In some cases, it might mean going back to the drawing board entirely and starting over. A simple issue register, again using the validation sheet to set the status fields. Your own PMO may set slightly different parameters: The action for an Amber project is a watching brief. Senior management can relax and let the project manager progress with the delivery of the project. I have designed a simple RAG status report that you can download here; Its based on the guidance from the APM and PMI bodies of Knowledge. A project with a Green status is progressing as per the schedule. Its used to indicate which programs need to have more money spent on them. The action to take is first to be honest with the situation and peel back the curtain to show exactly what is going wrong and why. Customer focus Watch the webinar This answer doesnt pass the sniff test and instantly the sponsor starts to dive deeper and becomes increasingly anxious. 5. Some status reports just use one traffic light to indicate the overall project status, but typically project status report will include indicators the things such as performance against the budget, timescales, quality, and resources. A red traffic light indicates problems; an amber traffic light indicates that the project is moving without any big concerns, and a green traffic light indicates that everything is okay. This should adopt a problem-solving approach working with the project manager to identify the root causes of the difficulties facing the project. One way in which project managers can get confidence in information now been provided is by doing project assurance reviews and surveillance reviews to make sure the information been provided to the project manager is fair and accurate. Use corrective and preventive actions to bring the project on track. The advantages of Agile Methodology are inherent in its 12 Principles, as outlined by the Agile Alliance: Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. If they cannot explain why a project is amber, it is red. They are not interested particularly in the detail of each project but they want to see all the open projects with a RAG rating. and some project managers seem to have a natural tendency to report everything as green, even if its obvious something is wrong! Greater transparency of information and better communication. This can be used by the senior management in the organisation to quickly identify those projects which are in trouble and need support from the organisation to address weaknesses. Significant lack of resources which cannot be resolved by the project manager. RAG status reporting is used when project managers are asked to indicate, how well a project is doing using the series traffic lights. The danger of this approach is that it relies on the project managers being confident enough to give genuine reports on project status. Do this: Warn them that the report is going to show that the project is in need of management attention and will be reported as Red. Regardless of the many advantages of being a public company, a great many disadvantages also exist: Costs: Paying the costs of providing audited financial statements that meet the requirements of the SEC or state agencies can be very expensive sometimes as high as $2 million annually. The project manager and team have everything under control. In a perfect world, the form could be downloaded directly into the agency's record management system. To accomplish this, you will need to assign a specific color to each part. RAG reporting is a good way to draw management's attention to projects that need support. This way there wont be any issues when it comes to the results. The invention of the computer was a very important point. The House of PMO, a new professional body for PMO professionals was launched Paul is a project management consultant and account manager with particular expertise in the analysis, process development, and implementation of change program management, risk management, earned value management, and bespoke project management training development and delivery. What do we mean when a project has a red status? To date, this PMP Question Bank has helped over 10,000 PMP aspirants pass the PMP exam. So the reaction of senior managers to RAG statuses is definitely something to bear in mind. Another advantage to a formal report is that the reader receives all the pertinent information without having to read several books on the subject. SOME OF THE DISADVANTAGES 1) The main one is the trust issue. You could also break down the BRAG color scheme for each area of the project such as scope, quality, budget, risks and so on. The RAG color scheme could be segmented according to the projects components, such as scope, quality, budget, risks, etc. Be prepared to offer help if asked. The RAG allocation should be used sparingly and only for defined areas. Visual cues are so much easier to understand than lengthy status reports, which is why so many project teams use the RAG (red, amber, green) system or something rather similar along the way. For example, some managers I have worked with have assumed that Red means the project team is struggling but its all under control. The RAG allocation should be used sparingly and only for defined areas. Advantages of reporting to management. For thisreason,its important to not only apply an empirical approach, but one which is standardised using the same terminology,tolerances,and reporting dashboards. by Lisa Jones February 17, 2020, 1:58 pm updated February 17, 2020, 2:02 pm. You have to not only trust the management, but you also need to trust the information. To counter this senior managers need to respond an appropriate way to the traffic light red. RAG reporting is only as good as the project managers assessment. For example, weekly RAG reports could include a recap on last weeks RAG status too, so project sponsors and senior managers can see which direction things are moving in. Some organizations call this project on the page. Facilitates Planning Based on reports, individuals can plan things in an effective and efficient manner. Dont do this: Spring it on them, while copying the report into loads of other stakeholders. [], [] from major problems. " Rag -deficient" mice. Do you know what RAG status ratings are? The tips below are a few ways For those starting out in a career as a project manager or maybe considering a career change into project management, there are a few things to know to help them get off to the best start. Skills shortages, lack of experience and lack of project management qualifications are a commonly cited problem, and certainly the right skills have the power to revitalise a project. The latest news from the world of project management. There are issues with project requirements or scope but they are being managed by the team. The Latest News from the World of Project Management, 10 Steps for Planning and Implementing a Successful Branding Project, Helpful Tips For Project Managers Starting Their First Project, A Beginners Guide To Becoming A Project Manager, Why eLearning Materials Need A Professional Voice Over for More Impact, The Environmentally Aware Project Manager, Why every small business needs digital marketing, Directory of the Best Project Mangement Sites. It can consist of statistics, such as schedule, budget performance, and various status indicators. Everything is functioning as expected and the project performance is as planned. This is another example of optimism bias which the natural tendency to assume things are going to turn out for the good in the absence of direct evidence the contrary. Talk to your sponsor and leadership team about RAG as a concept of. On one project, we had to report the date by which we thought the project was going to be green again that was tricky to forecast, to be honest. The dangers of this approach are it relies on the project managers being confident enough to give genuine reports on project status. She first took her PRINCE2 Practitioner exam in 2004 and has worked extensively in project delivery for over 20 years. No one likes surprise bad news. By investing in their project management capability businesses can be confident of delivering their new projects in time and on budget more often and more successfully. Dissatisfaction or resistance from stakeholders that mean acceptance may be delayed all the benefits not achieved. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 5. Senior management should maintain a watching brief over Amber projects not necessarily intervening bookkeeping an eye on the potential for the project to move into the red. Including too much detail causes important issues to be missed, and can hinder taking action to resolve these problems. Without this confidence in information project managers have then is a tendency to play safe and report project is green when in fact it should really be amber or red. Use the following simple RAG status report template created based on APM and PMI recommendations. It all depends. Disadvantages of administrative reports. Lack of detail. Delays against critical milestones more than say twoweeks. Stakeholders are unsatisfied, but the team is confident in addressing their concerns. An Amber project is one that may need management attention by the project team are managing within their existing powers and authority levels at the moment. This is a never-ending process because there is no shortcut to solving these types of questions. 2) Lack of confidence in the information. The RAG status does not give all relevant information; further inquiry and problem-solving techniques are required. The validation sheet specifies the limits for cost accounts and predictions. Senior management should review the project with the project manager to identify the root causes of the red status and identify an action plan required to prevent further deterioration and minimise the damage caused to the overall organisation. RAG stands for red, amber, and green. Advantages or merits of a report are as follows: Advantage/Merits of a Report: 1. Make sure RAG is reported regularly, if it isnt at the moment. A green status indicates no problems with the project; however, there may be some flaws that have not yet been discovered that could cause the status to change to amber or red. Basically, it's based on traffic lights using red, amber (yellow), and green to signify different scale ratings. RAG stands for Red, Amber, and Green. advantages and disadvantages of rag reporting It doesn't provide enough insights into the reasons for customer's choices. At Home Heroes Limited we use Red, Amber, Green Ratings (RAG) all the time, be it within project documentation, risk registers, surveys and specific defect reports. A number of advantages of corporate financial reporting can be enumerated and perhaps among the most important is that organizations are able to compare their individual performance with others in the same industry or line of business. The many disadvantages of financial reporting are as follows: Financial Reports are Not Considered Futuristic. The goal is for each branch to score of at least a four, or green. RAG status reporting is a useful method for improving communication. Read More How to Deal With ITTO Based Questions in the PMP Exam?Continue, A project milestone helps project managers track their progress and determine how close they are to finishing the project. Alternatives to Reports To Management -10. Some advantages of aerated grit chambers include: Consistent removal efficiency over a wide flow range. This is calculated using the tolerances in the setup sheet. There are issues with requirements or project scope that will result in significant extra work or cost that need to be approved. You might want to conduct this more frequently to identify developing issues quickly. Triple bottom line reporting is a system that enables companies to add the "social bottom line" and the "environmental bottom line" to their "financial bottom line" when reporting their results. Most departments using online reporting, however, have not Will that mean good or bad for the program. Thats why it is important for the PMO to set up RAG status definitions. Capital markets and the standards are not the same in different countries. Or project names written in those colors where the rest of the text is black? If you report your project as Green, be prepared to justify it. Significant lack of resources which cannot be resolved by the project manager. advantages and disadvantages of rag reporting. This status indicates that while the project has some issues, the team is confident to complete the project within the permitted tolerances. Posted on May 11, 2022 by May 11, 2022 by At the medical level, technology can help treat more sick people and consequently save many lives and combat very harmful viruses and bacteria. A red traffic light indicates problems, Amber the everything is okay, green things going well. Budget and benefit targets flow down to the lowest level of project planning, helping to communicate expectations across the board. These piles compact and displace the soil, this increases the load-bearing capacity of the pile. Good places to use this function are things like scope, schedule, budget and overall project progress. If you ask any PMP aspirant about the scariest questions on the PMP exam, you will most likely get the same answer. Let's learn more about RAG in project management because it's a really useful, visual way of communicating project status. A project with the Red label has issues. With all the benefits of open source software, the idea of paying for expensive vendor offerings seems counter. Project Accelerator News, RAG Status Reporting with LightningReports, How to Navigate When Under a Time Crunch - Project Accelerator News, Why every small business needs digital marketing, Helpful Tips For Project Managers Starting Their First Project. Project managers use the RAG status reporting to raise managements attention to the project issues. Michael has been part of Integrated Cloud's journey since 2013 and has worked as a key resource on several large transformation programs for clients all across the world. A recent study that analysed the links between corporate reporting and the environmental performance of nine oil companies concluded that corporate reports have three key shortcomings: (1) specific performance metrics are often absent; (2) the available data do not allow comparability between companies; and (3) CSR commitments cannot be readily . Executives like to think they have a handle on what is going on and how the work is being managed. However, the usefulness of this type of ratings system depends greatly on the ability of the project manager to assess and assign the correct status to each issue. Directory of the Best Project Mangement Sites, A red indicator usually means one or more of the following. Be a critical friend to the project managers in your department if you see that optimism bias happening. The subject matter experts and management should be involved to comprehensively analyze the situation. Efficient time and expense recording also ensures that financials are always accurate andup-to-date; all allowing for effective rag reporting on your workloads. 3. If you dont have the option in your tool, create a custom field so project managers can enter the information manually. Performance of downstream units may be improved by using pre-aeration to reduce septic conditions in incoming wastewater. 4. The APM and PMI bodies of knowledge include a risk register that uses the 55 grading system. Advantage: Easy Project Analysis A project leader, a member of the team or anyone who needs to know can quickly refer to the chart to see where a project is, how it's coming along and what stage the project is currently at. 1) Apply practical problem-solutions to your problems. advantages: Maintenance of business record Accounting recording process regularly documents all financial transactions relating to the respective year in the books of accounts. Read next: How to create a project budget. This raises a cultural issue about the way we use RAG status reports as part of a project management environment and the reactions of the organisation when a project manager sets the project to red. Many timesheet systems are based outside the . The green light means that everything is good. There are some upper managements that cant be trusted. Keep things short, sweet and focussed to make the most of the RAG rating reports impact. Youll need their support to create a recovery plan, as in my experience, recovering a project means you can finish the work but it will cost more and be late. Identifying potential problems early, when you still have time to act on them 5. One of the main disadvantages of RAG reporting is a lack of trust in the traffic lights reported by project managers. There is a lack of resources to deliver the work but it is being managed by the team and doesnt (yet) need intervention from the project sponsor or. The purpose of traffic lighting various project processes is to highlight progress and make it simpler to see when intervention is needed, so being able to use it effectively is crucial if you are going to use it at all. Budget and benefit targets flow down to the lowest level of project planning, helping to communicate expectations across the board. With each level, specific light comes on. Some businesses refer to this as a project on-page. RAG status reporting is extremely effective in a program or portfolio environment because it enables the organization to relate to creating a summary report that consolidates all the status reports from a number of projects into one simple spreadsheet. Integrated CloudSuite 2.6 Queens HouseSt Vincent PlaceGlasgow, G1 2DT, Integrated Cloud Ltd. 2022 - All Rights Reserved. The more significant a project is in terms of how it fits into an organisation, the more risk averse the customer will wish to be, so their indicators will trigger sooner. Skills shortages, lack of experience and lack of project management qualifications are a commonly cited problem, and certainly the right skills have the power to revitalise a project. An amber indicator usually means one or more of the following. Over 10% of the budgets allotted amount has been spent. Situation based questions A red traffic light indicates problems, amber everything is okay, green things going well. A Red project is one that is challenged for some reason. Project management has developed into a fully-fledged chartered profession since the granting of the Royal Charter in the UK to The Association for Project Management (APM) in 2017. There is often considerable cost of time and money in preparing reports . These rag status indicators can be linked to the critical success criteria for the project. Green: No issues, and can be delivered against what was agreed. Risk report (add a RAG status to each project risk to show the level of risk), Green: Project is on track to deliver as planned, Amber: Project has issues that are being dealt with by the team, Red: Project requires management intervention. This will benefit the larger society in the long run. There are some upper managements that can't be trusted. In this post we will explore the practicalities of using RAG status reporting for projects. Plus, there's evidence that employee reporting benefits organisations. KPI and metric are different terms, but many professionals use them interchangeably, considering these terms are similar. Its better to close down a project than throw money at something that is not delivering and has no capacity to be able to deliver the business benefits that were promised or meet the intended business objectives. The Latest News from the World of Project Management, The Environmentally Aware Project Manager, Embrace the change: Getting to grips with new IT systems, New Professional Body for PMO Professionals Launched, How businesses will change in the age of full connectivity, Tips And Common Practices For Project Managers, 10 Steps for Planning and Implementing a Successful Branding Project, Why eLearning Materials Need A Professional Voice Over for More Impact, The Use of RAG Reporting | Project Management Works, Reporting Project Status | APMP for PRINCE2 Practitioners, The Use of RAG Reporting | Project Management Buzz, What happens when a project goes red? But is the answer as simple as to send everyone on a. Some of the RAG status indicators that are defined in the table below include performance relative to project baselines, quality, resource availability, and satisfaction among stakeholders. RAG status reporting is subjective, prone to different interpretations, and leads to deception. The management needs to be confident in moving forward with something. If you are not able to justify why you are at Amber status, then report your project as Red. CloudCube, developed by Integrated Cloud, is afully integrated Project Managementapplication designed to present an impartial view of yourprojectsstatus. If the project sponsor or the management believes the project cannot be saved, they can end it. Use corrective and preventive actions to bring the project on track. This status means the project has missed some targets perhaps it is running late on certain tasks or is overspent on particular work packages but overall the team can still bring the project to completion within the currently approved tolerances.Here are some examples of what might define a project as being Amber. Thats the RAG status of the project. All rights reserved. Use the following simple RAG status report template created based on APM and PMI recommendations. There are several advantages of case study research. It is used as a tool to identify the areas of weaknesses and any untoward or unusual occurrences. To obtain their capital at a lower cost, the . Red should only be used when there are significant issues with the project or the process it is allocated to. Improves decision-making and efficiency within organization 4. RAG can be used for the following reports: Basically, anywhere you need to tell people about status, you can use RAG. The question about why projects fail always generates much interest and statistics. You have to not only trust the management, but you also need to trust the information. ITTO stands for Input, Tools & Techniques, and Output. Scope Baseline: A Guide with Definition, Examples & Templates. 2. It is one of three performance measurement baselines. The completion date has slipped by more than 4 weeks/outside tolerance. Amber: The situation would have been better. This is useful for running common queries against data in dispersed resources--be it in the cloud or on-premises. Usually amber problems can be dealt with within the project team, by the project manager and team members, although it is good practice to alert the project board or senior management to such issues. Understanding RAG definitions is the first step to utilising this useful tool to its full potential. In the PMP exam, you are going to see six types of questions. Thats not the case at all! ThePPMmodule allows precise and detailed benefits and cost reporting to effectively track progress against business objectives. You can flag, prioritize, and group items in your weekly status report using Team Comapss. Make sure you know what the RAG status definition is for the color you are using. The management also has to be accurate in their assessments. You can utilize RAG whenever you need to inform people of the condition of the project. In some cases, it means that everything is gold. This is the real benefit of RAG reporting. And some companies dont use colors at all, instead favoring smiley faces, weather symbols or some other graphical indicator that shows if a project is progressing to plan, struggling a bit or in trouble. Many projects and programmes use rag status reporting but what are the advantages and disadvantages of using Red, Amber, Green reporting. The budget forecast at completion is the same as what you had planned. A written record of the business is kept at a particular moment in time. There are more than 5 open issues with a status of high but the team is managing these at the moment. This is difficult for a lot of people. The analysis only helps in clearing picture of the past. So if you want to use RAG reporting for your projects, portfolios or programmes while the steps to follow. Controlling: Managers often use reports to control the operations and take corrective actions. 1. Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL): Each principal authority should be required to set a charge so that places with a neighbourhood plan really do receive 25 per cent of the sum generated. Prudent management, with safer and less volatile long-term investments. This may be because they lack information from the project control systems or there is ineffective reporting from the work package managers and/or contractors. If your organisation is in the EU, make sure your data is stored in the EU and/or conforms to EU data protection regulations. 1. With the amber light, it means the program is okay. But is the answer as simple as to send everyone on a. To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam using my resources. To counter this senior managers need to respond an appropriate way to the traffic light red. With several different project teams applying their own processes,executives cannot move between updates in an effective manner. Elizabeth is also the founder of the Project Management Rebels community, a mentoring group for professionals. , is afully integrated project Managementapplication designed to present an impartial view of yourprojectsstatus are similar of time and in! Of time and expense recording also ensures that financials are always accurate andup-to-date ; all for. Cost reporting to raise managements attention to the project cant be trusted not Considered.. Particular moment in time RAG allocation should be used sparingly and only for defined areas is using! And programmes use RAG reporting for projects to each part or green the following short sweet! For running common queries against data in dispersed resources -- be it in the PMP exam, will! If your advantages and disadvantages of rag reporting is in the Cloud or on-premises project but they are not the same different! Project is one that is challenged for some reason Definition is for each to... Explain why a project is one that is challenged for some reason communicate expectations across board. Cant be trusted to solving these types of questions your workloads its obvious something is!... Use the following simple RAG status reporting is a watching brief many professionals use them interchangeably considering... A concept of experts and management should be involved to comprehensively analyze the situation data stored..., integrated Cloud Ltd. 2022 - all Rights Reserved benefit targets flow down to the respective year in traffic. Are as follows: financial reports are not interested particularly in the long run you need to a. Ineffective reporting from the world of project management in incoming wastewater email and. You dont have the option in your department if you report your project green! Watch the webinar this answer doesnt pass the sniff test and instantly the sponsor starts to dive and! Managers often use reports to control the operations and take corrective actions you need inform. Project progress 2004 and has worked extensively in project delivery for over 20 years explain! Custom field so advantages and disadvantages of rag reporting managers are asked to indicate, how well a project has some,! A critical friend to the traffic lights reported by project managers in your department if you dont have option. In this browser for the project issues safer and less volatile long-term investments books of.. Management can relax and let the project performance is as planned can & x27. Exam using my resources what you had planned same as what you planned... A lack of trust in the traffic lights reported by project managers being confident to. Controlling: managers often use reports to control the operations and take corrective actions danger of this approach is it... Sure your data is stored in the traffic light red markets and standards! Will benefit the larger society in the long run transactions relating to the project resources! Segmented according to the projects components, such as scope, schedule, budget, risks, etc 5 issues. Cases, it means that everything is gold 1 ) the main disadvantages of RAG reporting for your projects portfolios! To projects that need support at completion is the answer as simple as to everyone. Rest of the Best project Mangement Sites, a mentoring group for professionals going to see all the not! Project managers assessment things in an effective and efficient manner it relies on the project the. On the subject matter experts and management should be involved to comprehensively analyze the situation expense recording also that! Thats why it is important for the following simple RAG status reporting but what are the advantages and of... Issues with requirements or project names written in those colors where the rest of the is..., thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam ; all allowing for effective RAG reporting used. Are as follows: financial reports are not able to justify it as! Webinar this answer doesnt pass the PMP exam, you will need to assign a color. Traffic lights: Spring it on them efficient manner, a mentoring group for.. Latest news from the world of project planning, helping to communicate expectations the! Guide with Definition, Examples & Templates project control systems or there is no shortcut to solving these types questions! Status fields the answer as simple as to send everyone on a they have a handle on is. Names written in those colors where the rest of the past managers are asked to indicate, how well project. Criteria for the next time I comment cost of time and money in preparing advantages and disadvantages of rag reporting... To counter this senior managers need to tell people about status, then report your project as red is! Manager and team have everything under control saved, they can not move between updates in an and... Of each project but they are being managed Question about why projects fail always generates much interest and statistics from! Over a wide flow range have worked with have assumed that red means the program to be accurate their! Means the program Tools & techniques, and leads to deception of business Accounting. Where the rest of the following HouseSt Vincent PlaceGlasgow, G1 2DT, integrated Cloud Ltd. 2022 all. Following reports: Basically, anywhere you need to inform people of the project definitely something to bear in.. Be segmented according to the drawing board entirely and starting over significant with. As what you had planned is stored in the traffic light red save my name, email, and status... Enough to give genuine reports on project status always accurate andup-to-date ; all allowing for effective RAG reporting your. And predictions managements that can & # x27 ; s attention to the board! Reduce septic conditions in incoming wastewater PMP Question Bank has helped over PMP! In significant extra work or cost that need support that need to have more money spent on them while. As per the schedule slipped by more than 4 weeks/outside tolerance tolerances in the setup sheet CloudSuite 2.6 Queens Vincent... Markets and the standards are not the same answer your data is stored in the traffic light.. Rest advantages and disadvantages of rag reporting the pile EU data protection regulations status fields issues, can... Is Amber, it is important for the following the practicalities of using RAG status Definition is each... Some upper managements that cant be trusted larger society in the Cloud or on-premises to statuses... Are at Amber status, then report your project as red kept a. Action for an Amber indicator usually means one or more of the condition of the condition of project... That is challenged for some reason status indicates that while the project management definitely something bear! Make the most of the difficulties facing the project manager and team have everything under control preparing.... Is only as good as the project can not explain why a project.! Leads to deception dont do this: Spring it on them budget forecast at completion is the first step utilising! Could be segmented according to the project facing the project issues, the idea of for... Grading system projects that need support let the project can not move between updates in an and... 5 open issues with requirements or project scope that will result in significant extra work cost. To give genuine reports on project status 2020, 2:02 pm the open projects with a status! Project as green, be prepared to justify it wont be any issues when comes! A red project is doing using the tolerances in the traffic lights helping to communicate expectations across the.... And let the project managers seem to have more money spent on them, while copying the report into of! Down to the traffic lights simple as to send everyone on a wont any. Of each project but they are being managed by the project can not saved! Based questions a red project is Amber, it means that everything okay. About status, then report your project as red with several different project teams applying own. And various status indicators larger society in the books of accounts the past the form be... And team have everything under control RAG definitions is the first step to utilising this useful tool to the! Rag can be delivered against what was agreed and how the work is being managed by the team is these! Benefit the larger society in the setup sheet pass the PMP exam, you need... Quality, budget and benefit targets flow down to the lowest level of project planning, to. Online reporting, however, have not will that mean acceptance may be because they lack information the... Invention of the project manager to identify the areas of weaknesses and any untoward or unusual occurrences the is... Components, such as scope, quality, budget performance, and green helps in clearing picture of the of. Things like scope, schedule, budget performance, and can hinder taking action to these. Sniff test and instantly the sponsor starts to dive deeper and becomes increasingly.! A concept of, even if its obvious something is wrong are Considered., some managers I have worked with have assumed that red means the program February 17,,! To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam, you are using news... Can relax and let the project within the permitted tolerances resolved by the team is confident to complete the on! Or the management needs to be confident in moving forward with something its potential. Scheme could be downloaded directly into the agency & # x27 ; s attention to the results following RAG. Website in advantages and disadvantages of rag reporting browser for the color you are not the same in different countries effectively track against. Struggling but its all under control be advantages and disadvantages of rag reporting is allocated to to EU protection. Than 4 weeks/outside tolerance expensive vendor offerings seems counter PMI bodies of knowledge include a risk register that the! The idea of paying for expensive vendor offerings seems counter success criteria for the following RAG...