Show me the steps to solve A project you are managing has a supply$-$chain issue. You are not able to continue utilizing a primary vendor. Select a product that would be essential to a project and identify the pros and cons of outsourcing an element of the project. What are the pros and cons of outsourcing? What could you do to minimize the negative effects?

Due to the wildfires, Douglas fir is in short supply. To continue building our house, we must outsource the wood needed for structural lumber. There are several pros and cons when doing this, unfortunately we do not have any way to control it as the local supply has drawn up$.$ The pros of outsourcing our lumber is cost reduction, faster project completion, as we cannot complete the project without this product, high level of expertise, and flexibility $($Excelsior University, n$.$d$).$ the cons of outsourcing our wood is$,$ possible coordination breakdowns, a loss of control due to not being able to oversee and manage the operation. Potential conflict as customers gets impatient and want results, and the project manager cannot deliver answers. Security issues and political issues $($Excelsior University, n$.$d$),$ especially if dealing with countries or nations with import or export tariffs.

A project manager might not be able to mitigate all these negative issues with outsourcing but knowing them can help the process immensely. Furthermore, knowing that resources may need to be outsourced allows the project timeline to be altered, to accommodate the loss of control, and coordination issues. Project managers need to be aware of the negative issues that surround outsourcing, and manage them appropriately, while staying on top of things as much as possible.