Point Lookout: a free weekly publication of Chaco Canyon Consulting
Volume 17, Issue 22;   May 31, 2017: Unresponsive Suppliers: III

Unresponsive Suppliers: III

by

When suppliers have a customer orientation, we can usually depend on them. But government suppliers are a special case.
Cargo containers at a port of entry

Cargo containers at a port of entry

We usually regard the individual suppliers in a supply chain as having a commercial orientation, which can motivate them to please their customers. One clear exception is the large entity that dominates its markets, because such entities are often less susceptible to this mechanism. Another exception perhaps overlooked and more commonly encountered is government. Organizations that need approvals, licenses, permits, or information must sometimes wait for service or for responses from local or national governments. And when government action is delayed, project schedules can suffer.

The obvious items include patent grants or drug and medical device approvals. But let's consider three of the more mundane items, which are more numerous and therefore more likely to affect projects.

Passage through customs
Many organizations send equipment across national borders to support partner organizations that perform project work under strategic agreements. For example, if software is developed in one country and tested in another, the testing organization might require a validated test environment, often including a replica of all or part of the hardware of the finished product. If the developing organization sends that replica to the testing organization, the replica must pass through customs in the tester's country, which can take time.
Shipping the item well in advance of the required receipt date can help avoid delays in passing through customs. To determine in advance how long the process takes, send a dummy replica — one that's incomplete, obsolete, or in need of repair. Measure how long the passage takes. Use that data to determine the latest safe ship date for the real thing.
Export licensing
Exporting high-tech items can be just as tricky as sending them through customs at their destination. The laws of the country where the technology is developed might regulate what kinds of devices can be exported, on the basis of their destinations. These regulations might affect more than mere hardware. Do not assume that hardcopy documents are safe.
Begin the Exporting high-tech items can be
just as tricky as sending them
through customs at their destination
export license approval process as early as possible, and actually test it, again with a dummy replica. This test can also expose errors and confusion in accompanying export documentation.
Local construction permits
Some projects involve construction or modification of facilities. Even digging a trench for an Internet connection can require a permit from local authorities.
Risk managers who identify permit-related delay risks early in the planning process are more likely to have success by enlisting the assistance of senior managers and their legal teams in advance. Beware though: if the response of senior managers is "Let us know when you encounter a problem," their assistance might come too late. If they do respond that way, apply for the permits immediately to expose the delay as soon as possible.

Examine your project plans to determine whether government suppliers are lurking in your supply chain. Apply techniques like those above to limit the risk of government-induced delay.  Unresponsive Suppliers: I First issue in this series  Go to top Top  Next issue: The Knowledge One-Upmanship Game  Next Issue

303 Tips for Virtual and Global TeamsIs your organization a participant in one or more global teams? Are you the owner/sponsor of a global team? Are you managing a global team? Is everything going well, or at least as well as any project goes? Probably not. Many of the troubles people encounter are traceable to the obstacles global teams face when building working professional relationships from afar. Read 303 Tips for Virtual and Global Teams to learn how to make your global and distributed teams sing. Order Now!

Your comments are welcome

Would you like to see your comments posted here? rbrenyrWpTxHuyCrjZbUpner@ChacnoFNuSyWlVzCaGfooCanyon.comSend me your comments by email, or by Web form.

About Point Lookout

This article in its entirety was written by a 
          human being. No machine intelligence was involved in any way.Thank you for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it and found it useful, and that you'll consider recommending it to a friend.

This article in its entirety was written by a human being. No machine intelligence was involved in any way.

Point Lookout is a free weekly email newsletter. Browse the archive of past issues. Subscribe for free.

Support Point Lookout by joining the Friends of Point Lookout, as an individual or as an organization.

Do you face a complex interpersonal situation? Send it in, anonymously if you like, and I'll give you my two cents.

Related articles

More articles on Conflict Management:

Beatty Pennsylvania broad axTop Ten Signs of a Blaming Culture
The quality of an organization's culture is the key to high performance. An organization with a blaming culture can't perform at a high level, because its people can't take reasonable risks. How can you tell whether you work in a blaming culture?
Aerial view of the Charley River at its confluence with the YukonHow to Prepare for Difficult Conversations
Difficult conversations can be so scary to contemplate that many of us delay them until difficult conversations become impossible conversations. Here are some tips for preparing for difficult conversations.
Example of an unsecured driver-side floor mat trapping the accelerator pedal in a 2007 Toyota Lexus ES350Indicators of Lock-In: II
When a group of decision makers "locks in" on a choice, they can persist in that course even when others have concluded that the choice is folly. Here's Part II of a set of indicators of lock-in.
Marie Antoinette, queen of France from 1774 to 1792Recognizing Hurtful Dismissiveness
"Never mind" can mean anything from "Excuse me, I'm sorry," to, "You lame idiot, it's beyond you," and more. The former is apologetic and courteous. The latter is dismissive and hurtful. We have dozens of verbal tactics for hurting each other dismissively. How can we recognize them?
An image representing a bipolar blamefest (one in which there are just two sides)When Retrospectives Turn into Blamefests: III
Although retrospectives do foster organizational learning, they come with a risk of degeneration into blame and retaliation. One source of this risk is how we responded to issues uncovered in prior retrospectives.

See also Conflict Management and Conflict Management for more related articles.

Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout

A white water rafting team completes its courseComing December 11: White Water Rafting as a Metaphor for Group Development
Tuckman's model of small group development, best known as "Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing," applies better to development of some groups than to others. We can use a metaphor to explore how the model applies to Storming in task-oriented work groups. Available here and by RSS on December 11.
Tuckman's stages of group developmentAnd on December 18: Subgrouping and Conway's Law
When task-oriented work groups address complex tasks, they might form subgroups to address subtasks. The structure of the subgroups and the order in which they form depend on the structure of the group's task and the sequencing of the subtasks. Available here and by RSS on December 18.

Coaching services

I offer email and telephone coaching at both corporate and individual rates. Contact Rick for details at rbrenyrWpTxHuyCrjZbUpner@ChacnoFNuSyWlVzCaGfooCanyon.com or (650) 787-6475, or toll-free in the continental US at (866) 378-5470.

Get the ebook!

Past issues of Point Lookout are available in six ebooks:

Reprinting this article

Are you a writer, editor or publisher on deadline? Are you looking for an article that will get people talking and get compliments flying your way? You can have 500-1000 words in your inbox in one hour. License any article from this Web site. More info

Follow Rick

Send email or subscribe to one of my newsletters Follow me at LinkedIn Follow me at X, or share a post Subscribe to RSS feeds Subscribe to RSS feeds
The message of Point Lookout is unique. Help get the message out. Please donate to help keep Point Lookout available for free to everyone.
Technical Debt for Policymakers BlogMy blog, Technical Debt for Policymakers, offers resources, insights, and conversations of interest to policymakers who are concerned with managing technical debt within their organizations. Get the millstone of technical debt off the neck of your organization!
Go For It: Sometimes It's Easier If You RunBad boss, long commute, troubling ethical questions, hateful colleague? Learn what we can do when we love the work but not the job.
303 Tips for Virtual and Global TeamsLearn how to make your virtual global team sing.
101 Tips for Managing ChangeAre you managing a change effort that faces rampant cynicism, passive non-cooperation, or maybe even outright revolt?
101 Tips for Effective MeetingsLearn how to make meetings more productive — and more rare.
Exchange your "personal trade secrets" — the tips, tricks and techniques that make you an ace — with other aces, anonymously. Visit the Library of Personal Trade Secrets.
If your teams don't yet consistently achieve state-of-the-art teamwork, check out this catalog. Help is just a few clicks/taps away!
Ebooks, booklets and tip books on project management, conflict, writing email, effective meetings and more.