MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 24, 2026--
The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCKT), a leading Gen AI consultancy and enterprise digital transformation firm, today released its 2025-2026 procurement provider lists, identifying emerging, leading and enduring solutions shaping the technology market.
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For over a decade, Spend Matters™ analysts who are now part of The Hackett Group ® have compiled these lists through rigorous evaluation of procurement technology providers informed by product demonstrations and data-driven analysis of market presence, technology competency, innovation and solution delivery across the procurement lifecycle.
For the 2025-2026 lists, The Hackett Group ® evaluated approximately 220 procurement technology vendors globally. Eligibility for inclusion was based on participation in product demonstrations, enabling a consistent and objective assessment across all vendors evaluated.
“Source-to-pay providers continue to populate our lists, but the 2025-2026 iteration features many new entrants from the intake and orchestration market, as well as providers leveraging AI in creative ways,” said Nikhil Gaur, director of strategic projects and research analyst at The Hackett Group ®. “These lists often serve as a starting point for organizations considering procurement software investments, and we believe that the providers listed reflect the market and deliver value to customers in areas across the procurement lifecycle.”
50 to Watch
The 50 to Watch recognizes relative newcomers pushing procurement technology forward with innovative solutions. This year, 11 vendors were added to the list, either through the acquisition of existing honorees or as new entrants. View the full list here.
50 to Know
The 50 to Know highlights established procurement providers that set the industry standard – firms every chief procurement officer should know. Four vendors moved from the “Watch” list this year, while three entered the “To Know” list directly bypassing Watch altogether. View the full list here.
Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame honors procurement providers that have demonstrated sustained market leadership and influence for 10 or more years – companies that have become synonymous with procurement technology itself. View the full list here.
Future 5
The Future 5 highlights procurement technology startups identified through year-round market monitoring. To qualify, startups must be less than five years old, have at least five customers, demonstrate innovative technology application, show clear momentum and sustainability, and have less than $10 million in revenue.
This year’s Future 5:
Learn more about the selection methodology here.
Webinar
The Hackett Group ® will host a free webinar on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, explaining the selection methodology and analysis behind this year’s lists. Register here.
Providers interested in being considered for next year’s lists should contact The Hackett Group ® to initiate the evaluation process.
About The Hackett Group ®
The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCKT) is a Gen AI strategic consulting and digital transformation firm that enables Digital World Class ® performance. Using Hackett AI XPLR™, ZBrain™, XT™, AIXelerator™, AskHackett™ and Quantum Leap ® platforms, the company’s experienced professionals and engineers help organizations realize the power of Gen AI from ideation through implementation to achieve quantifiable, breakthrough results with unprecedented speed, allowing it to be key architects of their Gen AI journey. The company’s expertise is grounded in unparalleled best practices insights from enterprise performance benchmarks from the world’s leading businesses – including 97% of the Dow Jones Industrials, 90% of the Fortune 100, 70% of the DAX 40 and 51% of the FTSE 100. Visit us at www.thehackettgroup.com.
Trademarks
The Hackett Group ®, quadrant logo, Digital World Class ® and Quantum Leap ® are the registered marks of The Hackett Group ®.
Cautionary Statement Regarding “Forward-Looking” Statements
This release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements including without limitation, words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” or other similar phrases or variations of such words or similar expressions indicating, present or future anticipated or expected occurrences or outcomes are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may impact such forward-looking statements include without limitation, the ability of The Hackett Group ® to effectively market its digital transformation, our ability to transition our capabilities to support generative artificial intelligence (AI)-related consulting services and solutions and other consulting services, our ability to effectively integrate acquisitions into our operations, our ability to manage joint ventures and successfully cooperate with our joint venture partners, competition from other consulting and technology companies that may have or develop in the future, similar offerings, the commercial viability of The Hackett Group ® and its services as well as other risk detailed in The Hackett Group’s reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Hackett Group ® does not undertake any duty to update this release or any forward-looking statements contained herein.
The Hackett Group® Solution Intelligence Procurement Technology Recognition Lists: "50 To Know," "50 To Watch," "Hall of Fame," and "Future 5"
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will use Tuesday’s State of the Union to champion his immigration crackdowns, his slashing of the federal government, his push to preserve widespread tariffs that the Supreme Court just struck down and his ability to direct quick-hit military actions around the world, including in Iran and Venezuela.
The Republican hopes he can convince increasingly wary Americans that his policies have improved their lives while ensuring that the U.S. economy is stronger than many believe — and that they should vote for more of the same in November.
The balancing act of celebrating his whirlwind first year back in the White House while making a convincing case for his party in midterm races where he personally won't be on the ballot is a tall order for any president. But it could prove especially delicate for Trump, given how happy he is to veer off script and ignore carefully crafted messaging.
A main theme will be that the country is booming with a rise in domestic manufacturing and new jobs, despite many Americans not feeling that way. “It’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about," said Trump, who promised a heavy dose of talk about the economy.
The president is also expected to decry the Supreme Court ruling against his signature tariff policies and talk about his attempts to maneuver around that decision without depending on Congress or spooking financial markets. He's also likely to urge lawmakers to increase military funding and tighten voter identification requirements, while defending immigration operations that have drawn bipartisan criticism following the shooting deaths of two American citizens.
Jeff Shesol, a former speechwriter for Democratic President Bill Clinton, said Trump has typically used State of the Union addresses to offer more conventional tones than his usual bombast — but he's still apt to exaggerate repeatedly.
“His job, for the sake of his party, is to show the silver lining,” Shesol said. “But if he’s going to insist that the silver lining is gold, no one’s buying it. And it will be a very difficult position on the campaign trail for Republicans to defend.”
Michael Waldman, Clinton's former chief speechwriter, said second-term presidents "have a tough job because what they all want to say is, ‘Hey, look what a great job I’ve been doing — why don’t you love me?’”
No matter what his prepared remarks say, Trump relishes deviating into personal grievances, meaning Tuesday will probably feature topics like denying that he lost the 2020 presidential election.
His lack of messaging discipline has been on display after concerns about high costs of living helped propel Democratic wins around the country on Election Day last November. The White House subsequently promised that the president would travel the country nearly every week to reassure Americans he was taking affordability seriously. But Trump has spent more time blaming Democrats and scoffing at the notion that kitchen-table issues demand attention.
Trump instead boasts of having tamed inflation and says he has the economy humming given that the Dow Jones Industrial Average recently exceeded 50,000 points for the first time.
Such gains don't feel tangible to those without stock portfolios, however. There also are persistent fears that tariffs stoked higher prices, which could eventually hurt the economy and job creation. Economic growth slowed the last three months of last year.
Waldman, now president of the Brennan Center for Justice, which advocates for democracy, civil liberties and fair elections, said previous presidents faced similar instances of “economic disquiet.”
That created a question of “how much do you sell vs. feeling the pain of the electorate,” he said.
Shesol noted that Trump has “always believed — going back to his real estate days — that he can sell anyone on anything.”
“He’s still doing that. But the problem is, you can’t tell somebody who has lost their job and can’t get a new one that things are going great,” Shesol said. “He can’t sell people on a reality that for them, and frankly for most Americans, does not exist.”
It is potentially politically perilous ahead of November elections that could deliver congressional wins to Democrats, just as 2018’s “blue wave” created a strong check to his administration during his first term.
Several Democrats in Congress, meanwhile, plan to skip Tuesday's speech in protest, instead attending a rally known as the “People's State of the Union” on Washington’s National Mall.
Trump's address comes as two U.S. aircraft carriers have been dispatched to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran.
The president will recount how U.S. airstrikes last summer pounded Tehran's nuclear capabilities, and laud the raid that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Nicolás Maduro, as well as his administration's brokering of a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
But he also strained U.S. military alliances with NATO, thanks to his push to seize Greenland from Denmark and his failure to take a harder line with Russian President Vladimir Putin in seeking an end to its war in Ukraine.
Making any foreign policy feel relevant to Americans back home is never easy.
Jennifer Anju Grossman, a former speechwriter for Republican President George H.W. Bush and current CEO of the Atlas Society, which promotes the ideas of author and philosopher Ayn Rand, said Trump can make clear that Maduro's socialist policies wrecked Venezuela's economy to the point where one of the world's richest oil countries struggled to meet its own energy needs.
Now, oil from that country will help lower American gas prices.
Still, when it comes to overseas developments, she said, “I think it’s going to be a bit of a challenge to make clear why this is relevant to the domestic situation.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters at the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Shown is the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, ahead of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Shown is the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, ahead of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Shown is the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, ahead of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Shown is the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, ahead of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Shown is the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, ahead of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The U .S. Capitol is seen after sunset in Washington, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, ahead of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
