[Supplier] A stakeholder says, "This vendor is who we've always used." How do you respond?

I would not dismiss that history because incumbent suppliers sometimes have real value in performance, knowledge, or transition cost. But I would also not accept habit as the whole business case. I would ask what the incumbent is doing well, what risks or costs are being tolerated, and whether the market has changed since the last time the supplier was seriously challenged.

The goal is to move the discussion...