The margin you borrow

In this episode we explore why commercial firms turn away from government contracts despite having technologies and capabilities the public sector needs — and how government buyers can reduce the financial, operational and commercial uncertainties that make participation unattractive.

In this episode we explore why continuous planning can only be as effective as the contracts beneath it — and how making the commercial portfolio visible, dynamic and outcome-focused can give CFOs a more accurate view of future cost, revenue and risk.In this episode we welcome a guest host, Issy Drinkall, Director of Strategic Alliances, Americas, World Commerce & Contracting. View the series and supporting insight papers Register for the supporting January 2027 webinar

In this episode we explore the hidden cost of cost cutting — and how CFOs can distinguish genuine margin improvement from savings that simply defer risk into future customer, supplier and financial performance.In this episode we welcome a guest host, Issy Drinkall, Director of Strategic Alliances, Americas, World Commerce & Contracting.View the series and supporting insight papersRegister for the supporting January 2027 webinar

In this episode we explore why revenue growth is failing to translate into margin growth, and how a more integrated commercial operating model could help reduce value erosion while strengthening resilience.View the series and supporting insight papers Register for the supporting January 2027 webinar

In this episode, we explore how organizations can turn fragmented commercial data into actionable intelligence – giving CFOs greater visibility of emerging risks, opportunities, and future financial performance.View the series and supporting insight papersRegister for the supporting January 2027 webinar

Recorded live at NCMA’s World Congress, Nikki Mackay is joined by PwC Partners and CLM Leaders Seth Claus and Mike Stetz to explore what it really takes to transform contract management at scale. Drawing on their experience advising some of the largest U.S. federal primes, Seth and Mike unpack the common misconceptions that can derail CLM transformation and explore how the right approach can deliver value far beyond efficiency and risk reduction. The conversation looks at CLM’s place within the broader enterprise technology stack, where AI is genuinely changing outcomes today, and where expectations may still be running ahead of reality. They also share the critical decisions organizations need to get right from the outset to turn CLM transformation into lasting business value. 

Analizar cómo está evolucionando la relación entre Legal y Procurement, dónde persisten los principales puntos de fricción y qué oportunidades existen para que ambas funciones trabajen de forma más integrada y generen mayor valor para el negocio. El episodio explorará no solo roles y responsabilidades, sino también cultura, prioridades, formas de trabajo y el impacto creciente de la tecnología y la IA en esta relación.https://ccm.institute/research/publications/details/the-procurement---legal-relationship

Recorded live at NCMA’s World Congress, Nikki Mackay is joined by Nancy Patel, Vice President of Go-To-Market at Unison, to explore how technology is reshaping the business of government and the future of federal contracting. Drawing on more than two decades of experience spanning software engineering, cybersecurity, defense, and public sector leadership, Nancy shares how her technical and business background has shaped her view of the problems technology should be solving. The conversation explores what organizations gain when they connect contract lifecycle management with cost engineering, creating a more complete picture of cost, risk, and performance. Nancy also discusses where AI is genuinely helping to simplify complex data, regulations, and workflows, where the hype may still be ahead of reality, and the broader shifts needed to make government contracting more efficient, connected, and transparent. 

Recorded live at NCMA's World Congress, this episode brings a perspective The Leading Edge doesn't feature often: the view from inside a software vendor building the tools that power acquisition at scale. Host Nikki Mackay sits down with Paul Zammit, Director of Product Marketing for AI and Platform at Ivalua, whose agentic acquisition software is used by ten U.S. states and major defense contractors alike.Sitting close to both Ivalua's Chief Product Officer and Chief AI Officer, Paul offers a rare, grounded read on where AI in acquisition actually stands — cutting through the marketing hype to talk about what's genuinely deliverable today. The conversation digs into whether government and defense buyers face fundamentally different barriers to AI adoption or share the same underlying challenges, unpacks what "agentic" really means in practice versus repackaged automation, and pushes past the usual efficiency narrative to explore the dimensions of change in acquisition that aren't getting enough attention.A candid, vendor's-eye complement to the government and industry voices this series usually features — and a reminder that this shift is about far more than shaving time off a procurement cycle.

Recorded live at NCMA World Congress in Florida, this special episode of The Leading Edge explores one of the defining tensions in government contracting: how to move faster without sacrificing control.Nikki Mackay is joined by Deniece Peterson, Vice President of Market Analysis at Deltek, to unpack findings from the 2026 Government Contracting Clarity benchmark. They discuss what separates top-performing contractors, why pricing defensibility has become a strategic priority, how AI and accelerated procurement are reshaping delivery, and the capabilities contractors need to build now to stay competitive.A timely conversation about why, for leading organizations, speed and control aren’t competing priorities, they’re disciplines that must evolve together.