Project Toolkitby Maxime Lab

Playbook

A vendor is failing

Late deliveries, poor quality, or a change of the promised team.

First 24 hours

  1. Gather facts against the contract.
  2. Check payment milestones and remedies.
  3. Bring in procurement or legal.

Then

  1. Hold a direct meeting with their senior lead.
  2. Agree a dated recovery plan.
  3. Prepare a plan B.
  4. Escalate formally if dates are missed.
Message you can adapt

Two milestones are now late against the contract, and the agreed lead has changed. We need a recovery plan with dates by Tuesday, and a call with your delivery director this week.

Avoid

Don’t withhold payment or threaten termination without legal advice.

Tools for this

Last reviewed 2026-11-02 · Practitioner review pending

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