"There are a number of significant risks I have managed when working with vendors on infrastructure projects. The most significant risk really depends on the goals of the project in my opinion. However, the there is one risk that occurs the most frequently and can have a serious impact in the event it is not handled appropriately. That is delay of service or delivery. For example, in the event I was working on a data center project and the vendor who makes the servers is three weeks late in delivery, the downstream effect of that would be quite significant as a large portion of the remaining project tasks would be dependent on the delivery of the servers.
When possible, I schedule the work required by vendors ahead of when the work needs to be completed or the equipment needs to be configured. That strategy has helped me to avoid reworking the remaining plan in the event minor delays occur. Also, I stay in close contact with any vendors I work with on my projects. I establish strong relationships and that add value when there are issues that need to be resolved."
