You're facing technical challenges with external vendors. How do you effectively manage expectations?

Transparent Communication: Clearly explain the technical challenges to the vendors. Ensure they understand the issue's scope, impact, and urgency.

Start by seeking to understand the situation. Allow your technical team and the external vendor to identify the root cause of the issue. If the technical challenge is impacting your customers, acknowledge their frustration and keep them informed, even if only with limited details, until the issue is fully resolved. Let the technical team focus on resolving the problem, and once it's fixed, provide a report explaining what happened, how it was addressed, and what measures have been implemented to prevent it from recurring

Open communication is essential for resolving most issues. However, the most critical aspect is effective collaboration with the vendor in troubleshooting and finding solutions. It is also important to maintain regular progress updates and check-ins to ensure that the resolution process stays on track

Assessment and impact are crucial, then comes communication, not only with the vendors but stakeholders too, so everyone are on the same page and lastly regular progress check and follow ups and lastly adjusting timelines, especially if it impacts business and clear timeline is crucial

When facing technical challenges with external vendors, I find it effective to manage expectations by maintaining clear and consistent communication. I start by setting realistic timelines and keeping all parties informed about progress and potential delays. Regular updates, transparent problem-solving discussions, and documenting agreements help ensure everyone is on the same page. By fostering a collaborative approach and being proactive in addressing issues, I can build trust and ensure that expectations are managed effectively.

Regularly review and update SLAs to ensure they align with your evolving business needs and technological advancements. Include specific metrics for uptime, response time, and resolution time, and ensure there are clear repercussions for breaches. Use SLA dashboards and monitoring tools to track compliance in real-time. Establish a protocol for escalating issues that aren't resolved within the agreed timeframes. Engage in periodic SLA review meetings with your vendor to discuss performance and areas for improvement, fostering a proactive partnership rather than a reactive one.

During incidents, it's been noted that SLAs are effective for logistical matters, the most efficient way to address the impact is by directly engaging the vendor through a call. For organizations with zero tolerance for downtime, having premium support is crucial. In such setups, the SLA is a critical factor that ensures quick vendor response, facilitating rapid impact assessment and, it’s also important that the escalation matrix associated with premium support is well-communicated internally. This ensures that if an SLA is breached, the appropriate escalation steps are immediately followed.

The expectations and commitments between you and your colleagues. Here’s a general framework for how SLAs could be defined: 1. *Response Time; The maximum time allowed to acknowledge and respond to a reported issue or request. Example: Colleagues must acknowledge any technical issue within 30 minutes during working hours.

Adicionalmente, conocer las guías de escalamiento nos ayuda a entender como hacer la ruta de comunicaciones cuando tenemos retrasos en las respuestas o los tiempos de respuesta no se ajustan a lo comprometido.

Define the scope of work, time frames, quality standards, communication channels, decision-making processes, and contingency plans1. Be realistic and transparent about what you expect from the vendor.

La bonne communication en interne comme vers l'externe reste le moyen le plus efficace de gagner en réactivité sur tous les plans.

Comunicação Clara e Frequente: Estabeleça canais de comunicação abertos e regulares. Realize reuniões periódicas para discutir o progresso, desafios e próximos passos.

This sort of issue is generally field related. Simply relay truthful updates. That's the best policy. Making things up makes you an engineer, quadrupling your error.

Document all interactions with your vendor, including conversations, emails, and tickets. This documentation can be crucial for tracking progress, assessing response times, and holding the vendor accountable. Set up regular check-ins or status meetings, especially for critical issues, to ensure alignment on resolution progress and expectations. Utilize these sessions to address any concerns and adjust priorities as needed. Establish a point of contact within the vendor organization who is accountable for managing your issue and ensure that you have their direct contact information for efficient communication.

Sharing information openly fosters trust between you and the vendor, leading to More collaborative relationship. It also demonstrates that you value honesty and are committed to resolving issues together.

Develop a communication plan that includes regular updates and designated contact points within your organization. Utilize internal tools such as project management software or dedicated communication channels to share progress reports and updates. Assign a liaison role to manage internal communications, ensuring that information flows smoothly and that any concerns are addressed promptly. This approach helps maintain morale and keeps everyone aligned, preventing confusion and optimizing your team's response to the situation.

Resolution Timeframe; The time frame within which a technical issue should be resolved or mitigated. Example: Critical system outages must be resolved within 4 hours, while non-critical issues might have a 24-hour resolution window.

Feedback Contínuo: Forneça feedback constante e solicite o mesmo dos fornecedores. Isso ajuda a alinhar expectativas e melhorar a colaboração.

Keep key internal stakeholders informed about the situation, the impact, and the steps being taken to resolve it. Ensure that all internal teams are aligned with the action plan and understand their roles in managing the situation.

Consider implementing a tiered update system where critical updates are communicated immediately and less urgent information is shared on a scheduled basis. This system ensures that key stakeholders receive timely information while minimizing overload. Additionally, use feedback mechanisms to gauge the effectiveness of your communication and adjust the plan as needed to address any emerging concerns or gaps.

Monitoring the issue's progress keeps all the concerned parties aligned as it ensures that issues are identified and addressed promptly. This will keep you updated with the progress and also know when is the right time to escalate to the higher level.

Set up regular check-ins with the vendor to track progress. This could be daily or weekly, depending on the severity of the issue. Monitor the vendor’s progress against agreed milestones. Keep detailed records of all communications and updates.

Steps and timelines for escalating unresolved issues to higher levels of management or specialized teams. Escalation Procedures like If an issue is not resolved within the initial resolution time, it should be escalated to the team lead within an hour.

When confronted with external vendors, it is imperative to prioritize vendor risk management (VRM). It necessitates a proactive strategy for the identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks associated with third-party vendors. Organizations can identify potential threats and vulnerabilities associated with their vendors and implement the necessary countermeasures through VRM. The benefits of VRM include the protection of the company's reputation, the attainment of cost efficiency, and the maintenance of operational continuity.

Availability of Support - The expected availability of team members to provide support, including during off-hours if required. Team members are expected to be on-call during weekends on a rotational basis for any urgent technical issues.

Implement a proactive monitoring system to identify potential delays early. Use these insights to adjust your strategy in real-time, ensuring that temporary solutions or alternative plans are ready to be deployed. Regularly review and refine your adjustment strategies based on past experiences to improve your responsiveness and reduce the impact of future issues.

Cuando se enfrenta a proveedores externos, es fundamental priorizar la gestión de riesgos de proveedores (VRM). Requiere una estrategia proactiva para la identificación, evaluación y mitigación de riesgos asociados con proveedores de terceros. Las organizaciones pueden identificar amenazas y vulnerabilidades potenciales asociadas con sus proveedores e implementar las contramedidas necesarias a través de la VRM. Los beneficios de la VRM incluyen la protección de la reputación de la empresa, la obtención de eficiencia de costo y el mantenimiento de la continuidad operativa.

Hace poco leí un libro llamado “mide lo que importa” en el libro muestran y explican a profundidad la técnica del CFR lo cual sus siglas significan comunicación, feedback y Reconocimiento aunque esta técnica es para utilizar con tu equipo de trabajo, tus proveedores también son parte de tu equipo por ende esta técnica se ajuste al tema en discusión, si tenemos una buena comunicación bilateral adicionalmente damos frecuente feedback tanto positivo como negativo podemos mejorar en nuestros proyectos de manera progresiva hasta perfeccionar la técnica, por lo que llevamos a un reconocimiento, el cual en este caso de ejemplo sería tener un proveedor tipo gold partner este proveedor se verá beneficiado ya que tiene un contrato laboral con la CIA