Vendor Management Best Practices: Communication

Communication is key to a successful vendor-client relationship. Expressing your expectations of the vendor from the outset and providing detailed feedback and updates throughout the project can improve workflow and helps the vendor meet – maybe even exceed – your expectations. Each client’s processes and preferences are different, so explaining how your organization does things eliminates much guesswork on the vendor’s part. Ensuring that everyone on the team has the information and access they need to perform their roles before they begin prevents costly project delays. This second video in our Vendor Management series includes a few tips and suggestions from our teams that will help save you time, frustration, and possibly even money.

Specify communication preferences.

• Should communication always go through the team leads?
• May content creators directly email/meet with internal team members?
• Do you prefer on-camera interactions?
• What are your expectations for email communication?

Regular meetings keep the entire team informed.

• Strategic and planning meetings keep the vendor in the loop from the beginning.
• In the kickoff meeting, describe the scope of engagement and identify key project personnel.
• Review overall project status in regular status update meetings.
• Document and distribute a summary of what was discussed in each meeting.

Keep the lines of communication open.

• Stay engaged in the project, even during vendor-facing steps.
• Speak up early if the project begins to stray from the intended course.
• Notify the vendor as soon as possible if project timelines change.
• Make sure someone is on hand all all times who is knowledgeable about the project.

Access and information are essential for vendors.

• A list of the names and roles of project team members helps vendors identify who to contact.
• Ensure all vendor team members can access necessary platforms, folders, files, meetings, and resources.
• Providing a basic troubleshooting guide plus tech support contact information can help minimize downtime.
• Let the vendor know your anticipated feedback timeline for improved workload management.

Clear, frequent communication throughout the life cycle of the project keeps everyone on the same page and gives the vendor the tools they need to stay on track, on time, and within budget.

Ready to start your next project? Contact us today to learn more about how we can help: 877-477-0977 or https://medcommunications.com/contact-us.