Lara GuevaraSupply Chain expert (Product and Service)

Your Vendor Knows. Do You?

8 Mar 2026 · 1 min

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1:12

Lara Guevara says your overseas suppliers already know about the current crisis but won't tell you unless you ask. Email your top three vendors today with three specific questions: whether orders route through the UAE, Iran, or the Gulf; current production status and freight delays; and what happens if your ship date slips.

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Your supplier in China or India is already aware of this crisis. The question is, are they talking to you about it? Most vendors won't proactively call you. They wait for you to ask, and if you don't know what questions to ask, you'll get vague answers and empty reassurances while your production window slips. Here's what I'd be asking my vendors right now. 1. Do any of my pending purchase orders route through UAE, Iran, or the Gulf? Can you confirm which air freight forwarder is handling them? Number 2, what is the current production status of my order? Have you received any guidance from your freight forwarders or partners on delays or rerouting? Number 3, if our agreed ship date is impacted by this crisis, what is your contingency plan? Can we lock in a buffer window without penalty? These are not aggressive questions. They are professional questions, and a good vendor will appreciate how specific you are. A bad one will dodge, and that's also an information. Vendors respect brands that know their supply chain. Don't show up to this conversation blind. Send your top 3 vendors an email today with those 3 questions. Not next week, today. Speed wins right now.