41 | The One With a Real Supplier Scorecard, Not Guesswork

“They seem fine” is not a supplier strategy.In the final episode of Supplier Power Month, Lara introduces the Supplier Scorecard, the system that turns vendor management from gut feel into data-backed decisions.If you’ve ever struggled to explain why inventory feels chaotic, margins are slipping, or suppliers keep disappointing you without anything “major” going wrong, this episode is for you.Lara breaks down the five metrics every DTC brand must track to understand supplier performance clearly, including exact formulas, realistic targets, and a Red, Yellow, Green framework that tells you when to invest, when to fix, and when to walk away.This episode goes beyond theory. You’ll hear real examples of how “fine” suppliers quietly cost brands tens of thousands of dollars, and you’ll get scripts you can use to have direct, professional conversations without damaging the relationship.In this episode, you’ll learn:The five Supplier Scorecard metrics that actually matterHow to calculate on-time delivery, defect rates, and true costWhy unit price alone is a misleading metricHow to use Red, Yellow, Green zones to make decisions without emotionScripts for introducing scorecards and addressing performance issuesHow to exit a supplier relationship without burning bridgesBy the end of the episode, you’ll have a scorecard template you can implement this week, not next quarter, and a clear system for managing suppliers like a real operator, not a hopeful one.This episode ties together everything from Supplier Power Month, from ranking and repositioning to negotiation and long-term leverage.If this episode helped make your supply chain a little less painful, share it with another founder because nobody deserves to learn these lessons the hard way. Follow Supply Chain Moves wherever you get your podcasts.Connect with Lara & Move Supply ChainWant to keep learning and connect with Lara and the Move Supply Chain community?Follow & Subscribe:⁠LinkedIn – Move⁠⁠LinkedIn – Lara⁠⁠X – Move⁠⁠X – Lara⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠YouTube⁠Get more insights:⁠Unboxed Weekly⁠ – Lara’s newsletter on DTC supply chain moves⁠Lara’s AI Brain⁠ – Ask Lara’s AI anything about supply chainSC Lounge⁠ – Join Move Supply Chain's free Slack community for DTC founders