How can you encourage vendors to collaborate more effectively with your organization?

The expectations setting with the vendor should be done at the commencement of business relationship with the vendor so as to avoid surprising the vendor with the unexpected new requirements.

In my experience, it is very important that planning and identification of key objectives for the post-award activities occur upfront. Be prepared from the start to maintain the appropriate levels of post-award engagement vendor contact to ensure that the relationship remains on track for both parties. Communication creates a mutual understanding and should be sufficiently frequent and face-to-face if possible.

In order to keep good relation with the vendor initially we have to define our scope of work that will meet our expectations by build trust and relationship. Also, managing all risks as partners not as client and vendor will keep the relations very smooth and encourage innovation and improvement.

Open communication of goals fosters strong vendor relationships and drives mutual innovation. Communicating our goals and challenges allows vendors to align their efforts with our needs. Encouraging their input also leads to valuable innovations. In a recent negotiation, sharing our vision facilitated a collaborative environment where the vendor offered solutions that aligned seamlessly with our objectives

In understanding shared visions and goals, it is helpful is to be consistent, reasonable and fair in one's approach. This will ensure you understand your vendor better and they understand your needs and expectations better to align their efforts for better contract outcomes.

Expectations should be made clear to all players to avoid delays ,provision of low quality service and misalignment with organisational expectation

The development of mutual trust and understanding, as well as the joint management of the contract delivery significantly improve relations and outputs. Ask yourself- does my vendor understand its obligations, and almost equally important, do my representatives understand and adhere to client obligations under the contract?

It is often helpful to undertake vendor alignment to ensure your strategic vendors are inducted into your organisation and they understand your strategy, systems and structure. Help vendors to set and achieve required standards of quality, quantity, delivery, price, and service. Early and honest discussion will build trust and respect.

When encouraging vendors to address a problem, it is crucial to address issues and challenges constructively. Instead of adopting a blaming attitude or assigning sole responsibility to the vendor, we should emphasize a team approach. By framing problems as collective challenges that we need to work on together, we foster a collaborative environment. Offering potential solutions and expressing a genuine interest in resolving issues together demonstrates our commitment to mutual success. Additionally, proactively asking vendors how we can support them in achieving their objectives further strengthens the partnership.

Diversity of views are key, and it is important to encourage honest engagement, and if needed, some straight to the point focus discussions. As the facilitator, ensure this is a safe space to discuss problems, concerns, requirements and accomplishments. Always good to remind oneself of the importance of active listening- Be ‘’slow to talk and 'fast' to listen".

The active creation of opportunities to recognise strategic vendors' positive contributions will go a far way to create and maintain strategic partnerships.

That is correct. For instance, working collaboratively with vendor to solve the problem is often more effective than engaging in a conflict. The contract outlines the rights and obligations in terms of conflict process, but resolution often occurs when parties work together towards common goal. Once the goal is achieved , then liabilities are distributed according to contract.

Have a delegated individual(s), whose sole responsibility will be to look after the needs of service providers, and to ensure they meet set standards (pricing, workmanship, professionalism etc). Also to ensure there is healthy competition amongst suppliers rendering a similar service. Reviewing each suppliers' performance after every completed project or task will encourage regular feedback, and lastly, to constantly vet suppliers.

Encourage effective collaboration with vendors by fostering clear communication channels. Clearly define expectations, provide detailed project briefs, and establish open lines for feedback. Recognize and reward collaborative efforts, and facilitate regular meetings to discuss goals and challenges. Offer training on organizational processes to align vendor practices with your company's approach, building a stronger partnership.

Recognizing and rewarding good performance is one of the best ways to encourage vendors to collaborate more effectively with our organization. Some of the ways to motivate and reward vendors are:  Early Payment Incentives  Performance based Incentives  Best safety performance Incentives and rewards  Additional Business  Renewal of existing contracts instead of new tenders  Recognizing best performers in Annual Suppliers Forum  High level interaction with suppliers  Strictly following contractual obligations

Sharing upcoming projects plans; this will enhance the mutual understanding of the client & supplier needs, approach, and deliveries requirements and timelines.

Drawing from my years of experience, particularly in diverse international projects, I believe building a foundation of mutual respect and understanding is key to encouraging effective vendor collaboration. My experience taught me the value of understanding vendors’ perspectives and constraints. Transparency in communication, especially about project goals and challenges, fosters a sense of partnership rather than just a client-vendor relationship. Additionally, utilizing my skills in schedule analysis, I recommend regularly reviewing project timelines with vendors to identify potential issues early on. This not only builds trust but also encourages proactive problem-solving, leading to more efficient and successful collaborations.

Give them ( the vendor) more jobs, perhaps it is too practical, but after we do all point above, this is the most vendor expected