Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems are often promoted as critical tools for improving infrastructure safety, performance, and lifecycle management. Yet many fail to deliver meaningful value long before they are installed. In this article, we argue that the root cause is not technological limitation but procurement practice. In most infrastructure projects, SHM enters the process as a tender line item or subcontracted package, where cost efficiency and compliance requirements take precedence over engineering objectives. As a result, key decisions regarding sensor strategy, system architecture, and data usability are frequently made without specialist input, leading to fragmented monitoring solutions that generate data but provide limited actionable insight. The article examines how procurement structures shape technical outcomes, dilute original monitoring intent, and produce systems optimized for installation rather than decision support. Realizing the full potential of SHM requires a fundamental shift in procurement philosophy—one that defines monitoring by its intended engineering outcomes and lifecycle value from the earliest stages of project planning.