The Dossier: A Guide to the Relationship Autopsy
How to Conduct a Real Forensic Review of Your Most Critical Supplier Relationships
Your desk is littered with SRM scorecards. They're dull, backward-looking, and tell you what you already know: a supplier was late again. It's administrivia disguised as oversight. It's a waste of your time.
The Relationship Autopsy & Forward Surveillance Plan is different. It's not a report card; it's a forensic dossier. It's a one-page tool designed to turn your supplier reviews from a bureaucratic chore into a strategic investigation.
This is a guide, not software. It's a worksheet and a methodology for conducting a true forensic review of your most critical supplier relationships: dissect the past, read the hidden "tells" of the present, and define a Forward Surveillance Plan that prevents repeats and unlocks value.
The Autopsy: Conducting the Examination
This is a step-by-step guide to completing the Dossier. Each section is an important component of the investigation.
1. The Case Header
Supplier: The name of your suspect.
Review Period: The period during which the investigation occurred.
Overall Status: Your "Gut Check", the title of the case. Is it Green (All Clear), Amber (Person of Interest) or Red (Crime in Progress)? Use the scoring rubric below to make the call.
2. Performance Forensics
The Vitals: On-Time Delivery %, Quality/Defect Rate %, SLA Adherence %. This is the hard data, the body on the floor.
Root Cause Analysis: This is mandatory. For every failure, you must determine the modus operandi. Was this a One-Off mistake or is this systemic (a problem with the suppliers people, processes, technology or capacity)?
3. Financial Forensics
Savings vs Target %: Did they meet the financial commitments they made to you?
Value Leakage: Where is the money going? Identify the what, where and how much (for example $50K in unused software license).
Financial Health: Read the vital signs. Is the supplier stable, on your watch list or deteriorating?
4. The Partnership Pulse (Rated 1-5 ★)
Proactivity: Does the supplier proactively provide you with information or does he/she only respond to your questions?
Transparency: Does the supplier provide you with bad news voluntarily or do you have to pull it out of him/her?
Innovation: Has the supplier come up with something you didn’t even think of?
Notes: Your observations about the character of the supplier.
5. Forward Surveillance Plan
Joint Opportunities: What’s the next thing you’re going to do together?
Emerging Threats: What trouble is brewing on the horizon?
Next Interrogation: Schedule the next interrogation.
Owners/Actions: Who is responsible for what? Leave nothing unaccountable.
The Interrogation: Getting the Truth
You won’t get anywhere using a Dossier unless you use it to conduct interrogations. Here are some questions to help guide your review meeting. Ask for evidence, don’t just ask for updates.
About Performance:
“Walk me through the most recent performance failure. Provide me with the date/time stamp of the failure, who owned the process, how you identified the failure, and how you contained the failure.”
About Financials:
“What were the top three value leakage sources by annualised dollar amount, and what is the specific control measure you’ll implement next quarter to prevent further leakage?”
About The Pulse:
“When was the last time you provided bad news without being prompted. What was the last proactive risk you escalated to me? What did you propose this quarter that I didn’t ask for?”
About The Future:
“One opportunity that will create significant tangible value within the next 90 days. What is the single most important indicator that will alert me that we are trending away from our target - before my KPI’s turn red again?”
Scoring Rubric: Making the Call
🔴 RED: If any KPI is below 75% OR if the Pulse rating is 2 stars or lower OR if there is current financial distress.
🟡 AMBER: If any KPI is between 75-89% OR if the Pulse rating is 2-3 stars OR if there is at least one credible emerging threat.
🟢 GREEN: If all KPI’s are greater than 90%, the Pulse rating is 4 stars or better, and there are no major emerging threats.
Pulse Stars:
★★★★★ = Consistent, proactive, leadership behaviors.
★★★☆☆ = Inconsistent performance.
★☆☆☆☆ = Chronic issues that require Executive Escalation.