So I’m in a weird spot with a long-time supplier. We’ve worked together for years, but lately their quality has slipped on two big orders. I brought it up, and they apologized, but the next shipment still had issues. I’m starting to question their reliability, but walking away feels drastic. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of gradual decline in a trusted partnership?
That sounds rough after so many years. The partnership felt steady and now the slip in quality makes you wonder what changed. I would slow down, catalog what shifted in the last two orders, and decide with a clear view of the facts before changing course. It is natural to want reliability more than apologies
From a numbers view this can be treated as a quality control case. pull defect rates and response times for the shipments and compare with the long run performance. Build a simple scorecard with delivery, defect count, and corrective action speed. If the trend holds you may test a small batch to see if the issue is systemic. Have you got data to check this against the past baseline?
Maybe it is not a fall in all at once but a messy signal from a complex chain. A rushed shift on the line, a changes in QA, or a new supervisor realigning tests could explain a string of bad shipments without proving a permanent decline. It could be a narrative you tell yourself after a few bad runs
Perhaps the question should shift to the idea of strengthening the partnership rather than leaving it. If you focus on a shared improvement plan and a clear escalation path you can press for fixes while keeping the tie intact. A good plan changes the tone more than a tough decision and may lower risk in the long run for both sides and still keep a sense of trust in the quality process
Sometimes a long term vendor slips after a change you make on your end like new specs or packing. If you bring up a target but one party has to rework the process you may see slower orders or more defects until the process settles. A quick check in about what changed on your side might reveal a simple fix that preserves the relation
Maybe you are in a phase where you test resilience rather than pick sides. It could be worth asking for a formal corrective action plan and a revised service level if you want to stay safe without walking away. I would keep talking and watch the data while you map options