Let’s be real – 99 problems is a lot. You don’t need to read them all (seriously, don’t feel obligated).
Over hundreds of conversations, I’ve heard these same vendor management frustrations repeated again and again. These aren’t theoretical problems – they’re direct quotes from people dealing with this stuff daily.
So here’s the deal: scan through the list. If you find yourself thinking “yep, that’s my Tuesday morning meeting” or “oh god, that’s literally what I said yesterday,” then let’s chat. Because if these problems sound familiar, we can probably help you fix them.
The ’99’
- “We need to ensure continuous oversight in high-level vendor management.”
- “I have to keep meticulous vendor logs for each contract.”
- “All vendor data entries are scattered across Excel, other documents, and emails, making it difficult to manage.”
- “Following up on vendor-related tasks requires extensive emailing and constant chasing of responses.”
- “With so many people involved, communication breakdowns and inefficiencies in vendor management are common.”
- “It’s challenging to ensure that team members are aware of and resolve vendor issues promptly.”
- “The outsourcing oversight and governance structure is complex and difficult to manage.”
- “Identifying vendor-related risks and issues across all programs and studies requires a comprehensive approach.”
- “We need to tackle vendor risks through a larger governance model rather than individually, which is challenging.”
- “There’s a lack of an enterprise-wide view of all vendors, contracts, and people, creating governance gaps.”
- “Maintaining vendor risk awareness across different projects can be overwhelming.”
- “Ensuring consistency in vendor management practices across the organisation is difficult.”
- “Effective communication between project managers and vendors is often lacking.”
- “Tracking vendor risk mitigation efforts across multiple contracts is complicated.”
- “Coordinating with vendors and ensuring their compliance is time-consuming.”
- “We need to maintain up-to-date vendor logs, which requires constant vigilance.”
- “Balancing the workload among team members to manage vendor risks effectively is challenging.”
- “It’s necessary but often overlooked to ensure all team members are trained in vendor management practices.”
- “Identifying and prioritising vendor risks accurately is a continuous struggle.”
- “Implementing a standardised vendor management process across all projects is difficult.”
- “Ensuring transparency in vendor management efforts is essential but hard to achieve.”
- “Managing the expectations of stakeholders regarding vendor risk mitigation can be challenging.”
- “Ensuring timely updates to vendor logs is often neglected.”
- “Addressing unexpected vendor risks promptly requires a well-coordinated effort.”
- “Maintaining a balance between proactive and reactive vendor risk management is difficult.”
- “We need to ensure that all vendor-related risks are appropriately documented and communicated.”
- “Managing the complexity of multi-vendor environments adds to the challenge.”
- “Ensuring the accuracy of vendor data entered into logs is imperative.”
- “Integrating vendor management with other project management processes is necessary but challenging.”
- “We need to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements in vendor management.”
- “Developing a culture of vendor risk awareness within the organisation requires continuous effort.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are adaptable to changing project needs is necessary.”
- “Providing adequate resources for effective vendor management is often a challenge.”
- “We need to ensure that vendor management tools are user-friendly and accessible to all team members.”
- “Balancing project timelines with vendor risk mitigation efforts can be difficult.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are scalable across different project sizes is necessary.”
- “Coordinating vendor management efforts across geographically dispersed teams is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that all team members are accountable for their role in vendor management is crucial.”
- “Managing the impact of vendor risks on project budgets requires careful planning.”
- “We need to ensure that lessons learned from previous vendor risks are applied to future projects.”
- “Balancing the need for detailed vendor logs with the time available for vendor management is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are integrated into the organisation’s culture is crucial.”
- “Managing the impact of vendor-related risks on project outcomes is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management efforts are aligned with the organisation’s strategic goals is necessary.”
- “Tracking the progress of vendor risk mitigation efforts across multiple projects is complicated.”
- “We need to ensure that vendor management practices are continuously improved.”
- “Providing training and development opportunities for team members in vendor management is necessary.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are inclusive and consider diverse perspectives is crucial.”
- “Managing the impact of external factors on vendor risks requires continuous monitoring.”
- “We need to ensure that vendor management practices are flexible and adaptable to different project contexts.”
- “Balancing the need for thorough vendor risk documentation with the need for efficiency is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management efforts are communicated effectively to all stakeholders is crucial.”
- “Managing the complexity of vendor risk interdependencies across projects is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are aligned with industry best practices is necessary.”
- “Providing adequate support for team members in managing vendors is crucial.”
- “We need to ensure that vendor management practices are transparent and accountable.”
- “Balancing the need for proactive vendor risk management with the need for reactive responses is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management efforts are sustainable and long-term is crucial.”
- “Managing the impact of vendor risks on project timelines requires careful planning.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are integrated into project planning and execution is necessary.”
- “Providing adequate resources for vendor management training and development is crucial.”
- “We need to ensure that vendor management practices are continuously updated and improved.”
- “Managing the impact of vendor risks on project quality is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are inclusive of all team members is necessary.”
- “Balancing the need for detailed vendor risk analysis with the need for timely decision-making is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are aligned with organisational values and goals is crucial.”
- “Providing adequate support for vendor management efforts across multiple projects is necessary.”
- “We need to ensure that vendor management practices are transparent and inclusive.”
- “Balancing the need for proactive vendor risk identification with the need for efficient vendor management is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are integrated into the organisation’s overall strategy is necessary.”
- “Managing the impact of vendor risks on project resources requires careful planning.”
- “We need to ensure that vendor management practices are adaptable to different project environments.”
- “Providing adequate training and development opportunities for team members in vendor management is necessary.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are continuously reviewed and updated is essential.”
- “Managing the impact of vendor risks on project deliverables is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are inclusive of diverse perspectives is necessary.”
- “Balancing the need for detailed vendor risk reporting with the need for efficiency is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are aligned with regulatory requirements is crucial.”
- “Providing adequate support for vendor management efforts within the organisation is necessary.”
- “We need to ensure that vendor management practices are transparent and accountable.”
- “Balancing the need for proactive vendor management with the need for timely responses is challenging.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management efforts are sustainable and effective is crucial.”
- “Managing the impact of vendor risks on project success requires careful planning.”
- “Ensuring that vendor management practices are integrated into organisational processes is necessary.”
- “Providing adequate resources for vendor management initiatives is crucial.”
- “We need to ensure that vendor management practices are continuously improved and updated.”
- “Managing the impact of vendor risks on project objectives is challenging.”
- “Ensuring vendor deliverables meet quality standards amidst risks is tough.”
- “Aligning vendor management practices with compliance standards is a continuous effort.”
- “We need to make sure all vendor communications are properly documented.”
- “Ensuring vendor accountability in performance and risk management is challenging.”
- “Handling vendor disputes and conflicts without disrupting project timelines is a delicate task.”
- “Integrating vendor contributions seamlessly into project workflows is complex.”
- “Vendor transitions and onboarding processes require careful coordination.”
- “Ensuring that vendor contracts are clear and mitigate potential risks is crucial.”
- “Managing changes in vendor scope and deliverables requires constant vigilance.”
- “Managing vendor expectations and deliverables in line with project goals is challenging.”
- “Ensuring all vendor-related risks are monitored and controlled throughout the project lifecycle.”
- “Balancing cost-efficiency with vendor quality and compliance requirements is challenging.”
If you made it through all 99 – impressive! If you skipped to the end – totally fair.
The point isn’t that vendor management has to be this complicated. The point is that you’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed by it. Every single one of these challenges came from real conversations with real teams who thought they were the only ones struggling.
Spoiler alert: they weren’t, and neither are you.
Recognise your daily reality in this list? Let’s have a conversation about turning some of these problems into solutions. Because 99 problems might make for a good rap song, but it’s a terrible way to run vendor management.
