You've hired a vendor who falls short on quality. How will you address the situation effectively?

If a vendor falls short in quality, address the issue promptly by communicating your concerns clearly and documenting specific problems. Work collaboratively to develop a plan for improvement with clear expectations and deadlines. If improvements are not met, consider renegotiating the contract or finding a new vendor. Ensuring quality is vital for project success.

First, assess the quality issues thoroughly. Gather all relevant data—project deliverables, communication records, quality control reports, and feedback from stakeholders. Understand exactly how the vendor's output is falling short. By having a clear picture, you can address the problem with the vendor from an informed position. This approach not only shows professionalism but also increases the chances of finding a constructive solution and maintaining a good relationship.

First, lay out the issues clearly, then roll up your sleeves together to draft an action plan. This plan should detail exactly what steps they'll take to fix things, and set deadlines and milestones so everyone knows when to expect results. Keep it practical – no need for miracles. Sometimes, a bit of extra support or resources from your side can make a big difference. Remember, it's a team effort to get back on track!

When dealing with a vendor falling short on quality, having an action plan is just the beginning. You need to stay on top of their progress to ensure they're making those promised improvements. Regular check-ins and review sessions are key. They not only keep the vendor accountable but also give a chance to tackle any hiccups along the way. This ongoing oversight shows that you're genuinely invested in their success and improvement. It's like saying, "Hey, we're in this together. Let's make it work!" By keeping this collaborative and supportive, you build a stronger, more effective partnership.

To address a vendor falling short on quality, BA should promptly initiate a detailed discussion to highlight specific concerns and reiterate our quality expectations. Together, we should develop a concrete improvement plan with defined milestones and deadlines. Continuous monitoring and feedback will ensure progress. If necessary, alternative solutions will be considered to uphold our project standards based on time priorities.

I recently was engaged in helping a customer to manage a vendor with whom they were having difficulty with timing, change orders and quality. The project was financially way over budget, and far past due, but the client had been engaged with this client for over a year on the delivery of the project. Status reports and KPI's certainly help with the conversation, but I also believe that IT Vendors need to be better at standing behind their commitments to client quality, and contract budgets. My client felt helpless other than to accept change orders from the vendor, which were 3x the original budget. As IT vendors we need to do better at the commitment to the budget and contract terms. #ownyourmistakes

Plan. Do. Check. Act. We're all familiar with the process so how do we manifest it? I make a point to engage in regular discussions with vendors to ensure I have a viable relationship that creates a safe space to share questions, comments and concerns, as well as to provide a safe space to have a discussion that resets expectations as needed. Communications and relationships are important at all levels of the organization, but all that much more at the C-Suite level. As a project sponsor, I have a key role in the ultimate success or failure. The intent isn't to control but to influence. Tools such as KPIs and status reports provide an objective basis for starting a discussion but change comes from the relationship.