Vendor data complexity outpaces organizations' capabilities, Hackett Group study finds
HCKT•The Hackett Group's 2026 study found supplier complexity is outpacing organizations' capabilities. Annual onboarding and maintenance costs average $182 per vendor among organizations tracking costs, while 94% of respondents are concerned about vendor payment fraud and impersonation.
1. Supplier management challenges
The Hackett Group's 2026 vendor management study found that 58% of respondents manage more than 5,000 active vendors globally, and 49% process more than 5,000 supplier data changes annually. Onboarding remains mostly manual or partially automated at 66% of organizations, while 53% have partially centralized or decentralized governance. Among organizations tracking costs, annual onboarding and maintenance average $182 per vendor, implying staffing costs above $1 million for the average organization. Vendor payment fraud and impersonation concern 94% of respondents, and 37% experience frequent or very frequent vendor data issues.
