I have sat through more service review meetings than I care to count. As an interim I have tried to make them as engaging and valuable as possible.

Many have followed the same tired formula: a data-heavy deck, a brief nod to performance metrics, a rushed look at risk, and a polite promise to follow up on the usual actions. Then we pack up, breathe a quiet sigh of relief, and move on until the next one.

For something that consumes so much time and resource, service reviews are often treated as obligatory rituals rather than meaningful engagements. If that rings true, it may be time to challenge the assumption that service reviews are merely operational check-ins. With the right mindset and design, they can become a powerful forum for alignment, innovation, and relationship-building.

In my experience, the shift begins with purpose. Too many service reviews are planned and executed without a clear understanding of why they exist. Is the goal to monitor compliance?

To surface issues before they escalate? To develop the partnership? To co-create value? The answer will shape not only the agenda, but also the behaviours in the room. Where purpose is vague, conversations tend to revert to the familiar service levels, issues, incidents, without examining the broader value or potential of the relationship.

If you look at the new Government Procurement Act guidance, the term Relationship is not used once under KPIs.

Clarity of purpose must be matched by intentional preparation. A meaningful service review is never just a retrospective. It should also provide insight into what is changing in the environment, the business, or the market. I often advise clients to use a structured input process, drawing not just from operational data but also from stakeholder perspectives. What are people noticing? Where is friction emerging? What upcoming initiatives might benefit from earlier supplier involvement? A short pre-review survey or informal listening session can surface valuable insights that are otherwise lost.

Equally critical is rethinking the format. A three-hour download of KPIs rarely inspires reflection or action. I have found that blending structured reporting with facilitated discussion works best. Keep the metrics, but make them visual and comparative. Focus on trends, not isolated incidents. Then create space for dialogue: what do we jointly observe in the data? What is the story behind the numbers? What might we do differently together next quarter?

The language we use also matters. When service reviews become adversarial or overly transactional, psychological safety erodes. The supplier becomes guarded. The client becomes frustrated. Collaboration gives way to compliance. To counter this, I try to frame service reviews as shared learning opportunities. What went well? Where did we collectively fall short? What assumptions are no longer serving us? These are not soft questions, they are strategic. And they require trust to answer well.

One simple but powerful tactic I often recommend is to rotate ownership. When the same people lead every review, patterns set in. By giving suppliers the opportunity to chair part of the meeting or bring their own agenda items, you signal trust and partnership. You also learn more. I have seen service reviews come to life when suppliers share new capabilities, customer success stories, or emerging innovations we were previously unaware of.

Finally, follow-through is everything. Actions that are never closed out, insights that go unrecorded, or ideas that are never tested all contribute to cynicism. A good service review is not just a meeting it is a touchpoint in an ongoing process. Capturing decisions, tracking actions, and checking in between meetings shows respect for the time invested and a commitment to continuous improvement.

In the end, service reviews are only tick-box exercises if we allow them to be. With intent, curiosity, and a bit of redesign, they can become much more than that. They can be moments of shared clarity, a catalyst for joint value, and a window into what a truly collaborative relationship looks like in practice. That, to me, is worth the time.

If you need a Supplier Governance Model or Framework, contact SRM Tribe. We specialise in helping organisations design practical, scalable governance structures that drive performance, reduce risk, and strengthen supplier collaboration. Whether you're building from the ground up or refreshing an existing approach, we’ll work with you to create a model that fits your supplier landscape, aligns with your strategic goals, and delivers real-world results.