Procurement Research » Maverick Spend & Compliance Benchmark 2026
Maverick Spend & Compliance Benchmark 2026
· 8 min read
The Maverick Spend & Compliance Benchmark 2026 measures buying that happens outside agreed contracts, catalogs and approvals — and what it costs. Using representative figures, it shows a significant share of indirect spend typically goes off-contract at higher prices, and that catalogs plus approval workflows can move most of it back on-contract.
Maverick spend — buying outside agreed suppliers, catalogs or approvals — is the quiet tax on procurement. This benchmark shows how much of it there usually is, what it costs in higher prices and lost control, and how much catalogs and approvals recover. All figures are clearly-labelled representative values.
What maverick spend is
Maverick (or 'off-contract') spend is any buying that skips the agreed process — a different supplier, a non-catalog item, or a purchase made without the required approval. It usually happens for understandable reasons: urgency, convenience, or simply not knowing the agreed route.
The cost is real: off-contract purchases miss negotiated pricing, escape budget checks, and leave gaps in the audit trail — undermining both savings and compliance.
Why controls beat crackdowns
Maverick spend is best reduced by making the compliant path the easy path, not by policing people. When the agreed catalog is fast to order from and approvals are built into the flow, buyers default to compliance because it is the least-effort option.
Catalogs anchor buyers to negotiated pricing; approval workflows enforce budget and policy before money is committed; and analytics make any remaining off-contract buying visible so it can be addressed at the source.
What the data shows
In the representative benchmark below, a meaningful share of indirect spend starts off-contract, and off-contract purchases carry a noticeable price premium over catalog pricing. Introducing a catalog and approval workflow moves the large majority of that spend back on-contract.
The recovered value is twofold: the price premium eliminated on the moved spend, plus the restored budget control and audit trail that off-contract buying had been eroding.
Key takeaways
- A meaningful share of indirect spend starts off-contract, at a price premium.
- Off-contract buying erodes savings, budget control and the audit trail at once.
- Make compliance the easy path with catalogs and built-in approvals — don't just police it.
- Controls move the large majority of off-contract spend back on-contract.
About these figures
Representative benchmark — the figures in this report are illustrative model values, synthesised from Lapasar Mall's own public ROI assumptions and widely-published industry ranges. They are provided for benchmarking discussion and planning, not as the results of an audited primary survey. Use them as directional reference points, not audited statistics.
Key findings
- 20–40% — of indirect spend typically starts off-contract: Driven by urgency, convenience and unclear buying routes.
- 5–15% — price premium on off-contract vs. catalog purchases: Off-contract buying misses negotiated pricing.
- Most of it — moves back on-contract once catalogs & approvals make compliance the easy path: Controls work better than crackdowns.
The data
| Category | Value (%) |
|---|---|
| On-contract — before controls | 68% |
| Off-contract — before controls | 32% |
| On-contract — after controls | 90% |
| Off-contract — after controls | 10% |
Representative model — illustrative figures for benchmarking discussion, not an audited survey.
Key takeaways
- A meaningful share of indirect spend starts off-contract, at a price premium.
- Off-contract buying erodes savings, budget control and the audit trail at once.
- Make compliance the easy path with catalogs and built-in approvals — don't just police it.
- Controls move the large majority of off-contract spend back on-contract.
Sources & further reading
- Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) — Official Malaysian economic, business and SME statistics.
- SME Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp) — SME development data, definitions and the annual SME report.
- The Hackett Group — Procurement compliance and performance benchmarking.
- Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) — Guidance on purchasing compliance and controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reduce maverick spend without slowing people down?
Make the compliant route the fastest route. A well-stocked catalog that is quick to order from, with approvals built into the flow, means buyers default to compliance because it is the least-effort option — no policing required.
Why is off-contract buying more expensive?
Because it skips negotiated pricing. Off-contract purchases are made ad-hoc, often under time pressure, so they miss the catalog rates your volume has earned — typically a mid-single-digit to low-double-digit percentage premium.
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