Sign Up
  • August 19th, 11am ET

Procurement Metrics That Matter in 2026: What the Top 20% Do Differently

Procurement enters 2026 under real pressure. 79% of CPOs expect the year to be more challenging than the last, budgets are tighter, and savings has returned as the number one priority. Yet a small group of teams keeps pulling ahead. Ardent Partners’ latest benchmark research shows the top 20%, the Best-in-Class, place far more spend under management, run a far greater share of spend through competitive sourcing, and convert more of it into realized savings than everyone else. The gap is wide, it is measurable, and it is not luck.

Drawing on fresh data from 311 CPOs and senior procurement leaders, Andrew Bartolini of Ardent Partners and Alexa Bradley of Zycus reveal exactly how far ahead the leaders are, and what separates them from the pack. The session goes past the headlines into the specific capabilities, metrics, and decisions behind top performance, including where agentic AI is quietly starting to change the math on speed, savings, and compliance.

What you will take away:

  • The 2026 benchmarks that matter most, and how your organization really compares on spend under management, savings, compliance, and sourcing coverage
  • The specific practices that set Best-in-Class teams apart, and the size of the gap they have opened up
  • Where AI and agentic automation are delivering measurable results today, and where they are falling short
  • Why data quality and a connected foundation increasingly decide who wins
  • The practical moves procurement leaders can make in 2026 to close the gap

The full numbers, and how the top 20% got there, will be revealed live. Reserve your seat.

No content is added yet.

Speakers

A glimpse into who will inspire this conversation!

Andrew Bartolini

Founder and Chief Research Officer

Ardent Partners

Alexa Bradley

VP of Enterprise Sales

Zycus

REGISTER NOW

speaker bios

Andrew Bartolini
Founder and Chief Research Officer, Ardent Partners

Andrew Bartolini is one of the most influential voices in the global procurement and finance technology community, with more than two decades spent analyzing how technology, talent, and intelligence are reshaping procurement, accounts payable, and the future of work. As a leading industry analyst, his research and thought leadership reach hundreds of thousands of professionals each year through published reports, research briefs, webinars, and advisory engagements. He has built one of the largest and most engaged networks of procurement and AP executives worldwide, a community that looks to his work for data-driven insights and pragmatic guidance on best practices and solution selection.

Alexa Bradley
VP of Enterprise Sales, Zycus

Alexa Bradley is a senior enterprise sales executive known for driving growth and strategic partnerships across the procurement technology, financial technology, and digital supply chain sectors. Over a career spanning leading technology providers, she has helped large enterprises modernize procurement, payments, and supplier collaboration through innovative SaaS platforms and digital transformation initiatives. She specializes in guiding organizations through procurement and supply chain transformation across industries including financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, and global distribution, partnering closely with C-suite and procurement leaders to align technology strategy with measurable business outcomes and operational resilience. Alexa is also a strong advocate for women in business and leadership, actively supporting mentorship and greater representation of women in technology.