The procurement process will finish after the required start date. What can we do?
Procurement lead-time mismatchReconcile the project schedule with the actual authorized procurement route. Explore lawful and policy-compliant alternatives, but do not bypass controls to preserve an unrealistic date.
What to do now
- Confirm procurement stages and lead times
- Identify work that can proceed independently
- Assess compliant sourcing or scope options
- Obtain a revised authorized commitment
When to escalate
Escalate when
The plan requires an unauthorized purchase or commitment.
Who decides
The authorized procurement or commercial owner
Example
Internal discovery proceeds while the formal sourcing process completes.
Mistake to avoid
Starting supplier work informally and sorting paperwork later.
Prevent a repeat
Compare supplier evidence with agreed obligations; refer contract interpretation and remedies to qualified owners.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Vendors
- Documents
- Tasks
- Approvals
Keep supplier commitments and evidence linked to the project, assign follow-up work, and route commercial decisions to authorized owners. See the platform
Related cases
- The cheapest bid looks risky. How should we evaluate it?Price-only procurement decision
- The vendor says the delay is our fault. How do we establish facts?Disputed delay responsibility
- How do we handle procurement lead times in agile delivery?External lead-time constraint
- Reviews take longer than the work itself. How can we plan better?Unplanned approval lead time