Vendor Strategic Planning Sessions

Vendor management is stuck in the past. Let’s fix it. Traditional vendor management is too slow:   • Annual reviews → Too late to fix issues   • Quarterly reports → Delays real impact  Here’s how to fix it with Agile:  • Strategic Sprints: Review vendor priorities every quarter, adjust as needed.   • Kanban for Key Actions: Track contracts, risks, and improvement plans in real time.   •  Executive Stand-ups: Run 30-minute structured check-ins for faster decisions. How to Implement Agile in Your VMO:  1. Set up Quarterly Sprints      - Define 3–5 key vendor priorities per quarter      - Assign clear owners and deadlines      - Review outcomes and adjust for the next sprint 2. Use Kanban for Visibility      - Create a board with columns: To Do, In Progress, Blocked, Done      - Add vendor tasks: contract renewals, SLAs, risk mitigation, escalations      - Review weekly to track progress and unblock issues 3. Run Executive Stand-ups      - Keep it 30 minutes max      - Focus on roadblocks, decisions, and next steps      - Ensure accountability and alignment with key vendors Agile isn’t just for IT, it’s a smarter way to manage vendors.  PS: Would you try Agile for vendor strategy?  --------------------- Hi! I'm Celia SGAR, and I share simple tips about Vendor Management. Follow me for advice to help you get the most from your suppliers!

November is packed for us at Cavell Group with MSPs, service providers, and vendors looking at 2024 and beyond and requiring an external viewpoint in their board and strategy sessions. Discussions have been focused on: - Future #platform strategy: do we double down on one platform or take a multi-platform approach? - Competition and differentiation: Who is doing what better than us, what is our competitive advantage and where do we need to innovate ourselves? - #mobile: Where can we add value, where is adoption coming from, and is our market ready for it? - International: What markets do we expand into and how, what do those markets look like in terms of future growth, and who is the competition? - #Microsoft: Where do we add value across the Microsoft stack? What does the future of #microsoftteams look like and how do we take advantage of the growth? - Customer experience: Where does the #ccaas market go in the future and what is the impact of AI on revenue and growth? - Buying behavior: How are businesses adopting new communication technologies and where - #ai: What does this mean for our business and our enterprise customers? Who is really doing AI and what benefits does that bring them and their customers? - M&A: What businesses can we acquire to add users, capabilities, or geographies? What valuation can I realistically get on my business?

There is one thing that great 3PL's do That poor ones don't execute consistently with their clients. What is it? QBR's (Quarterly Business Reviews) Imagine getting a regular health check-up for your brand. Wouldn't that be helpful? Here are the essential items and talking points you should be discussing during your QBR: #1 - Performance Review: Analyze the KPIs and metrics. Is your 3PL meeting its delivery times and order accuracy rates? Are they meeting their commitments? What are their strengths and areas for improvement? #2 - Operational/CX Gut Check: Discuss any ongoing problems. Are there any persistent issues that need to be addressed? Examine inventory turns, carrying costs, and stock levels. Is there room for improvement? Discuss customer complaints, returns, and feedback. What can we learn from them? #3 - Cost Review: Examine the financials. Evaluate warehousing, transportation, and labor costs. Are they sustainable? Are you getting the best value for your money? #4 - Technology and Innovations: Explore new opportunities. Are there any emerging technologies that could enhance your operations? Ask your 3PL what their product roadmap looks like. If they have any big product releases in the next 3-6 months, ask to be apart of their beta test group. Getting first access to new product features is invaluable and you can provide a guiding voice for the 3PL. (You could also leverage this as a potential negotiating tactic later down the line) #5 - Strategic Planning: Plan for the future. What are the goals for the next quarter and how can your 3PL contribute to reaching them? A successful QBR leads to actionable insights which in turn foster a stronger, more profitable relationship with your 3PL. Never underestimate the value of regular, structured conversations with your 3PL. If you do not have a set cadence of meetings set up with your 3PL Start this week. #3PL #logistics #supplychain

I never found a good guide on how to run a strategic session. So, we created our own at Fuel. When I share how we do it, many founders are often impressed. We usually spend 2 days on it, but this time we went outside the city. No distractions, just focus. We had two main goals: 1/ Run a strategic session. 2/ Spend quality time together. Since we’re a fully remote team, this time is super valuable. Honestly, the best moments—our dinners, talks, laughs—that’s when the real connection happens. Here’s our 6-step playbook for running strategic sessions at Fuel: 🟢 Before the session 1️⃣ CEO’s Deck: I send out a deck 2-3 weeks ahead. It includes our long-term goals (5-10 years), short-term tactics (1-3 years), and win goals for the next year. I focus on key areas: customers (NPS, retention, etc.), finance (valuation, revenue, fundraising), and sales & marketing. I also include where we are now in each area, along with a list of big questions we need to answer as a team. 2️⃣ Exec Team Decks: Each exec shares their own deck. These cover what we’ve learned from past projects (scale or stop?), analysis of key metrics (plan vs. actual), and decisions we need to make. They also list what info or data they need from each other. 🟢 During the session 3️⃣ Day 1: We go through all the presentations, brainstorming ideas, projects, and decisions. We also make a list of all crazy ideas (without judgements) in marketing, sales, and product. 4️⃣ Day 2: We prioritize those ideas based on how much effort they need vs. the value they bring. We mark each one as High/Medium/Low input/output. Then we add timelines, risks, who’s responsible, and which team members are involved. 🟢 After the session 5️⃣ Two weeks later: We spend the next two weeks finalizing projects, adding details like what resources we need (new hires, budgets) and what outcomes we expect. 6️⃣ Execs & Financial Manager: The execs share their finalized projects with our financial manager, who updates our financial plan. We then review everything together — how the projects will impact our key metrics: revenue, retention, gross profit margin, logos, runway, burn rate, etc. If we’re not happy with the results, we adjust the projects and try different financial scenarios. 🔵 Tips: ▪ Keep decks under 15 slides. Less is more. ▪ Send CEO deck 2-3 weeks ahead for better team focus. ▪ Save prep time with quarterly sessions and an always-updated metrics dashboard. And planning is just the start. We do weekly plan vs. actual analysis to make sure we’re staying on course. Finally, the most crucial piece of the puzzle: the great team! Yaroslav Azhnyuk Dariya Vyshnevska Oleksandr Riabukha Christy Ilkovych Alina Hura Roman Lobas