September 11, 2025

Procurement leaders are often confronted with three terms that get tossed around interchangeably: tail spend, tactical spend, and maverick spend. While they sound similar—and sometimes overlap in practice—they are very different concepts, each carrying distinct risks and opportunities. Misunderstanding these categories leads to fragmented strategies, wasted effort, and missed savings. With procurement now under board-level scrutiny, and 48% […]

Procurement leaders spend much of their time negotiating strategic categories, running sourcing events, and building supplier relationships. Yet hidden in plain sight is a “silent 20%” of spend that quietly drains budgets and erodes value. Known as tail spend, it’s small in value but massive in volume—and when left unmanaged, it represents a goldmine of untapped