The contract delivery date is near but a critical material hasn't arrived, forcing construction to stop and delaying the project. What should the project manager do?

The project manager should first engage the project team to find alternatives because this is an immediate, critical issue impacting the project schedule. The team can brainstorm solutions like expedited shipping, finding a local supplier for a temporary fix, or adjusting the construction sequence. Recording it in the risk register is important for documentation and future lessons learned, but it doesn't address the immediate crisis. Asking the client for help might be necessary if internal solutions fail, but the project manager should attempt to resolve it internally first. Procuring from another supplier might be a viable solution, but it's one of many alternatives the team should explore, not the immediate sole action.