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Why Vendor Management Matters + Free Vendor Management Checklist

  • Writer: Bridget Conway
    Bridget Conway
  • Nov 28
  • 2 min read

Updated: Nov 29


If you’ve ever had a vendor smile on a call, say “We’re on track,” and then quietly torch your budget… you already know vendor management is a big deal.


Vendors can be your secret weapon or a black hole of money. The difference isn’t the logo you picked—it’s how well you manage them.


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Scope Creep Loves a Vague Contract

If you don’t define the work clearly, vendors will:

  • Call everything “out of scope”

  • Add “just one more” change request

  • Pretend due dates were… flexible suggestions


Good vendor management means tight SOWs, clear deliverables, and shared definitions of “done.” If you don’t draw the box, they will—and it won’t favor you.


Budgets Don’t Explode. They Drip.

Most budget disasters come from a hundred tiny “no big deal” adds:

  • Extra testing

  • Extra meetings

  • Extra resources “just for this phase”


Strong vendor oversight keeps you ahead of the burn:

  • Watching hours and spend weekly

  • Tying every change to cost and impact

  • Asking, “Do we really want to pay for this?”


You’re not being difficult—you’re protecting the money.


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“We’re On Track” Isn’t a Real Status

If all you ever hear is “We’re progressing well,” you’re flying blind.

Healthy vendor management pushes for specifics:


  • What did you deliver this week?

  • What’s late and why?

  • What’s at risk and what’s the plan?


You’re not there to be reassured. You’re there to see reality before it bites.


You’re Managing a Relationship, Not Just a Contract

Contracts set the rules. Relationships determine how painful it feels.


Great vendor management builds:

  • Clear roles and owners on both sides

  • A predictable meeting rhythm

  • Early, honest escalations (not last-minute “surprises”)


The goal isn’t to be best friends. The goal is no surprises.


Grab our Free Vendor Management Checklist


If this sounds a little too familiar, don’t start from scratch.

We use a simple Vendor Management Checklist to keep vendors in line and budgets under control.


It covers:

  • Before You Sign – Scope, deliverables, roles, commercials, and guardrails

  • During Delivery – Status, demos, risks, issues, and change control

  • Budget & Burn – How much you’ve really spent vs. what you planned

  • Ways of Working – Governance, escalation paths, and decision tracking


Use it every time you bring on a new partner—or when an existing one starts to wobble!




xoxo,

Bridget & Eric

 
 
 

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