Maverick spend is purchasing made outside approved suppliers, contracts, catalogues, or procurement procedures. It can reduce negotiated savings, weaken visibility, and introduce supplier, compliance, or payment risk even when the underlying purchase is legitimate.
How does Maverick spend work in practice?
Maverick spend appears when a purchase is made outside the approved supplier, contract or buying process. It can begin with a legitimate urgent need, poor catalog coverage or simple non-compliance. Procurement should identify the root cause, connect the transaction to the responsible budget owner and decide whether to correct the channel, enforce policy or approve an exception.
Quick reference for Maverick spend
| Check | What it means for the transaction |
|---|---|
| Category | Procurement and sourcing |
| Record to keep | Keep the requirement, requester, supplier response, evaluator and approval together when they apply. |
| Do not infer | Do not treat a sourcing record as a purchase order, invoice or proof of delivery unless that later document has actually been issued. |
