Vendor Performance Reporting

Small-business owners often only hear from their supplier when something has already slipped. Reports arrive late, jargon is heavy, and you end up translating it for your own leadership. The result? Surprises in budget meetings and shaky confidence from stakeholders.

The signal you really need

• Clear trendline – Are timelines improving or slipping quarter over quarter?
• Fresh risks – Which issues need your decision, and which are already resolved?
• Impact on customers – What will the delay or defect mean for operations or revenue?

If you cannot see those three points in under two minutes, you are guessing rather than leading.

Build a simple reporting rhythm

1. Choose three KPIs that matter to the business. For example: milestone due vs. done, defect escape rate, and change request impact.
2. Request raw weekly data from the vendor (dates, counts, comments) and keep it in a spreadsheet or lightweight tool.
3. Meet for 20 minutes every Monday with the vendor lead to confirm red/amber/green status for each KPI and note root causes.
4. Send a 5-line summary to your executives: what is on track, what is at risk, and what help you need from them.

Quick win template

Fill it in straight after the vendor catch-up and attach any evidence (build logs, QA sheets). People read what is short, visual, and consistent.

When to call for outside help

• You keep uncovering issues “by accident” during your own testing.
• Your vendor cannot explain why metrics changed week to week.
• Executives feel blindsided and ask for a new supplier.

We analyse the source data, rebuild the dashboard, and run the review calls until the rhythm sticks. That way you stay in control and can choose—confidently—to continue, renegotiate, or exit. Ready to see what your vendor is really delivering? Let’s talk.