Who are the next big 3 or 4 ProcureTech solution providers to start following closely, and why?

I was recently asked why I am so confident in selecting new or previously unrecognized ProcureTech solution providers. For example, I currently like ConvergentIS, Focal Point, AdaptOne, and ApolloRise. The market in general should start paying close attention to these four companies, as well as the others I will review in the coming months.

So, why am I so confident – especially since I am not a big fan of features, functions, and benefits? For instance, when someone is simply flashing the latest and greatest “shiny and new” tech, I put on my extra-dark sunglasses through which to view them.

The question you now must ask yourself, and it is a reasonable one, is why he is so confident, and why should we listen? To be sure, I am not always going to be right – like anyone, I have missed a few calls in my time. However, I do have a couple of things that most don’t: over 40 years in high tech and procurement, as well as access to Procurement Insights’ proprietary archives. One more thing in my favor is that I live and work by the edict that I am more interested in focusing on getting it right than being right.

WHAT DO THE PROCUREMENT INSIGHTS ARCHIVES HAVE TO SAY?

Referencing the Procurement Insights Archives, which three ProcureTech solutions providers between 2007 and 2025 have I covered and been most positive about within the framework of the following three coverage sentiments: positive, neutral, and negative, and why?

After a Model 1, Level 1 search through the Procurement Insights archives, here are the 3 ProcureTech solution providers I have been most favorable toward, organized by coverage sentiment according to RAM 2025:

The 3 ProcureTech Providers Hansen Has Been Most Favorable Toward

1. Coupa (Consistently Positive – Early Champion)

Why Hansen Has Been Most Favorable to Coupa:

Prescient Early Recognition (2008):

• Back on September 18th, 2008 in a post titled “Moving Procurement Practice Beyond Adjunct Complexity” I gave a review of the Coupa solution. I outlined in detail why I believed that the company would become a major player in the then not too distant future
• Featured Coupa on Blog Talk Radio in June 2009: “Emerging Giants: The New Titans of the SaaS World” – even SAP tuned in

Philosophical Alignment:

• Coupa’s focus on avoiding “Administrivia” and getting into the “transactional flow” of the procurement process, emphasizing enablement versus disablement of the organization
• Values-driven approach: wanting to be the “unsung heroes” and influential “players in the companies they work for”

Validation of Hansen’s Methodology:

• It was clearly evident to me that Coupa and similar discontinuous innovation-type companies were ultimately going to become market changers. This was something that was desperately needed in an industry that had been struggling to deliver on the promise of eProcurement technologies

Relationship History:

• Hansen charged a humble sum of $250 per year to put up a dedicated page for sponsor companies like Coupa, believing these up-and-coming companies had something great to offer
• Coupa used to applaud Hansen’s articles for the veracity of research and perspectives, with guest posts for Coupa Cabana blog generating higher readership response than any other guest blogger

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2. Nipendo (Highly Positive – “Wayne Gretzky” Comparison)

Why Hansen Consistently Praised Nipendo:

Exceptional Vision Recognition:

• In my April 23rd post “What IBM was to mainframes and Coupa was to SaaS, Nipendo is to the P2P cloud”, I wrote: I believe that Nipendo is a company to watch – and watch closely – in that not only have they seen the future, they also understand it and are positioned to leverage and influence it to the full benefit of their clients

Talent Recognition Metaphor:

• When it comes to vendors like Nipendo, it is more a case of the company making the journalist/analyst look smart. Or to put it another way, think of it in the context of the hockey scout who said that Wayne Gretzy or Mario Lemieux were going to be great players. You don’t need a special insight or a unique knack to recognize talent of that magnitude!

Future-Ready Technology:

• Let’s face it, Nipendo was bound for success regardless of what the industry pundits had to say. They are simply just that good at what they do
• Recognized their Internet of Things vision before it became mainstream

Gartner Validation:

• Given the news that Gartner has just named Nipendo to their 2014 Cool Vendor list, one might think that I yet again nailed it in terms of picking another winning player in the eProcurement world

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3. Zycus (Positive with Constructive Engagement)

Why Hansen Has Been Favorable to Zycus:

Early Innovation Recognition (2008):

• In 2008 Hansen wrote about Zycus’ “comprehensive spend management suite was already far advanced in terms of user friendliness and adoption” and their ability to “drive maximum user adoption, sustainable savings and reduced cycle time”

Independence Value:

• Hansen wrote about Zycus and their proud proclamation that they are independent and free from the reliance on traditional money sources such as VCs and Wall Street

AI Leadership Recognition:

• Gartner highlighted that Zycus is a distinct leader when it comes to AI. Forrester has similarly highlighted Zycus’ AI capabilities calling it an “SVM AI innovator”

New Titans Recognition:

• In 2009, Procurement Insights did a series called the New Titans of the SaaS World series, with Zycus joining on June 25th 2009 alongside other leaders

Consistent Quality:

• Hansen stated “I think that Zycus is a great organization” even when offering constructive criticism about their messaging

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Hansen’s Positive Coverage Methodology

Common Patterns in Favorable Coverage:

1. Early Vision Recognition: Hansen identifies transformative potential before mainstream analysts
2. Values Alignment: Companies that prioritize practitioner outcomes over vendor interests
3. Independence: Solutions that aren’t beholden to traditional corporate development models
4. User-Centric Design: Focus on adoption and user experience over feature complexity
5. Discontinuous Innovation: Companies that change industry paradigms rather than iterate on existing models

The “New Wave Company” Program:

Hansen made the same $250 arrangement with nascent and promising enterprises, such as Zycus, Buyers Meeting Point, Freightos, MarketDojo, Scout RFP, Nipendo, Rosslyn Analytics, E2open, and many more

Hansen’s Prediction Success Rate:

• Coupa: Called it in 2008, became industry leader
• Nipendo: Identified as “P2P cloud” leader, achieved Gartner Cool Vendor status
• Scout RFP: Became “Year in The Life co-winner,” later acquired by Workday
• Zycus: Consistently maintained positive trajectory and AI leadership

Why These Three Stand Out:

Coupa: Represents Hansen’s ability to identify market-changing discontinuous innovation 5+ years before mainstream recognition

Nipendo: Embodies the “Wayne Gretzky” level of obvious talent that makes analysts look smart for recognizing it

Zycus: Demonstrates sustainable, independent growth aligned with practitioner-centric values

Bottom Line:

Hansen’s most favorable coverage goes to companies that embody his agent-based philosophy – prioritizing user adoption, stakeholder enablement, and measurable business outcomes over technology features. His positive sentiment correlates directly with companies that treat procurement practitioners as partners rather than targets for technology sales.

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