In a world shaped by relentless disruption—from economic volatility and trade realignments to supply chain instability and AI innovation—procurement has moved from the back office to the boardroom. But while all procurement teams face the same turbulent conditions, not all perform equally. The difference lies in the emergence of Best-in-Class Procurement—a segment of top-performing organizations that consistently deliver greater value, agility, and resilience.
According to Ardent Partners’ Procurement Metrics That Matter in 2025, the top 20% of procurement organizations, classified as Best-in-Class, stand out for their mastery of spend management, compliance, technology adoption, and strategic sourcing. These leaders are not just managing procurement—they’re optimizing it.
In this blog, we’ll examine what defines Best-in-Class procurement in 2025, explore their advantages across key performance metrics, and highlight how platforms like Zycus enable this elite tier of performance.
Who Are the Best-in-Class?
Ardent Partners defines Best-in-Class procurement teams as those in the top 20% of survey respondents, measured primarily by Spend Under Management (SUM). But their success doesn’t stop at that metric. These organizations excel in savings generation, contract compliance, supplier enablement, and technology utilization—all underpinned by smart strategy, data fluency, and digital maturity.
Their achievements stem from deliberate investments in people, process, and procurement technology stacks. They understand that procurement isn’t merely about cost reduction; it’s about enterprise-wide value creation.
Key Metrics: The Best-in-Class Advantage
Let’s look at the hard numbers that separate Best-in-Class procurement organizations from the rest:
| Metric | Best-in-Class | All Others |
| Spend Under Management | 91.7% | 61.1% |
| Savings Rate | 8.0% | 6.4% |
| Sourcing Coverage | 67.4% | 43.6% |
| Contract Compliance | 79.5% | 56.2% |
| Supplier Enablement | 61.7% | 44.2% |
These gaps aren’t minor—they represent fundamental differences in procurement maturity and capability. And they directly translate into measurable business benefits: higher savings, reduced risk, and greater resilience in the face of disruption.
1. Spend Under Management: The Foundation of Control
91.7% of spend is managed by Best-in-Class teams—versus 61.1% among their peers. This means these organizations have real-time visibility and control over almost every dollar spent, ensuring strategic alignment, compliance, and optimization.
How Zycus Helps:
Zycus’ Spend Analysis solution, powered by AI, gives procurement leaders granular visibility into spend data across categories, geographies, and business units. It automatically classifies spend and identifies savings and compliance opportunities—forming the bedrock for Spend Under Management.
2. Higher Savings Through Competitive Sourcing
Best-in-Class teams achieve 8.0% average savings, compared to 6.4% for others. This is partly because they source 67.4% of addressable spend, well above the average.
How Zycus Helps:
Zycus eSourcing enables strategic and automated sourcing events with real-time supplier collaboration. Zycus also offers the Merlin Autonomous Negotiation Agent, which automatically manages tail-spend negotiations—freeing teams to focus on high-value categories and boosting savings outcomes.
3. Contract Compliance: Plugging the Leaks
Only 62.2% of spend across organizations is compliant with contracts, yet non-compliance can cost 12–18% more. Best-in-Class teams, however, achieve 79.5% compliance, driving consistent savings realization and risk reduction.
How Zycus Helps:
Zycus Contract Lifecycle Management, powered by Merlin Intake and Agentic AI, automates contract drafting, alerts, clause management, and compliance monitoring.
4. Supplier Enablement: Enhancing Agility and Collaboration
A digital procurement operation is only as strong as its supplier engagement. Best-in-Class teams digitally enable 61.7% of suppliers—40% more than their peers—creating a more responsive and cost-effective supply base.
How Zycus Helps:
Zycus’ Supplier Management provides automated onboarding, real-time performance tracking, and compliance workflows. Integrated portals and self-service tools improve supplier experience and speed up onboarding, while the Zycus Risk Monitor delivers proactive supplier risk alerts.
5. Technology Utilization: The Digital Edge
The Best-in-Class don’t just use technology—they optimize it. According to Ardent, these organizations adopt core and advanced procurement technologies at significantly higher rates—up to 172% more—than the rest.
Their tech stacks are:
- Unified: One platform for S2P
- Intelligent: AI embedded across workflows
- Integrated: Seamless connections to ERP and finance
- Agile: Easy to scale and adapt to change
How Zycus Helps:
Zycus delivers a true Source-to-Pay Suite, integrated with the Merlin AI Platform. It connects sourcing, contracts, suppliers, procurement, and payments into a single ecosystem—making intelligent automation native, not an add-on.
6. Visibility, Standardization, and Strategic Alignment
Beyond tools and KPIs, what truly defines the Best-in-Class is operational discipline. Ardent highlights core capabilities such as:
- End-to-end spend visibility
- Standardized processes and controls
- C-suite alignment and stakeholder collaboration
- Bold leadership and tech fluency
How Zycus Helps:
Zycus supports strategic alignment through dashboards, predictive analytics, and role-based reporting. By providing insights that the C-suite can understand and act upon, it empowers procurement to influence enterprise strategy, not just operations.
The Road to Best-in-Class: Key Enablers
So how can mid-tier or lagging organizations start closing the gap?
- Invest in Data and Visibility
47% of CPOs cite data visibility as their top improvement priority in 2025. Start here—because good data powers better sourcing, forecasting, and compliance.
- Embrace AI for Productivity and Insight
AI is no longer emerging; it’s embedded. 73% of CPOs believe it will transform procurement. Use AI not just to automate, but to enhance decision-making.
- Close the Technology Gaps
Organizations need to modernize their procurement stacks and unify disparate tools. Zycus’ integrated platform solves this through one source of truth across the entire S2P lifecycle.
- Focus on Change Management
Digital tools are only as effective as their users. Best-in-Class teams also invest in training, governance, and cross-functional collaboration.
Conclusion: Best-in-Class Is Within Reach
The performance gap between Best-in-Class procurement and the rest is clear—but it’s not insurmountable. With the right mix of technology, talent, and strategic focus, any procurement team can elevate its capabilities and deliver enterprise-wide value.
Zycus stands as a trusted partner on that journey. With AI-driven automation, an integrated Source-to-Pay suite, and tools tailored for visibility, compliance, and collaboration, Zycus equips teams not only to compete—but to lead.
Explore Zycus Solutions for Best-in-Class Procurement
- Spend Analysis
- eSourcing and Autonomous Negotiation
- Contract Management
- Supplier Management
- eProcurement
- eInvoicing & AP Automation
- Merlin AI Suite
- Source-to-Pay Suite
Related Reads:
- Top Procurement Priorities for CPOs in 2025: What’s Driving the Agenda?
- The Rise of AI in Procurement: Trends, Tools, and Expectations
- Top Procurement Tools from the Ardent 2025 Report
- Ardent Partners 2025 Spend Under Management Report Insights
- Ardent Partners on Procurement Compliance in 2025
- The Best-in-Class Procurement Playbook: What the Top 20% Do Differently
- Whitepaper: Best-in-Class Solution: Integrating ERP with P2P
- 6 Attributes of a Best-in-Class Accounts Payable Operation
