Phase 6 · Delivery & Customer Experience · Value Customers Can Feel
Supplier Performance Improvement
A supplier on a performance improvement plan is closer to losing the contract than it realises. The businesses that survive and recover are the ones that treat the warning as the starting gun.
Supplier performance improvement is the structured intervention that addresses the delivery, quality, relationship, or commercial gaps that are putting a supplier's position with a buyer at risk. We assess the root causes of underperformance, design the improvement programme, manage the stakeholder communication, and track the recovery that persuades the buyer to maintain and grow the relationship rather than exit it.
The Pain We Solve
You may recognise yourself in one of these.
Three audience scenarios · because the same service produces a different transformation depending on where you are in the business journey.
Scenario 1
The supplier that has received a formal performance warning from a buyer
A performance improvement plan or formal warning has been issued. The contract is at risk. The business needs to respond credibly — with a root cause analysis, a realistic improvement plan, and evidence of progress — faster than feels comfortable.
Scenario 2
The business aware that its delivery is below standard but not yet formally challenged
The signs are there — delayed SLA reviews, shorter conversations, less frequent contact. The buyer has not yet escalated formally but the relationship is cooling. Proactive action now is materially more effective than reactive action after the formal notice.
Scenario 3
The supplier that has lost a contract renewal and does not understand why
The contract was not renewed. The feedback was vague. The business does not know whether the issue was price, performance, relationship, or something else — and without that diagnosis, the same pattern will repeat with the next buyer.
The Impact It Creates
The Moment You Will Feel the Difference.
Contract at risk stabilised through credible, structured improvement response
Root cause of underperformance identified and addressed rather than managed around
Buyer relationship rebuilt through transparent communication and demonstrated progress
Learning from performance failure applied to prevent recurrence in existing and future contracts
What You Receive
The Specific Deliverables.
Tangible outputs · documented, dated, and yours to keep.
- Performance gap assessment — root cause analysis of delivery issues
- Improvement plan design — specific actions, owners, and timelines
- Buyer communication strategy — how to present the improvement plan credibly
- Performance monitoring framework — KPIs and reporting cadence during recovery
- Escalation management — how to handle formal buyer reviews during the improvement period
- Post-recovery review — lessons learned and systemic changes implemented
The Outcome
Where You Will Be on the Other Side.
The supplier responds to performance challenge with credibility and urgency — demonstrates genuine improvement against measurable milestones — and either recovers the contract relationship or exits with a diagnosis that prevents the same failure from occurring again.
Primary Focus
Diagnosing and addressing supplier performance gaps to recover at-risk contract relationships and prevent recurrence.
KPI Measurement
- KPI score before and during improvement programme
- Contract retention rate after formal performance challenge
- Buyer satisfaction score during recovery
- Improvement milestone completion rate
- Recurrence rate of performance issues post-programme
Investment & ROI
Pricing Engineered Around the Value You Create.
Every engagement is sized against the value we believe we can create with you · the fee is always a fraction of the outcome. Four tiers · so the investment matches your stage of business.
Tier 1
Foundations
£5,000 – £15,000
Right for
Pre-startup, startup, and micro-business founders ready to build on evidence rather than instinct.
Typical Value Created
£100K+ in retention savings, NPS lift, and reduced churn
Engagement
4 – 8 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 2
Acceleration
£15,000 – £50,000
Right for
Growing SMEs and established small businesses ready to scale a working model into the next revenue band.
Typical Value Created
£500K – £5M in customer-lifetime-value expansion and operational efficiency
Engagement
8 – 16 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 3
Transformation
£50,000 – £250,000
Right for
Medium enterprises and scale-stage businesses ready to commit to a multi-quarter, organisation-wide shift.
Typical Value Created
£2M – £20M in customer-base appreciation and recurring-revenue protection
Engagement
3 – 9 months
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 4
Enterprise
£250,000 – £2M+
Right for
Large enterprises, global operators, and complex organisations ready for a multi-year strategic partnership.
Typical Value Created
£10M+ in customer-economics transformation, retention infrastructure, and renewal scale
Engagement
12 months and onward
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Why We Price This Way
Every engagement is sized around the value we believe we can create with you. The fee is always a fraction of the outcome · typically 10 – 20% of the expected first-year return.
This is how we make sure pricing aligns with results. The conversation is never “what does this cost?” · it is always “what is this worth to your business?” We answer that together in the first call, transparently, and decide the right tier from there.
If we cannot articulate a credible 5–10× return for your specific situation, we will tell you in the first call. That honesty is part of why our clients trust us with the work that matters most.
Why This Conversation Matters
“A performance warning is not a death sentence. It is a test of whether the supplier takes accountability seriously. The ones that respond well — quickly, honestly, and with a credible plan — often emerge with stronger buyer relationships than they had before the challenge.”
A 90-minute structured strategy session · produces a usable roadmap whether you engage further or not.
More in Phase 6