Arkestro Named a Representative Vendor in the Gartner® Market Guide for Sourcing Applications for the Second Time in a Row

Our Take on What the Gartner® Report Signals for Procurement Teams

Procurement teams are operating in a faster and more volatile environment, but most sourcing tools are still built around managing events rather than influencing how those events play out.

These limitations are becoming harder to ignore as pricing changes more frequently and negotiation windows tighten. The pressure is no longer just to run sourcing processes efficiently, but to make better decisions inside them.

We believe the latest Gartner® Market Guide reflects how the category is beginning to evolve in response, and we’re proud to be recognized as a Representative Vendor for Sourcing Applications.

Sourcing Tools Are Still Built Around the Process

Most sourcing tools are designed to support the mechanics of running an event, but much of the work still sits outside of them.

Procurement teams often move between email and spreadsheets to prepare data and communicate with suppliers. Even when a platform is used, it may only cover part of the process.

That creates a big disconnect. Decisions around pricing, supplier selection, and timing are still largely shaped outside the platform, relying on experience and whatever information is available at the time.

The Real Leverage Sits Inside the Event

The outcome of a sourcing event isn’t determined by how well it’s managed, but by how decisions are made within it.

Where teams anchor pricing, which suppliers they engage, and how they respond as the event unfolds all have a direct impact on the result.

In fast-moving markets, those decisions need to happen earlier and with more structure. Reacting to supplier quotes after the fact becomes much less efficient as conditions change.

The Category is Shifting Toward Embedded Decision-Making

What’s beginning to change is where more attention is being placed.

To us, the 2026 Gartner Market Guide points to continued investment in AI, automation, and emerging capabilities like intelligent negotiation. These are early, but they reflect a broader effort to support procurement teams more directly within sourcing workflows.

Rather than relying only on what happens after bids are submitted, some of this functionality is starting to show up earlier in the process.

This includes more support in how pricing is approached, how suppliers are engaged, and how events are structured from the beginning.

We’re already seeing this with Arkestro customers, where procurement sets the starting point for pricing and supplier engagement, instead of reacting to supplier quotes.

Where This Leaves Procurement Teams

This shift is still developing, but it’s becoming clearer how procurement teams will need to operate going forward.

The ability to run events efficiently will remain important, but it will not be enough on its own. Teams will need to bring more consistency into how sourcing decisions are approached, especially as conditions continue to change.

For many, that starts with looking more closely at how pricing is set, how suppliers are engaged, and how much of that work is supported today. That’s where procurement teams are beginning to focus, and where we see the most meaningful impact with our customers. Download the report for a useful perspective of what’s changing and what to pay closer attention to.

Gartner, Market Guide for Sourcing Applications, Lynne Phelan, Magnus Bergfors, 2 March 2026

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