En tant que chef de projet, comment pouvez-vous gérer au mieux les fournisseurs pour assurer la réussite du projet ?

As a project manager, it would be crucial to be in direct contact with your top vendors. Given the criticality of the project, it helps to know if things are on track as per the deadlines. One must take care to reaffirm to all parties on the project milestones and have periodic check-ins on the same. In case any vendor is concerned with the timelines, then you could get in to a one to one conversation to see to it that the situation is salvaged. Either by reassigning more resources or freeing up other non priority tasks for the vendor, you can ensure that the project runs smoothly.

Here's how you, as a project manager, can effectively manage vendors to ensure project success: Clear communication and expectations: Clearly define your needs and expectations from the start. This includes project scope, deliverables, timelines, and performance metrics. Strong vendor selection: Select vendors based on their capability, experience, and alignment with your project goals. Don't solely focus on price - consider the total value they bring. Collaborative partnership: Treat vendors as partners, not just suppliers. Foster open communication, regular meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page. Proactive monitoring and risk management: Proactively identify and address potential risks that could impact your project.

Quality cannot be an afterthought. Establish robust quality requirements from the start, or prepare to accept preventable issues as "normal". As a project manager, it is critical to define requirements from the vendor, including the scope of work, deliverables, timelines, and quality standards. A detailed statement of work (SOW) that outlines all project requirements and expectations. This document should be mutually agreed upon and serve as a reference throughout the project lifecycle. Ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with the project’s objectives. Regularly revisit and adjust these, ensuring the vendor remains aligned with the project’s goals.

A Cadence for meetings needs to be established across the project lifecycle. This Cadence may be modified as the project progresses, but it needs to be there so that the team as a whole can 1) see that there is active leadership on the project, 2) participate and speak up if there are action items, risks or considerations to bring up. Assuming that the work is progressing and not giving your team the opportunity to see the work that is occurring (and voice their opinions and concerns) is a sure way to make major mistakes. So, ensure that everyone on the core team has visibility to everything that is occurring and that you give them the opportunity to talk about it.

Ongoing oversight means constant alignment. Without it, prepare for a mismatch of expectations and outcomes. Implement a structured process to track deliverables against the agreed timelines and quality standards. Use project management tools and systems to maintain visibility of the vendor’s work and facilitate real-time communication. Schedule regular check-ins and status meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and any assistance the vendor may need to meet their obligations. This ongoing oversight helps to quickly identify and address issues and reinforces accountability.

Feedback is the fuel for continuous improvement. Regular feedback loops with vendors improve processes and prevent issues. Treat vendors as strategic partners rather than just service providers. Open lines of communication encourage a collaborative approach to problem-solving. Integrating the vendor's insights can lead to innovative solutions and improvements in project delivery. Invest in relationship-building activities including workshops, training sessions, and regular feedback loops.

In the event of conflicts, I always employ active listening and empathy to understand each party's perspective and concerns. Utilizing negotiation skills, I work in cohesion with vendors to find mutually beneficial solutions and compromises. If necessary, I escalate conflicts to higher management levels while maintaining professionalism. Most importantly, I document all discussions and agreements to ensure clarity and accountability.

As the project concludes, conduct after action reviews of the vendor's performance. Assess their work based on the initial KPIs. Provide detailed feedback that acknowledges successes and identifies areas for improvement. This evaluation should be constructive, aiming to enhance their performance. Formally close out the vendor's work with a completion sign-off, ensuring all contractual and project obligations have been met. Discuss any post-project support or warranties that might be necessary to maintain the deliverables.

KYV - know your vendors. A Project Manager should have knowledge of vendors experience, financial capacity, man power capacity of both existing and new vendors hence according works can be allocated to vendors and monitored effectively. A good relationship with vendors is necessary for better communication and getting work done on priority basis to avoid delays and cost escalation.