You've hired a vendor to handle a critical aspect of your project, but things are not going well. The vendor is behind schedule, over budget, or delivering subpar results. How can you keep your vendor on track and avoid jeopardizing your project's success? Here are some tips to help you manage your vendor effectively and overcome any roadblocks.
The first step to keeping your vendor on track is to communicate clearly and frequently. You need to establish a regular cadence of meetings, reports, and feedback to monitor the vendor's progress, identify any issues, and align on expectations and goals. You also need to communicate any changes in your project's scope, timeline, or requirements that may affect the vendor's work. Make sure you document all your communication and agreements in writing to avoid any confusion or disputes later.
When facing a project roadblock: - Communicate openly and empathetically. - Collaborate on solutions together. - Set clear expectations and offer support. - Check in regularly with genuine interest. - Provide assistance as needed. - Document agreements with understanding. - Stay flexible and empathetic throughout.
Need to work collaboratively with the vendor to brainstorm potential solutions to overcome the roadblock. Encourage the vendor to offer insights and suggestions based on their expertise and experience. Prioritize actions that need to be taken to address the roadblock and keep the project on track. Focus on solutions that can be implemented quickly to minimize delays and mitigate any negative impacts on project timelines or budgets. Clearly define expectations for the vendor regarding their responsibilities, deliverables, and timelines moving forward. Set achievable milestones and benchmarks to monitor progress and ensure accountability.
If your vendor is facing a serious roadblock, don't panic or blame them. Instead, try to negotiate a mutually beneficial solution that can help them overcome the challenge and deliver on their commitments. You may need to adjust your project's scope, timeline, budget, or quality standards to accommodate the vendor's situation, or offer some incentives or assistance to motivate them. However, you should also hold your vendor accountable for their performance and enforce any penalties or clauses in your contract if they fail to meet their obligations.
Having roadblocks is part of the business. It is important that you work with the vendor together to understand why the roadblock happened, and what can you do to help. Always remember that the focus of problems should the situation, and not the vendor itself. Once the vendor is assured that you are helping the situation, you will benefit from vendor's loyalty. Also, it is important to know that your own business interest should not suffer as a result, so where tough decisions on implementing Plan B are required, that should happen simultaneously.
Another way to keep your vendor on track is to collaborate closely with them and treat them as a partner, not an adversary. You should involve your vendor in your project's planning, decision-making, and problem-solving processes, and leverage their expertise and insights. You should also provide them with the resources, information, and support they need to do their job well, and address any concerns or questions they may have. By building a strong relationship with your vendor, you can foster trust, loyalty, and mutual respect, and increase the chances of a successful outcome.
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your vendor may not be able to resolve the roadblock or meet your expectations. In that case, you may need to escalate the issue to a higher level of authority or involvement, either within your own organization or the vendor's. You may need to consult with your project sponsor, stakeholder, or legal team, or contact the vendor's manager, supervisor, or owner. You should explain the situation clearly, provide evidence of the vendor's performance or behavior, and propose a course of action that can protect your project's interests and objectives.
Finally, if your vendor is unable to keep on track and the roadblock is too severe or persistent, you may need to consider alternatives. You may need to terminate your contract with the vendor, either partially or completely, and find another vendor who can take over their work. You may also need to revise your project's scope, timeline, budget, or quality standards to accommodate the loss of the vendor. You should evaluate the pros and cons of each alternative, and choose the one that minimizes the impact on your project's success and stakeholder satisfaction.
There should be alternatives, which should be decided / planned while finalizing any project. 2-3 side plans are must to protect client, team and company.