknowledgment.

• Consequence: §14.2 [MANDATORY] criterion 7 + §8.5 [MANDATORY] (M09) violation. Audit finding when documentation is requested.
• Discipline: the briefing acknowledgment is on file before mobilization. No work begins without the acknowledgment.

6.3 — Engaging a new-to-system vendor in a Preferred-list scope without HiON approval

The franchisee finds a strong general contractor not on the HiON Preferred list and engages them for a build without filing the §14.2.1 [APPROVAL REQUIRED] request.

• Consequence: §14.2.1 [APPROVAL REQUIRED] violation. The build proceeds with an un-approved vendor; HiON’s review at design or commissioning may surface the issue; rework or contractor replacement may be required.
• Discipline: Preferred-list scopes get HiON approval before vendor engagement. The §14.2.1 questionnaire and reference interviews may apply.

6.4 — Engaging a HiON-disqualified vendor regardless of pricing or licensing

The franchisee, finding a competitive bid from a previously-removed contractor, engages them anyway.

• Consequence: §14.1 [MANDATORY] + §14.3 [MANDATORY] violation. Material breach. The HiON disqualification is binding regardless of vendor’s other qualifications.
• Discipline: the Partner Portal disqualification list is the gate. The franchisee’s procurement process checks the list before engaging any vendor. Disqualified vendors are not engaged. Period.

6.5 — Parallel ticketing, reporting, or vendor register systems

The franchisee runs a Jira board for tickets, a Google Sheet for vendor records, or a custom CRM for pipeline data instead of using the Partner Portal as the single system of record.

• Consequence: §14.4 [MANDATORY] violation. HiON’s visibility into the franchise’s operating posture is degraded; audit findings when HiON-system data does not match franchisee-system data.
• Discipline: the Partner Portal is the system of record. Supplementary tools (the franchisee’s finance system, CRM, HRIS) are permitted as supplements but must feed required data to the Partner Portal per published formats. No parallel data systems.

6.6 — Third-party integration with the HiON tech stack without approval

The franchisee’s IT vendor builds an API connector between the Partner Portal and an internal system without filing the §14.4 [MANDATORY] approval request.

• Consequence: §14.4 [MANDATORY] violation. May breach HiON’s agreements with upstream providers including Tesla. Material breach.
• Discipline: any third-party integration with the HiON stack is HiON-approved in writing before implementation. The franchisee’s integration desires submit through Partner Portal for HiON evaluation.

6.7 — Adjacent infrastructure deployment without HiON approval

The franchisee deploys Level 2 charging, battery storage, solar, or other charging-adjacent infrastructure at or near the HiON EV Facility.

• Consequence: §14.5 [MANDATORY] violation. Material breach + Tesla-relationship exposure + potential commissioning re-evaluation.
• Discipline: any adjacent infrastructure requires HiON prior written approval. The default HiON response in current System posture is denial; the franchisee does not pursue these projects assuming approval will follow.

6.8 — Federal or state funding program enrollment without HiON consultation

The franchisee enrolls in a federal or state EV-infrastructure funding program whose terms turn out to be incompatible with the single-Tesla-network operating model.

• Consequence: §14.5 [MANDATORY] violation if the program requires non-Tesla network operation. Material breach.
• Discipline: consult HiON before pursuing any EV-infrastructure funding for the HiON EV Facility. HiON may identify a compatible program or a path to exclusion. The franchisee does not assume programs are compatible.

6.9 — Vendor performance reviews skipped

The annual vendor performance review for one or more vendors is not conducted or not documented.

• Consequence: §14.3 [MANDATORY] violation. Audit finding.
• Discipline: the annual review is on the franchisee’s calendar as a recurring obligation. 30-60 minutes per vendor; documented in the vendor register. For site-area maintenance vendors, the review precedes the next snow or seasonal cycle.

6.10 — Lapsed vendor insurance allowed to continue

A vendor’s certificate of insurance expires; the franchisee discovers the lapse at routine review but the vendor is still working.

• Consequence: §14.2 + §14.3 [MANDATORY] violation. Liability exposure for the franchisee if a vendor-caused incident occurs during the lapse window.
• Discipline: the vendor register tracks insurance expiry dates with renewal reminders. Lapsed insurance triggers immediate suspension of work until the renewed certificate is on file. Vendor agreements include continuous-insurance covenants.

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Section 7 · Competency assessment

Knowledge check (12 questions; 80% pass)

1. The four §14.1 vendor categories are: (a) Standard / Premium / Custom / Local (b) Mandated / Designated / Preferred / Independent (c) HiON / Approved / Conditional / Other (d) Tier 1 / Tier 2 / Tier 3 / Tier 4

2. Mandated vendors: (a) require [APPROVAL REQUIRED] for use (b) must be used without exception; deviations are not available through the exception process (c) may be substituted with FBC approval (d) may be substituted if pricing is competitive

3. Engagement of a new-to-system vendor for a scope where HiON maintains a Designated or Preferred list: (a) is acceptable if the vendor meets the §14.2 qualification criteria (b) requires [APPROVAL REQUIRED] under §14.2.1 with possible questionnaire and reference interviews (c) requires FBC verbal approval (d) is acceptable if a Preferred-list vendor is unavailable

4. Every vendor — regardless of category — must clear: (a) the 5 most relevant qualification criteria (b) the criteria the franchisee determines applicable (c) all 10 §14.2 minimum qualification criteria (d) the criteria the vendor’s industry standards typically apply

5. Vendor performance reviews must be conducted: (a) every 5 years (b) every 3 years (c) at minimum annually (§14.3 [MANDATORY]) (d) only when a performance issue arises

6. A HiON-disqualified vendor: (a) may be engaged if they have remediated the disqualification cause (b) may be engaged for scopes other than the disqualified one (c) may not be engaged regardless of qualifications in other respects (§14.1 [MANDATORY]) (d) may be engaged with FBC verbal approval

7. The HiON Partner Portal is: (a) one of several acceptable operating systems (b) the authoritative system of record; no parallel ticketing, reporting, vendor register, or training record permitted (§14.4 [MANDATORY]) (c) optional for established franchisees (d) supplementary to the franchisee’s own systems

8. Third-party integration with the HiON technology stack: (a) is acceptable for read-only data access (b) requires HiON prior written approval (§14.4 [MANDATORY]) (c) requires FBC verbal approval (d) is acceptable below a $10,000 vendor cost threshold

9. The franchisee may enroll the HiON EV Facility in a third-party charging network or roaming platform: (a) for visibility purposes (b) for grant-funding compliance (c) no — §14.5 [MANDATORY] prohibits enrollment in any network other than the Tesla Supercharger network (d) with FBC approval

10. Deployment of additional charging-adjacent infrastructure (Level 2 charging, battery storage, solar, V2G): (a) is acceptable at the franchisee’s discretion (b) is acceptable if Site-Host-funded (c) requires HiON prior written approval (§14.5 [MANDATORY]) (d) is acceptable for non-driver-facing scopes

11. A grant or program requiring operation of the HiON EV Facility on a non-Tesla network: (a) is acceptable below a $50,000 funding threshold (b) may not be accepted under §14.5 [MANDATORY]; the franchisee notifies HiON before engaging with such programs (c) is acceptable with FBC verbal approval (d) is acceptable for federally-funded programs

12. A lapsed vendor certificate of insurance: (a) is acceptable for up to 30 days (b) triggers immediate suspension of work until renewed certificate is on file (§14.2 + §14.3 [MANDATORY]) (c) is acceptable if the vendor has stated they are renewing (d) is acceptable for low-risk scopes

Application demonstration — the vendor audit

A 45-minute live exercise. The trainer presents a Vendor Audit Pack containing:

• A current vendor register with 4 gaps (missing insurance expiry; missing HiON briefing acknowledgment; missing performance review for 20-month-old vendor; missing scope detail)
• A new-vendor engagement proposal for a Preferred-list scope without §14.2.1 approval
• A re-engagement proposal for a HiON-disqualified contractor
• A Site Host solar-array proposal
• A state grant application package requiring non-Tesla network participation
• A parallel Jira ticketing system the franchisee has been operating
• An expired insurance certificate for an active vendor

The trainee must:

1. Fix the 4 vendor-register gaps and cite the §14.3 basis
2. Decline the new-vendor engagement until §14.2.1 [APPROVAL REQUIRED] is filed
3. Decline the disqualified-contractor re-engagement
4. Respond to the Site Host solar-array proposal under §14.5
5. Decline the state grant under §14.5 with the recommended HiON-consultation path
6. Migrate the parallel Jira system into the Partner Portal as the system of record
7. Suspend the vendor with lapsed insurance until certificate renewal

Pass criteria: trainee correctly identifies every violation, executes corrective action, cites the basis. Citation of section numbers preferred but not required if substantive actions are correct.

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Section 8 · Job aids

Job Aid 8.1 — Vendor category decision card

Front: the 4 categories with constraint levels. Back: the 14-row category-assignment table for key scopes. Used at every vendor engagement decision.

File: modules/M12-jobaids/M12-vendor-category-card.md

Job Aid 8.2 — The 10-criterion qualification checklist

The §14.2 baseline as a checklist applied to every vendor before engagement. Each criterion has documentation requirements and verification status.

File: modules/M12-jobaids/M12-qualification-checklist.md

Job Aid 8.3 — Vendor register template

The §14.3 [MANDATORY] register: legal name, contact, scopes, qualification evidence, agreement date, insurance expiry, performance review schedule, performance summary. Audit-ready format.

File: modules/M12-jobaids/M12-vendor-register.md

Job Aid 8.4 — Annual vendor performance review template

The §14.3 annual review as a fillable form. Performance against SLAs; insurance and licensing status; safety incidents (if any); brand or compliance issues (if any); continue/remediate/replace recommendation.

File: modules/M12-jobaids/M12-vendor-review-template.md

Job Aid 8.5 — New-to-system vendor approval submittal

Template for the §14.2.1 [APPROVAL REQUIRED] request. Includes the vendor’s qualifications package, the comparison to Preferred-list alternatives, the franchisee’s recommendation, the proposed engagement scope.

File: modules/M12-jobaids/M12-new-vendor-approval-template.md

Job Aid 8.6 — Interoperability decision card

Front: the §14.5 [MANDATORY] standards. Back: examples of common proposals (Level 2 idea, battery storage, solar, grant programs, third-party app integration) with the decision framework (decline outright vs. file §1.2.6 approval request vs. HiON consultation).

File: modules/M12-jobaids/M12-interoperability-card.md

Job Aid 8.7 — Tech-stack data-flow diagram

Visual of the HiON technology stack components + the data flows between Partner Portal and franchisee supplementary systems. Identifies the integration approval gates.

File: modules/M12-jobaids/M12-tech-stack-diagram.md

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Section 9 · Facilitator notes

Pacing — 135 minutes (2h 15min, two 10-minute breaks built in)

Time	Section	Notes
0:00–0:10	Opening — the grant program gotcha	Read aloud a redacted version of a real state-grant proposal requiring third-party network participation. Walk the §14.5 cascade. Sets tone for §4.6.
0:10–0:35	§4.1 (Vendor categories)	Walk the 4 categories with the 14-row scope assignment table. Distribute Job Aid 8.1. Run Drills 5.1, 5.5.
0:35–1:00	§4.2–4.3 (Qualification baseline + onboarding + new-to-system approval)	Walk the 10 criteria and 6-step onboarding. Distribute Job Aids 8.2, 8.5. Run Drills 5.7, 5.10.
1:00–1:10	BREAK
1:10–1:25	§4.4 (Vendor performance, service levels, removal)	Walk the 5 [MANDATORY] standards. Distribute Job Aids 8.3, 8.4. Run Drill 5.8.
1:25–1:55	§4.5 (Technology stack + Partner Portal)	Walk the 4 [MANDATORY] standards. Distribute Job Aid 8.7. Run Drills 5.3, 5.6. Heaviest emphasis on the no-parallel-systems rule.
1:55–2:05	BREAK
2:05–2:30	§4.6 (Interoperability and network integration)	Heaviest section. Walk the 4 [MANDATORY] standards + 1 [RECOMMENDED]. Distribute Job Aid 8.6. Run Drills 5.2 (state grant), 5.4 (Level 2), 5.9 (Site Host solar).
2:30–2:35	Close + application demonstration brief	Distribute the Vendor Audit Pack brief.

SME handoffs

• §4.1–4.3 (Vendor categories + qualification): Joe Lewis (COO) per the Training Matrix on compliance posture. Joe Frank (Ops) on operational vendor coordination.
• §4.4 (Performance + removal): Joe Lewis (COO) on compliance and removal triggers.
• §4.5 (Technology stack): Will Frank (Dev) on the Partner Portal architecture; Joe Frank (Ops) on operational use.
• §4.6 (Interoperability): Jim Frank (CEO) on the strategic framework; the Tesla-relationship-protection rationale is best articulated by the CEO. Tony Cuomo (CX) on customer-experience implications.

Decision drill — model answers (abbreviated)

Drill 5.1 — Competitive snow contractor (Independent scope). May engage. §14.1 — snow is Independent in scopes where HiON does not publish a preferred list. The contractor must clear all 10 §14.2 criteria. Onboarding sequence: confirm qualifications + collect documentation + execute vendor agreement using HiON template + deliver §9.2 briefing + obtain acknowledgment + record in vendor register + define SLAs aligned to §9.2 response windows. Notify FBC per §14.2 step 6 if this is the first engagement of a new vendor in the franchisee’s region.

Drill 5.2 — State grant requiring non-Tesla network. Decline. §14.5 [MANDATORY] — no acceptance of any proposal/grant/program requiring operation on a non-Tesla network. Next two actions: (1) notify HiON via Partner Portal before engaging with the program; HiON may identify a compatible program or a path to exclusion (§14.5 [MANDATORY]); (2) document the grant program decline in the franchisee’s records — if the grant program comes up at audit or in lender discussions, the documentation shows the franchisee followed HiON discipline.

Drill 5.3 — Third-party API integration. Decline without HiON approval. §14.4 [MANDATORY] — no integration with any third-party system, API, or data broker without HiON prior written approval. Path: submit the integration proposal through Partner Portal — describe data flow, vendor identity, security posture, business case. HiON evaluates. Read-only vs. write does not change the standard; any integration requires approval. If HiON approves, proceed with HiON’s conditions; if denied, the franchisee uses Partner Portal native reporting + manual entry into the accounting system.

Drill 5.4 — Level 2 “pre-Supercharger” idea. Decline outright in current System posture. §14.5 [MANDATORY] — no charging-adjacent infrastructure without HiON prior written approval. The default HiON response to L2 deployment at a HiON EV Facility is denial — the infrastructure creates network-integration, brand, and Tesla-relationship complexity the System is not designed to absorb. Approvable via §1.2.6 in theory but unlikely in practice. The franchisee declines the marketing agency’s proposal.

Drill 5.5 — Disqualified contractor at lower price. Decline. §14.1 + §14.3 [MANDATORY] — no engagement of HiON-disqualified vendor regardless of other qualifications. Material breach if engaged.

Drill 5.6 — Parallel Jira ticketing. Discontinue immediately. §14.4 [MANDATORY] — no parallel ticketing system. Corrective action: migrate active tickets from Jira to Partner Portal; close out Jira instance; document the discontinuation. The DBM’s “Partner Portal UI is slow” feedback routes through §10.5 (M11) monthly site-performance commentary to FBC — HiON addresses platform issues at the system level.

Drill 5.7 — Vendor without HiON briefing acknowledgment. Do not mobilize. §14.2 [MANDATORY] criterion 7 + §8.5 (M09) [MANDATORY]. Corrective: schedule the briefing immediately covering the relevant Manual sections (signage scope → §2.4 + §9.2 + §13 safety); capture written acknowledgment; file in vendor register; then authorize mobilization.

Drill 5.8 — 18-month vendor review skipped. §14.3 [MANDATORY] violation. Corrective: conduct the annual review now; document; file in vendor register; reset the review cadence on the franchisee’s calendar; notify FBC of the cure in the monthly commentary (§10.5 / M11).

Drill 5.9 — Site Host solar array proposal. §14.5 [MANDATORY] — even though the array would feed the property’s general electrical (not the EV Charging Equipment), it is charging-adjacent infrastructure at the HiON EV Facility. Notify HiON before engaging the Site Host on the proposal. The Site Host’s funding of installation does not change the §14.5 standard. Path: open Partner Portal ticket under Engineering and Design Review + Compliance and Risk; provide proposal specifics; await HiON written approval before any agreement with the Site Host. Default HiON response in current posture is denial; the franchisee does not commit to the Site Host pending HiON evaluation.

Drill 5.10 — Expired vendor insurance. Next two actions: (1) suspend the contractor’s work immediately until renewed certificate is on file (§14.2 + §14.3 [MANDATORY]); (2) document the lapse and the suspension in the vendor register and the franchisee’s incident log. Contact the contractor for the renewed certificate; if the renewal is in process and arrives within a reasonable window, resume work; if the contractor cannot produce current insurance, remove the contractor under §14.3 [MANDATORY] (b) (failure to maintain required insurance).

Recommended visual aids

• A real (redacted) vendor register from the existing portfolio during §4.4
• The §14.4 technology-stack components diagram projected during §4.5
• A real (redacted) §14.2.1 new-to-system vendor approval submittal during §4.3

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Section 10 · Cross-references

Modules

• M01 (System and Role Split) — §2.1.3 [MANDATORY] (no third-party networks, no other connectors) is the foundation §14.5 reinforces
• M02 (Governance, Manual, Support, Escalation) — §1.2.6 exception process for Designated-vendor substitutions and adjacent-infrastructure approvals; §1.3 confidentiality for vendor data access
• M05 (Lease, Site Host Relationship) — Site Host proposals for adjacent infrastructure (solar, L2) intersect with this Module’s §14.5 framework
• M06 (Design, Permitting, Utility Coordination) — engineering and design firms are Preferred + site-by-site Approved under §14.1; permit expediters are Preferred/Independent under §14.1
• M07 (Construction Management and Commissioning) — GC and electrical contractors are Preferred under §14.1; pre-mobilization approval per §7.4.1 integrates with §14.2.1
• M08 (Launch and Local Marketing) — marketing agencies and creative vendors are Preferred/Independent; outputs through §11.6 marketing review regardless of source
• M09 (Staffing, DBM, Personnel, Contractor Conduct) — §8.5 contractor qualification is the §14.2 baseline applied to contractors specifically
• M10 (Site-Area Maintenance, Monitoring, Fault Escalation) — snow/landscape/security vendors are Independent under §14.1; SLAs align to §9.2 response windows
• M13 (Finance — §12) — Sinking Fund and ongoing operating expenses include vendor costs across multiple categories
• M14 (Compliance, Safety, Insurance, Risk — §13) — §13.4 insurance broker is Independent under §14.1; §13.5 data privacy reinforces §14.4 technology stack discipline

External documents

• Operations Manual §14 (Vendors, Technology Stack, and Interoperability — all subsections)
• Partner Portal preferred-vendor lists (by region and scope)
• Partner Portal disqualification list
• HiON vendor agreement templates
• HiON vendor-qualification questionnaire (used in §14.2.1 new-to-system approval)

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Section 11 · Source verification log

Claim	Manual reference	Status
4 §14.1 vendor categories (Mandated / Designated / Preferred / Independent) with constraint levels	§14.1	verified
14-row scope category assignment table	§14.1	verified
3 [MANDATORY] §14.1 standards	§14.1	verified
10-criterion §14.2 minimum qualification baseline	§14.2	verified
6-step onboarding procedure	§14.2	verified
§14.2.1 [APPROVAL REQUIRED] for new-to-system vendors in Designated/Preferred scopes	§14.2.1	verified
5 [MANDATORY] + 1 [RECOMMENDED] §14.3 performance/removal standards	§14.3	verified
Vendor removal triggers (a-e)	§14.3 [MANDATORY]	verified
6 technology stack components	§14.4	verified
4 [MANDATORY] §14.4 standards (single system of record; access discipline; no third-party integration; implement updates)	§14.4	verified
§14.5 verbatim “interoperability intentionally narrow” framing	§14.5	verified
4 [MANDATORY] + 1 [RECOMMENDED] §14.5 standards	§14.5	verified
No enrollment in non-Tesla networks/roaming/CSMS/aggregators	§14.5 [MANDATORY]	verified
No OCPP/OCPI/OpenADR or other protocol integration	§14.5 [MANDATORY]	verified
No Level 2/battery/solar/V2G/managed-charging without HiON approval	§14.5 [MANDATORY]	verified
No incompatible grant programs	§14.5 [MANDATORY]	verified
§14 Metrics audit posture	§14.5 Metrics	verified

Outstanding unverified items

#	Claim	Primary source	Resolver
M12.OUT.01	Partner Portal preferred-vendor lists current contents	Partner Portal	Will Frank / Joe Frank
M12.OUT.02	Partner Portal disqualification list current contents	Partner Portal	Joe Lewis
M12.OUT.03	HiON vendor agreement template current text	HiON templates	Joe Lewis / counsel
M12.OUT.04	HiON vendor-qualification questionnaire current contents	HiON templates	Joe Lewis

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Section 12 · Change log

Version	Date	Author	Changes
v0.1	2026-05-19	Claude (draft)	Initial draft against Operations Manual v1.0 Working Draft. All Manual citations verified. Four outstanding items defer to Partner Portal current contents and HiON templates. The §14.5 interoperability boundaries are the heaviest pedagogical emphasis — adjacent infrastructure proposals and incompatible grant programs are the most common pressure points the franchisee will face during operations.