# The Procurement Playbook

> Eight vendors. One customer. Five clauses.

*P02 · Module M1 — The Economic Case · The CEO AI Playbook by Stephen Forte*

Canonical: https://academy.buildclub.com/m1/p02-procurement

## Thesis

Buy the platform. Build the integration. Demand the clauses.

## Key Takeaways

- Buy the platform. Build the integration. Demand the clauses.
- 8 — overlapping AI contracts at a typical midmarket company.
- ~30% — overlap on agent capabilities across those eight.
- 6+ — months to unwind a bad contract once signed.
- Demand a complete agent and AI-vendor inventory across business units within 14 days.

## Key Numbers

- **8** — overlapping AI contracts at a typical midmarket company. (Everest Group 2026 · industry coverage corroborated)
- **~30%** — overlap on agent capabilities across those eight. (Everest Group 2026)
- **6+** — months to unwind a bad contract once signed. (operator network interviews)

## What to Do Monday

- Demand a complete agent and AI-vendor inventory across business units within 14 days.
- Add the 5 clauses to your contract review checklist — no exceptions.
- Refuse the next agent contract without an outcome metric.
- Re-audit MSAs from your top 3 vendors and top 3 customers for embedded AI clauses.
- Name a single AI procurement owner with budget authority.

## FAQ

**What is the core idea of The Procurement Playbook?**

Buy the platform. Build the integration. Demand the clauses.

**What does the data say a CEO should pay attention to?**

8 overlapping AI contracts at a typical midmarket company. ~30% overlap on agent capabilities across those eight.

**What should a CEO do Monday morning after reading The Procurement Playbook?**

Start here: Demand a complete agent and AI-vendor inventory across business units within 14 days; Add the 5 clauses to your contract review checklist — no exceptions; Refuse the next agent contract without an outcome metric.

**Where do the claims in The Procurement Playbook come from?**

The playbook cites Everest Group 2026; The Register (Apr 28, 2026) — industry coverage; CEO interviews — operator network; Intercom Fin pricing.

## Sources

- [Everest Group 2026](https://www.everestgrp.com/)
- [The Register (Apr 28, 2026) — industry coverage](https://www.theregister.com/)
- CEO interviews — operator network
- [Intercom Fin pricing](https://www.intercom.com/fin)
- [HubSpot Breeze pricing](https://www.hubspot.com/products/artificial-intelligence)
- [Bloomberg — Anthropic enterprise share](https://www.bloomberg.com/)
- [Gartner 2026](https://www.gartner.com/)
- [Reuters — Musk SpaceX IPO conditions](https://www.reuters.com/)
- YPO Technology Network AI Daily Brief — Eight AI Vendors. One Customer. (May 12, 2026)
- [The Register (Apr 28, 2026)](https://www.theregister.com/)

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