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Vendor Meeting Agenda Template (45 Minutes, With Timings)

Use this vendor meeting agenda to review how a supplier is performing, settle open issues and agree what happens next. It runs 45 minutes and each item has an owner, a time limit and an example.

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Vendor meeting agenda: the template

Eight timed items for a regular vendor review. Replace the example entries with your own numbers, and cut the items that do not apply to this supplier.

Vendor meeting agenda

Total time: 45 minutes

  • Vendor: [Supplier name]
  • Service or product covered: [What they supply]
  • Date and time: [Date, start time]
  • Location or link: [Room or video link]
  • Internal owner: [Name]
  • Vendor account lead: [Name]
  • Note taker: [Name]
  • Contract period: [Start and end dates]
  1. 0:003 min
    Welcome and purpose

    Confirm the aim of the meeting and the decisions needed by the end.

    ExampleQuarterly review of the logistics contract. We need a decision on the delivery window by the end of today.
    OwnerInternal owner
  2. 0:037 min
    Performance against agreed measures

    Go through each service level in the contract: target, actual and trend.

    ExampleOn-time delivery 94% against a 97% target. Damaged goods 0.8%, within the 1% limit.
    OwnerVendor account lead
  3. 0:106 min
    Open issues and incidents since last meeting

    List each issue with its status. Ask the vendor for cause and fix, not an apology.

    ExampleThree late shipments to the Leeds site in May. Cause: carrier capacity. Fix: second carrier from 1 June.
    OwnerInternal owner
  4. 0:167 min
    Delivery, quality and risk

    Look ahead: upcoming volumes, known risks, capacity and stock levels.

    ExamplePeak volume expected at 1.4 times normal in November. Vendor to confirm extra staffing by 15 September.
    OwnerOperations lead
  5. 0:236 min
    Costs, invoices and contract terms

    Cover invoice queries, changes to cost and anything due for renewal or notice.

    ExampleTwo invoices disputed for duplicate line items. Contract renews on 31 January, notice due 31 October.
    OwnerFinance contact
  6. 0:295 min
    Vendor feedback and requests

    Give the vendor a fixed slot to say what they need from you.

    ExampleVendor asks for order forecasts 10 working days ahead instead of 5.
    OwnerVendor account lead
  7. 0:343 min
    Decisions and escalations

    State each decision made, and anything that needs to go to a senior sponsor.

    ExampleSecond carrier approved. Penalty clause discussion escalated to the Head of Procurement.
    OwnerInternal owner
  8. 0:378 min
    Next steps and close

    Read back actions with owners and dates, confirm the next meeting and who sends the notes.

    ExampleNext review 14 September. Notes sent by end of day tomorrow.
    OwnerFacilitator

Action items

Task Owner Due
Confirm second carrier start date in writing Vendor account lead 1 June
Resolve the two disputed invoices Finance contact Within 10 working days
Share 10-day order forecast template Operations lead Next Monday
Send meeting notes to vendor and internal team Note taker Next working day
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Copy-ready agenda text

Paste this into Google Docs, Word, Notion or an email. Replace anything in [brackets].

Copy the text
VENDOR MEETING AGENDA

Vendor: [Supplier name]
Service or product covered: [What they supply]
Date and time: [Date, start time]
Location or link: [Room or video link]
Internal owner: [Name]
Vendor account lead: [Name]
Note taker: [Name]
Contract period: [Start and end dates]

TIMED AGENDA (45 minutes)

0:00  Welcome and purpose (3 min) | Owner: Internal owner
      Confirm the aim of the meeting and the decisions needed by the end.
0:03  Performance against agreed measures (7 min) | Owner: Vendor account lead
      Go through each service level in the contract: target, actual and trend.
0:10  Open issues and incidents since last meeting (6 min) | Owner: Internal owner
      List each issue with its status. Ask the vendor for cause and fix, not an apology.
0:16  Delivery, quality and risk (7 min) | Owner: Operations lead
      Look ahead: upcoming volumes, known risks, capacity and stock levels.
0:23  Costs, invoices and contract terms (6 min) | Owner: Finance contact
      Cover invoice queries, changes to cost and anything due for renewal or notice.
0:29  Vendor feedback and requests (5 min) | Owner: Vendor account lead
      Give the vendor a fixed slot to say what they need from you.
0:34  Decisions and escalations (3 min) | Owner: Internal owner
      State each decision made, and anything that needs to go to a senior sponsor.
0:37  Next steps and close (8 min) | Owner: Facilitator
      Read back actions with owners and dates, confirm the next meeting and who sends the notes.

ACTION ITEMS
Task | Owner | Due
[Task] | [Name] | [Date]

How to run this meeting

  1. Send the numbers ahead of time

    Ask the vendor to send their performance report two days before. Reading it in the meeting wastes the 7 minutes meant for discussion.

  2. Keep the vendor to the contract

    Tie each discussion to a measure, a clause or a date. 'Things have been tough' is not an item, but 'three late shipments in May' is.

  3. Give the vendor their own slot

    Build in 5 minutes for the vendor's requests. A supplier who can raise problems early is cheaper to work with than one who stays quiet until renewal.

  4. Write down what each side agreed

    Read back every action with its owner and date, and send the notes to both parties. If something was disputed, record it as disputed instead of leaving it out.

Keep a record both sides can point to

Vendor meetings go wrong when each side remembers a different promise. Speak AI joins the call, records it and writes up what was agreed.

  • Record the vendor call on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, or upload it afterwards.
  • Get a searchable transcript with speakers labelled, so a commitment from the vendor is easy to find.
  • Get an automatic summary of performance, issues and decisions to send to both sides.
  • Get action items with owners and dates pulled out, ready for your procurement tracker.

See how the AI meeting assistant and the AI notetaker work, or start with a free account.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a vendor meeting?

A vendor meeting is a scheduled conversation between a company and one of its suppliers to review performance, fix issues, discuss costs and contract terms, and plan ahead. Most run monthly or quarterly depending on how critical the supplier is.

What should be on a vendor meeting agenda?

Purpose, performance against agreed measures, open issues, upcoming delivery and risk, costs and contract terms, vendor requests, decisions and next steps. Give each item an owner and a time limit.

How long should a vendor meeting be?

Forty-five minutes suits a regular review of one supplier. A strategic supplier or a contract renewal may need 60 to 90 minutes, and a simple check-in can run 20 to 30.

How do you run a vendor meeting well?

Send the performance data beforehand, tie every topic to a measure or contract clause, leave a fixed slot for the vendor's requests, and finish by reading back actions with owners and dates.

How often should you meet with vendors?

Monthly for critical suppliers, quarterly for important ones, and once or twice a year for low-risk ones. Add a meeting whenever an incident or a contract change needs a decision.

Related templates and tools

Vendor Meeting Notes TemplateSupplier Evaluation Meeting Agenda TemplateStrategic Partnership Meeting Agenda TemplateAll meeting templatesAI Meeting AssistantAI Notetaker

Run the vendor meeting, then let Speak AI record what was agreed

Book a demo to see Speak AI turn a vendor call into a summary, commitments and action items, or try it free on your next meeting.

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