Our scorecard updates are always delayed because we rely on external vendors and clients to send us their weekly data. How do we maintain a clean weekly scorecard when we do not control the source of our data?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Relying on external parties for your weekly scorecard data is an operational bottleneck that compromises your ability to make fast decisions. If your scorecard is incomplete during your Level 10 Meeting, you are flying blind.

To fix this, you must change how you collect and measure this data. First, identify if there is an internal leading indicator you can track instead of the external lagging number. For example, if you are waiting on a client to send their weekly approval metrics, track your internal turnaround time for sending the documents to them. You have one hundred percent control over your outbound speed.

Second, set a strict data submission deadline for your external vendors. Write this requirement into your contracts or service level agreements. If they fail to provide the data on time, it must be treated as an operational issue and addressed directly with their account manager.

Third, if you must use external data, assign an internal owner on your Accountability Chart to chase it down before your meeting. This person is responsible for reaching out to the vendor or client on a set schedule, ensuring the numbers are populated on time.

Never accept delayed data as an excuse for an empty scorecard. If a number is missing, the seat owner must report it as red. This forces the leadership team to IDS the data collection process itself and find a more reliable way to gather the vital metrics needed to run the business.