“Finally and this is key, have more confidence in your own team’s ability to understand and assess what needs to be done. Anytime a vendor or consultant makes a statement that what they have to offer will make you a better organization run, do not walk to the nearest exit. I have always considered an outsider’s proclamation that they know your business better than you do to be a foreboding sign of things to come. The fact is that the partners with whom you choose to work should possess the ability to understand your business and provide valuable insight without a preordained end result in mind.” – Dangerous Supply Chain Myths Revisited (Part 4): Internal & External Collaboration – A Desire versus Skill!, Procurement Insights (Originally published in May 2007)
In the context of the above excerpt from my May 2007 series, “Dangerous Supply Chain Myths,” I want to share the following email I received this Morning from Spend Matters following The Hackett Group acquisition. I will share my takeaway thoughts at the end.
Dear Jon,
We are excited to announce that Spend Matters, a Hackett Group Company, has released updated research on the Procurement Services market, specifically focusing on source-to-pay (S2P) implementation providers plus a new, downloadable guide.
Procurement technology capabilities as well as the solution market overall are expanding faster than ever before. However, organizations often face significant implementation barriers, making it difficult to fully leverage these advancements.
Our research underscores a crucial truth: it doesn’t matter how much an organization invests in new technologies if they are implemented poorly. After all, it takes people to implement tech; and it takes people to accept change and adopt new ways of doing things.
“We know that a successful transformation is not just about choosing the right technology — it’s about choosing the right partner to bring it to life”, says lead analyst Xavier Olivera.
This new research serves as a direct response to the primary pain points identified by our CPO Advisory Board: S2P technology selection and implementation via service partnerships. While we previously covered the broader procurement services market in 2021 with a nine-part series, this new iteration narrows our attention to these 11 providers that offer source-to-pay (S2P) implementation services:
- 4C Associates
- BearingPoint
- Deloitte
- Fullstep
- Genpact
- Grant Thornton
- Protiviti
- PwC
- The Hackett Group
- Velocity
- WNS Procurement
Our analysts have meticulously profiled each vendor, applying the same data-driven, no pay-to-play scrutiny that has made their analyses of procurement technology a globally recognized benchmark. Each study participant underwent a rigorous RFI and scoring process, with all subsequent competency scores objectively verified by a Spend Matters analyst based solely on provided IP and case study documentation.
We are pleased to share our findings and insights, designed to help you bridge the gap between your vision and execution.
TODAY’S TAKEAWAY
Here is another excerpt from the same May 2007 Procurement Insights post:
“Conversely, the value of being on the front lines of procurement is that the feedback you receive is a true reflection of a present-day reality (or mindset) and not linked to a long-held belief that is the result of past corporate affiliations.
Over the past year or so, I have come to realize that a fair number of procurement initiative champions have been hired by end-user organizations that previously employed either a vendor or a consulting firm. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to believe that they bring a predisposition to their position in terms of their thinking.
For example, there was the senior government executive who was hired from IBM. And another that was recruited from a major financial institution with close ties to EDS. Even former managers from software companies such as Ariba have found their way into the executive suite. This begs the question: Are the results of reports such as the one authored by ISM, CAPS, and Kearney a true reflection of the issues that impact procurement practice? Or are they the contemplations of the same tightly knit fraternity that continues to fall back on the mantra of past experiences and allegiances?”
The most important question you must ask as you review the above list is this: Given that the same players have been around for many decades, with a consistently high ProcureTech implementation failure rate, regardless of the technology era, what is different now?
Over the coming weeks, I will assess each of the above-listed ProcureTech implementation partners and share insights from not only Procurement Insights’ extensive and proprietary archives, but also from my more than 40 years of experience in high-tech and procurement.
NOTE: In the next post, I will provide a RAM 2025 4-Model Level 1 assessment of where each of the above-referenced firms stands regarding the Metaprise, agent-based modeling, and strand commonality.
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Procurement Insights
Is Spend Matters – Now The Hackett Group Swinging For the Fences With Loaded Bases?
Posted on June 12, 2025
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“Finally and this is key, have more confidence in your own team’s ability to understand and assess what needs to be done. Anytime a vendor or consultant makes a statement that what they have to offer will make you a better organization run, do not walk to the nearest exit. I have always considered an outsider’s proclamation that they know your business better than you do to be a foreboding sign of things to come. The fact is that the partners with whom you choose to work should possess the ability to understand your business and provide valuable insight without a preordained end result in mind.” – Dangerous Supply Chain Myths Revisited (Part 4): Internal & External Collaboration – A Desire versus Skill!, Procurement Insights (Originally published in May 2007)
In the context of the above excerpt from my May 2007 series, “Dangerous Supply Chain Myths,” I want to share the following email I received this Morning from Spend Matters following The Hackett Group acquisition. I will share my takeaway thoughts at the end.
Dear Jon,
We are excited to announce that Spend Matters, a Hackett Group Company, has released updated research on the Procurement Services market, specifically focusing on source-to-pay (S2P) implementation providers plus a new, downloadable guide.
Procurement technology capabilities as well as the solution market overall are expanding faster than ever before. However, organizations often face significant implementation barriers, making it difficult to fully leverage these advancements.
Our research underscores a crucial truth: it doesn’t matter how much an organization invests in new technologies if they are implemented poorly. After all, it takes people to implement tech; and it takes people to accept change and adopt new ways of doing things.
“We know that a successful transformation is not just about choosing the right technology — it’s about choosing the right partner to bring it to life”, says lead analyst Xavier Olivera.
This new research serves as a direct response to the primary pain points identified by our CPO Advisory Board: S2P technology selection and implementation via service partnerships. While we previously covered the broader procurement services market in 2021 with a nine-part series, this new iteration narrows our attention to these 11 providers that offer source-to-pay (S2P) implementation services:
Our analysts have meticulously profiled each vendor, applying the same data-driven, no pay-to-play scrutiny that has made their analyses of procurement technology a globally recognized benchmark. Each study participant underwent a rigorous RFI and scoring process, with all subsequent competency scores objectively verified by a Spend Matters analyst based solely on provided IP and case study documentation.
We are pleased to share our findings and insights, designed to help you bridge the gap between your vision and execution.
TODAY’S TAKEAWAY
Here is another excerpt from the same May 2007 Procurement Insights post:
“Conversely, the value of being on the front lines of procurement is that the feedback you receive is a true reflection of a present-day reality (or mindset) and not linked to a long-held belief that is the result of past corporate affiliations.
Over the past year or so, I have come to realize that a fair number of procurement initiative champions have been hired by end-user organizations that previously employed either a vendor or a consulting firm. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to believe that they bring a predisposition to their position in terms of their thinking.
For example, there was the senior government executive who was hired from IBM. And another that was recruited from a major financial institution with close ties to EDS. Even former managers from software companies such as Ariba have found their way into the executive suite. This begs the question: Are the results of reports such as the one authored by ISM, CAPS, and Kearney a true reflection of the issues that impact procurement practice? Or are they the contemplations of the same tightly knit fraternity that continues to fall back on the mantra of past experiences and allegiances?”
The most important question you must ask as you review the above list is this: Given that the same players have been around for many decades, with a consistently high ProcureTech implementation failure rate, regardless of the technology era, what is different now?
Over the coming weeks, I will assess each of the above-listed ProcureTech implementation partners and share insights from not only Procurement Insights’ extensive and proprietary archives, but also from my more than 40 years of experience in high-tech and procurement.
NOTE: In the next post, I will provide a RAM 2025 4-Model Level 1 assessment of where each of the above-referenced firms stands regarding the Metaprise, agent-based modeling, and strand commonality.
30
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