The New Urgency Around Tail Spend
For years, tail spend has been seen as a transactional nuisance—an area too complex to manage effectively. But today, AI, automation and regulatory demands are reshaping how procurement leaders tackle tail spend. It’s no longer just about cost reduction; it’s about visibility, risk management and business resilience.
This webinar goes beyond the “why” and dives into the “how”—the strategies, technologies and best practices that leading organizations are using to gain control over tail spend.
Join Russell Jaques, a leader in AP automation and procurement transformation at Medius, as he and Anna Bjärkerud at EBG | Network explores how organizations are leveraging technology to turn tail spend from a challenge into a strategic advantage.
Date: March 26th, 2025
Time: 10:00-10:45 AM CET (we will extend the session with up to 15 min if needed)
Place: Your computer/tablet/phone
Language: English
Cost: Free of charge but requires registration
Organizer: EBG | Network & Medius
What is Tail Spend?
Tail spend refers to the portion of an organization’s procurement expenditures that comprises a high volume of low-value transactions, typically accounting for about 80% of transactions but only 20% of total spend. This segment often includes one-off purchases, maverick spending (unauthorized or off-contract purchases) and other low-value transactions that bypass standard procurement processes.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
Effectively managing tail spend is crucial, as neglecting it can lead to missed cost-saving opportunities, increased risks and inefficiencies. Traditional procurement strategies have focused on high-value strategic categories, but now organizations are realizing the financial and compliance risks hidden in tail spend.
Tail spend can harbor hidden compliance, legal and financial risks, such as:
✔ Untracked suppliers operating in sanctioned regions—posing legal exposure (e.g., Russia sanctions).
✔ ESG compliance failures—increased regulatory scrutiny under the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.
✔ Spend leakage—research from past studies suggests that 15% to 30% of procurement spend is lost due to non-compliant purchasing and inefficiencies. While the data is somewhat dated, it highlights the persistent challenges in unmanaged procurement.
✔ The risk of fragmented purchasing channels—a finding from the Amazon Business 2024 State of Procurement Report underscores that AI-driven procurement tools are critical for identifying and mitigating unauthorized purchases in real time.
Tail Spend & Risk: A Strategic Imperative
How to Overcome Non-Compliant Purchases & Maverick Spend
One of the biggest challenges in tail spend is fragmented purchasing across multiple channels. How can procurement teams regain control while maintaining agility and ease of use?
🔹 How can guided buying strategies create a seamless, compliant purchasing experience?
🔹 How do automated approvals and AI-driven workflows proactively block maverick spend?
🔹 What role does real-time spend visibility play in preventing policy violations before they occur?
🔹 Who benefits most from a fully integrated procurement and expense management approach?
How to Segment & Analyze Tail Spend for Deeper Insights
Organizations struggle to make sense of fragmented tail spend data. How can technology bring structure and insights to uncontrolled spend?
📊 How does AI-powered segmentation instantly surface savings opportunities and risk indicators?
📊 How does automated anomaly detection pinpoint rogue transactions before they escalate?
📊 What strategies help procurement teams proactively manage supplier risks?
All who register will receive the slides and recording! Make sure to >>register here for the webinar.
About Medius
Medius links invoice capture, processing and payment to replace the worry and wondering of managing AP with calm and confidence. Medius goes far beyond basic automation by using artificial intelligence to do most of the work – so invoices get confirmed, coded and paid and businesses can trust their budgets and forecasts. Medius, on a mission to transform the spend management