External vendors are delaying your AI project timeline. How will you navigate this setback?
When external vendors delay your AI project timeline, it’s crucial to adapt your strategy and maintain momentum. Here are effective ways to navigate this setback:
How do you handle delays in your AI projects? Share your strategies.
External vendors are delaying your AI project timeline. How will you navigate this setback?
When external vendors delay your AI project timeline, it’s crucial to adapt your strategy and maintain momentum. Here are effective ways to navigate this setback:
How do you handle delays in your AI projects? Share your strategies.
-
NAVIGATING SETBACKS CAUSED BY EXTERNAL VENDOR DELAYS IN AI PROJECTS To navigate setbacks caused by external vendor delays, I would first assess the situation by gathering clear information on the cause of the delay. Communication with the vendor to understand the issues and renegotiate timelines or find alternative solutions is essential. I would also keep stakeholders informed, adjusting expectations and ensuring alignment on new timelines. Addressing the issue proactively with transparency and a problem-solving mindset helps maintain trust and keeps the project moving forward. By focusing on solutions, such as adjusting resources or identifying additional support, you can minimize the impact of delays and keep the project on track.
-
??Communicate transparently with stakeholders, setting clear expectations. ??Develop contingency plans with backup vendors to minimize disruption. ??Reprioritize tasks to keep the project moving while waiting for external deliverables. ?Negotiate SLAs with vendors to ensure accountability and faster resolution. ??Monitor vendor performance and optimize partnerships for future reliability. ??Consider in-house alternatives for critical dependencies to reduce reliance. ??Leverage automation where possible to speed up delayed processes.
-
Here's a controversial opinion. Most would say to escalate, renegotiate, or consult other vendors. I say "embrace the delay", because rushing AI projects often leads to half-baked models, data quality issues, missed business focus. Instead use this time to refine your data pipeline, stress-test assumptions, or pilot a low-code alternative. This is unusual but not unheard of. When OpenAI faced delays in scaling GPT models, they doubled down on RLHF, turning a setback into a breakthrough. Instead of firefighting, they make the delay their competitive edge. This delay here isn't a roadblock. Use the time to upskill Your team, reassess alignment, run parallel experiments. Who knows, you might even uncover a simpler, faster alternative.
-
1. Understand the Cause: Identify if the delay is due to capacity, supply issues, or misalignment. 2. Open Communication: Engage vendors early, align on realistic timelines, and recalibrate milestones. 3. Negotiate Phased Deliveries: Request partial outputs or phased releases to unlock progress. 4. Parallel Workstreams: Advance internal tasks like data prep, testing, or MVP pilots. 5. Strengthen Readiness: Optimize internal processes and validate assumptions during downtime.
-
To navigate the setback it’s best to assess the impact, communicate with vendors to understand and mitigate delays, and explore alternative solutions like backup vendors or in-house development to keep the project on track.