Executive Summary
Procurement's remit continues to grow and a new report by Ardent Partners, Procurement Metrics That Matter in 2026, captures a profession under pressure to deliver more in an increasingly complex environment.
Based on a survey of 311 CPOs and senior procurement executives, the report, sponsored by GEP, frames 2026 as a year of competing realities: 79% of CPOs expect 2026 to be more challenging, yet 75% expect stronger performance from their teams, a tension attributed to procurement’s evolution from a savings function into a strategic business partner that drives resilience.
As procurement takes on a broader role, the report argues that knowing what to measure is becoming just as important as delivering results.
The findings show that cost savings remains a top priority, cited by 75% of CPOs.
At the same time, speed and cycle-time reduction (61%) and cost savings and margin protection (58%) are shaping tech and AI investment priorities, together pointing to a function under pressure to move faster while still proving measurable impact.
AI emerges as a defining theme.
Nearly 60% of organizations have AI initiatives underway, 35% are piloting AI use cases and 22% have already deployed AI in live operations.
Meanwhile, 61% of CPOs view AI as a productivity and scale enabler, signalling that it is becoming an integral part of procurement operations rather than just an experiment.
Together, these insights and benchmarks help procurement leaders evaluate current performance accurately and identify improvement opportunities.
Read the full report.
FAQs
With 79% of CPOs expecting 2026 to be more challenging and 75% expecting stronger performance, benchmarking provides an objective way to assess performance, identify improvement opportunities and understand how leading procurement organizations are setting the pace.
The report identifies savings, spend under management, competitive sourcing, supplier enablement and contract-compliant spend as the core benchmarks of procurement performance. It also introduces best-in-class benchmarks, helping organizations compare their results with those of top-performing procurement teams.
The report finds that organizations are investing in AI and procurement technology to address specific business priorities. Speed and cycle-time reduction (61%) and cost savings and margin protection (58%) are the leading drivers of procurement technology investment, reflecting the need to improve efficiency while delivering measurable value.
AI is moving from experimentation to execution. Nearly 60% of organizations have AI initiatives underway, 35% are piloting AI use cases and 22% have deployed AI in live operations. The report also finds that 61% of CPOs view AI as a productivity and scale enabler, signalling AI’s growing role in everyday operations.