How do you compare subcontractor and vendor performance?

1 Define your criteria

Before you can compare subcontractor and vendor performance, you need to define criteria that align with your project goals, scope, and specifications and communicate them to all parties. Common criteria include quality, cost, time, safety, and communication. Quality looks at how well they deliver the work according to standards and requirements. Cost considers their prices and expense control. Time assesses their reliability in meeting project deadlines and milestones. Safety evaluates compliance with safety regulations and protocols. Finally, communication measures their responsiveness and cooperation in providing updates, feedback, and documentation.

2 Collect data and feedback

Once you have defined your criteria, you need to collect data and feedback from various sources to evaluate and compare subcontractor and vendor performance. For instance, review the terms and conditions of the contracts and agreements that you have with your subcontractors and vendors; verify the accuracy and completeness of their submitted reports, invoices, receipts, and change orders; visit the site and inspect their work for any defects or errors; conduct surveys and ratings with your project team, clients, and stakeholders; ask for testimonials and references from your subcontractors and vendors; contact their previous or current clients or partners to ask about their experience. Collecting this data will help you accurately assess the performance of your subcontractors and vendors.

3 Analyze and compare

Once you have collected data and feedback, you need to analyze and compare subcontractor and vendor performance based on your criteria. To do this, you can use scorecards and dashboards to show the performance of your subcontractors and vendors on each criterion. Additionally, creating charts and graphs will help you visualize the performance of your subcontractors and vendors on each criterion, as well as identify any trends, patterns, or outliers that need attention. A SWOT analysis for each subcontractor and vendor can also be beneficial in identifying their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Lastly, benchmarking your subcontractors and vendors against the best practices and standards of the industry can provide insight into how they stack up against the competition.

4 Communicate and improve

The final step in comparing subcontractor and vendor performance is to communicate and improve. You should share your findings and feedback with your subcontractors and vendors, as well as work with them to address any issues or gaps, and enhance their performance. This can be done through regular meetings and reviews, recognition and rewards for outstanding performance, providing training and coaching on any skills or knowledge they need to improve, and soliciting feedback and suggestions from them. By following these tips and best practices, you can ensure that your subcontractors and vendors meet your quality, budget, and schedule expectations, and contribute to your project's success.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?