The third wrong order arrived. Different vendor, same problem — nobody had recorded what was ordered, when it was due, or who to contact when it was wrong. Someone said there was a spreadsheet. Nobody could find it.
Vendor management is the least glamorous part of running a business. It is also where small teams leak the most money. A wrong shipment here, a missed reorder there, a supplier whose prices went up six months ago and nobody noticed.
What we were doing wrong
We tracked vendors in a shared spreadsheet that three people maintained in three different ways. One person used colors. One person used comments. One person did not use it at all and just emailed the vendor directly. When something went wrong, nobody knew who ordered what or when.
The fix was not a better spreadsheet. It was a system with four parts.
1. Vendor Directory. Every vendor in one place. Contact info, what you buy, average order size, lead time, payment terms. When someone is out sick, anyone can pick this up and know exactly who to call.
2. Order Process. Five steps, every time. Check inventory, compare quotes above a threshold, place the order through the right channel, log it in the tracking sheet, confirm receipt and quality. No more hey did we order more toner conversations.
3. Quality Check Log. Quantity correct? No damage? Matches spec? Delivered on time? Four checks for every order. A failed check triggers a documented action — contact vendor, photo documentation, return or credit. Problems stop being anecdotes and start being data.
4. Vendor Review Schedule. Performance ratings, last reviewed date, next review. Three outcomes: keep, renegotiate, or replace. Vendors who coast on old performance get flagged. Vendors who deliver get more business.
This system is now a fillable template anyone can use. Not a complex procurement tool. Just the four things that actually prevent wrong orders and missed follow-ups.
