Last updated on Jul 20, 2024

Here's how you can ensure contractors and vendors meet their deadlines at the airport.

Managing airport operations is a complex task that involves coordinating with numerous contractors and vendors. Ensuring that these external parties meet their deadlines is critical to maintaining smooth airport operations and providing a positive experience for travelers. Delays can lead to a domino effect, disrupting various airport services and potentially causing significant financial and reputational damage. Therefore, it's essential to implement strategies that can help you keep contractors and vendors on track with their commitments.

Key takeaways from this article

Robust contracts:

Stipulate strict deadlines and clear expectations in your contracts. This legal backbone ensures everyone is aware of the stakes and consequences of delays, fostering a professional, punctual mindset.
Operational readiness testing:

Implement ORAT (Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer) to assess performance against standards. This tool helps manage timely deliverables, ensuring contractors and vendors align with your schedule.

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Jay M.

Station Manager| Airport Operations| 20…

1 Clear Goals

Setting clear, achievable goals with each contractor and vendor from the outset is crucial. You must articulate the project's objectives, scope, and deadlines in a way that leaves no room for ambiguity. This clarity will help contractors and vendors plan their work more effectively and align their schedules with the airport's operational requirements. Regular meetings to review these goals and the progress towards achieving them can also help keep everyone focused and on track.

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Peter Biondi

Aviation Management Specialist (Airline and Airport Management) - Aviation consultant, professor, researcher, and journalist
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This is not an aviation question. This is a commonsense question that average manager can answer. They try to use the word airports or airlines to try to make as an aviation question, but it is not. Those question look computer generated.

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2 Robust Contracts

Contracts are the backbone of accountability. When drafting contracts for contractors and vendors, include specific clauses that detail the expectations regarding deadlines and the consequences of failing to meet them. A robust contract not only provides legal leverage but also sets a professional tone for the relationship, emphasizing the importance of punctuality and reliability in airport operations.

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Thaissa Gomes

CEO Gomes Maia Aviation | Aviação Executiva | Compartilhamento de aeronaves.
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Contratos robustos são essenciais para prestação de contas. Eles devem incluir cláusulas claras sobre prazos e consequências por não cumpri-los, proporcionando alavancagem jurídica e reforçando a importância da pontualidade e confiabilidade. Isso estabelece um tom profissional e garante expectativas bem definidas na relação com empreiteiros e fornecedores.

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3 Effective Communication

Maintain open lines of communication with your contractors and vendors. This means not only being available to answer their questions but also proactively checking in to monitor progress. Use communication as a tool to identify potential delays early on, which allows you to address issues before they escalate into missed deadlines.

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4 Incentive Systems

Consider implementing incentive systems to encourage contractors and vendors to complete their work on time or even ahead of schedule. These incentives could be financial bonuses for early completion or other benefits that align with their business goals. Conversely, penalties for delays can also be effective, but they should be balanced to ensure they don't lead to rushed or substandard work.

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Thaissa Gomes

CEO Gomes Maia Aviation | Aviação Executiva | Compartilhamento de aeronaves.
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Implementar sistemas de incentivos pode ser eficaz para que empreiteiros e fornecedores concluam projetos no prazo ou antes. Bônus financeiros e outros benefícios alinhados com seus objetivos de negócios aumentam a produtividade e melhoram as relações. No entanto, é crucial garantir que isso não comprometa a qualidade do trabalho, com prazos realistas e monitoramento adequado. Penalidades por atrasos podem ser eficazes, mas devem ser equilibradas para evitar trabalho apressado e de baixa qualidade.

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5 Regular Monitoring

Regular monitoring of contractors' and vendors' progress is essential. This doesn't just mean keeping an eye on timelines; it also involves assessing the quality of work being done. Monitoring helps you to quickly identify when a project is veering off course and allows you to take corrective action promptly. Use project management tools or software to keep track of all moving parts.

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6 Supportive Environment

Lastly, create a supportive environment that enables contractors and vendors to work efficiently. This could involve ensuring they have access to necessary resources, resolving bureaucratic hurdles quickly, or facilitating coordination with other airport departments. By removing obstacles, you help external parties maintain momentum and meet deadlines without unnecessary stress or complications.

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7 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?

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Jay M.

Station Manager| Airport Operations| 20 Years of Professional Experience
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If it's deadline for Airport, STRONG CONTRACT & DESIGN PLAN & HAND IN HAND is the KEY. E.g 3 years, it must be within. Make the foundation strongest and build over it. This saves cost, time & reputation. The contract deadline must be respected unless there is extraordinary circumstances. During my MBA-Airline & Airport Management, one key subject was Airport Engineering & then ORAT. ORAT is best tool inorder to asses the performance & a must inorder to achieve deliverables on time accord with standards, practically I had the opportunity to be part of ORAT at BLR, twice MAA & SLL Airports working closely with Munich Airports Company & GM-Airports Development. Such transitions can witness HAPPY results for both contractors & vendors✈️

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Mr. Yang

Blessed
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Periodicaly review detail drawings and super impose drawing within discepline to make sure drawings are alinged within all discepline without any dispute or rework to be done due to missed of the drawings

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Here's how you can ensure contractors and vendors meet their deadlines at the airport.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Clear Goals

2 Robust Contracts

3 Effective Communication

4 Incentive Systems

5 Regular Monitoring

6 Supportive Environment

7 Here’s what else to consider

Airport Management

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Here's how you can ensure contractors and vendors meet their deadlines at the airport.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Clear Goals

2 Robust Contracts

3 Effective Communication

4 Incentive Systems

5 Regular Monitoring

6 Supportive Environment

7 Here’s what else to consider

Airport Management

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