Five vendors are contributing to a project with an impending deadline. Two vendors are behind on their deliverables and rarely provide status updates. What should the project manager do?
A.
Begin daily check-ins with the two vendors to recover time at their own expense
B.
Extend the project schedule and inform the vendors it was due to their poor performance
C.
Find replacements for the two vendors to complete the project in a timely manner
D.
Reduce the two vendors’ pay due to poor performance and lack of communication
When vendors are behind and not communicating, the first step is to increase monitoring and obtain reliable status so the project manager can manage recovery. Daily check-ins (A) are an appropriate short-term control to improve visibility, remove blockers, confirm realistic commitments, and track progress against an agreed recovery plan. This aligns with procurement and stakeholder engagement objectives: establish clear communication cadence and accountability. Immediately extending the schedule (B) is premature and may be unnecessary if recovery actions can bring work back on track; it also weakens urgency. Replacing vendors (C) may not be feasible near a deadline due to onboarding time, contract constraints, and integration risk; it’s typically a later escalation if performance does not improve. Reducing pay (D) is contractual and legal territory; penalties must follow contract terms and are not the first response to a communication problem. Tightened governance and frequent coordination is the most practical first action to protect a near-term deadline.
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