[Supplier] How do you spot when a supplier problem is really an internal planning problem?

I look for patterns where the supplier keeps getting blamed, but our own signals are unstable: forecasts change too late, specifications shift after release, expedites are normal, or internal approvals are slow enough that the supplier keeps inheriting our delay. When that happens, the supplier issue may be real, but it is not the whole story.

I think good procurement work includes being honest about...