was quite large, with over 14,000 employees worldwide.
The team managed their vendors through straightforward processes that made sense and were easy to maintain and drive. At the front end of the vendor management life cycle stood Laura, in charge with Vendor Assessment. Had stood. She had been the one assessing the competing vendors and evaluating their capabilities, reputation, solvability, quality standards, and overall suitability against specific requirements set forth in each project plan. She made recommendations, and the rest of the team brainstormed and prioritized vendors. Then, with input from their internal client (usually the project or program manager for the respective initiative), a decision would be made and a vendor or more would be awarded the contract. Once the contract had been awarded, Eddie Swanson’s role would start. He was the Director of Vendor Engagement. His role was to make sure the vendors engage smoothly and the work starts flowing per specification and without incurring delays. Eddie’s team built the relationships between DCBI and the vendors and was responsible for educating the vendors regarding expectations, DCBI culture, values, and commitment to quality. Once the vendor was selected, engaged, and performing, that vendor’s performance was monitored closely by Ellen and her team of analysts, and managed throughout the life cycle by Jimmy and his team for quality. Brad, as Senior Project Manager, teamed up to support each strategic project’s client from a vendor perspective.
The abrupt opening of the door startled Robert, pulling him into the moment.
“Welcome back! Is everything OK on the home front?” Eddie’s voice was cheerful, his smile encouraging.
“Yes, it’s good on the home front, thanks for asking. Mel is feeling better. We’re both feeling better,” Robert said, avoiding Eddie’s eyes.
“Glad to hear it, congratulations!”
Eddie pulled out his usual chair and inhaled some coffee fumes coming from a very large cup filled to the brim. Ellen took her seat right next to him and immediately started shuffling through some reports, getting ready to present her update.
Jimmy Doherty walked in next, greeting everyone seriously. He took himself very seriously and did not know when to relax. He thought his job was stressful, and he let that stress show on his face and in his behavior. Robert had worked with him on this, trying to make it better, but somewhere inside Jimmy there was a lot of stress going on. Maybe it was his personality, or the nature of his role. Most quality professionals are used to focusing on what’s broken or not working, their entire world populated with defect and failure. Over time, that can influence one’s perspective on life. Jimmy took a seat across from Eddie. He looked pale and preoccupied, even more than he usually did.
Brad Cooper was the last to walk through the door. He was forty-seven now, but he must have been quite the playboy in his earlier life. A powerful presence, he held a combination of charisma with high intelligence and an awareness of both, fueling his self-confidence almost to the point of arrogance, but not beyond. Pleasant to work with and very resourceful, Brad’s cooperation was sought by the most senior of project managers in the company, who recognized his value and wanted him on their side. Brad sat across from Ellen and left the door open. They were still waiting for Laura to take her seat at the end of the table, across from Robert.
Robert stood up and slowly moved to close the conference room door.
“Good morning, everyone,” he said in a sad tone of voice.
They looked at him with various levels of surprise and concern.
“There’s no easy way to say this,” he continued, “so I’ll make it quick. Laura died last week on her way from the airport to a Tahoe cabin she had rented. Her boyfriend, Bo, was killed, too. Some of you knew him.”
“Oh my God . . . ” Ellen said, covering her mouth, her eyes welling up instantly.
“How? How did it happen?” Brad asked.
“Road conditions were bad. Light snow turning into ice, very dark and slippery roads. Their car hit the railing and plunged into a 300 feet ravine. I was told they died on impact.”
“Anything we can do?” Jimmy asked. “For the family?”
“There will be a memorial service,” Robert continued. “We will set up an account to collect donations in support of the family. I can’t think of anything else right now, but I will let you know. Let’s observe a moment of silence, if you’d like.”
They bowed their heads and silence took over.
Robert interrupted it