One of the risks you anticipated for the project was the late delivery of the prototype from the vendor.

One of the risks you anticipated for the project was the late delivery of the prototype from the vendor. You adjusted your project schedule to minimize the impact of the risk, built in a penalty for late delivery, and created action plans in case the vendor delivered late. You also identified a risk with the vendor that they have very little technical depth; if the key engineer is not available to your project, the risk of a delay is even greater. You determined how you would monitor the vendor's performance and ensure a timely delivery. You took a very risk-averse, protective approach to the relationship, but now, as the project is progressing, you are wondering if there is something you could do with the vendor to actually benefit the project instead of just protecting it.