Essen Medical Associates
Month-over-Month Procurement Analysis

Period: Jan 2024 to Feb 2026 (26 months)  |  1,888 line items  |  Generated: April 2026

Executive Summary

$319,349.41
Average Monthly Spend
$889,560.80
Highest Month (2026-02)
$159,779.98
Lowest Month (2024-11)
11
Months with >30% Swing
$244,107.04
Median Monthly SW Spend
Increasing
Recent 3-Month Trend (+86%)

Volatility Pattern

Monthly procurement spend ranges from $159,779.98 (2024-11) to $889,560.80 (2026-02) — a 5.6x spread. Of 26 months, 11 experienced swings exceeding 30%. This volatility is driven by episodic large purchases (BlackBerry $554K in Aug 2024, Barracuda $536K in Feb 2026, Amazon $99K in Dec 2025) layered on top of a relatively steady software baseline.

Software Baseline vs Event-Driven Spikes

The software baseline runs at a median of $244,107.04/month, anchored by Microsoft Azure (averaging ~$188K/month and growing 52% year-over-year) plus Office 365 (~$30-36K/month), NinjaOne, and other recurring licenses. This baseline is the true operating cost. The volatility comes from two sources: (1) large annual software renewals (Barracuda $536K in Feb 2026, BlackBerry $554K in Aug 2024) and (2) episodic hardware bulk orders. Separating the ~$244,107.04 recurring baseline from event-driven purchases is essential for budget predictability.

Recent Trend

The most recent 3-month average ($570,093) is increasing compared to the prior 3 months ($307,099), a +86% shift. The February 2026 Barracuda renewal ($536K) is the primary driver of the recent increase.

Spend Swing Drivers

The table below identifies every month with a 30%+ swing and the vendor that drove the change. In almost every case, a single vendor accounts for the majority of the swing — this is not broad-based spend fluctuation but concentrated, event-driven procurement. This pattern is manageable through advance procurement planning and renewal calendaring.

Monthly Spend & MoM Change

Month-over-Month Detail

26 months shown
MonthSpendMoM ChangeMoM %HW SpendSW SpendHW UnitsLine ItemsTop Vendor
2024-01$221,888.38$47,489.60$162,161.754083MICROSOFT
2024-02$196,610.69-$25,277.69-11.4%$59,528.34$124,015.493790MICROSOFT
2024-03$176,345.65-$20,265.04-10.3%$4,738.36$158,877.60-366MICROSOFT
2024-04$347,453.02$171,107.37+97.0%$85,034.16$232,771.2884117MICROSOFT
2024-05$302,541.72-$44,911.30-12.9%$0$288,597.91058MICROSOFT
2024-06$289,435.98-$13,105.74-4.3%$14,839.86$244,107.041465MICROSOFT
2024-07$188,614.98-$100,821.00-34.8%$11,659.89$160,557.301161MICROSOFT
2024-08$830,283.97$641,668.99+340.2%$10,599.90$802,316.911066BLACKBERRY
2024-09$249,384.34-$580,899.63-70.0%$28,454.73$205,437.123379MICROSOFT
2024-10$269,105.05$19,720.71+7.9%$59,624.59$202,122.61130124MICROSOFT
2024-11$159,779.98-$109,325.07-40.6%$31,576.60$122,647.947063MICROSOFT
2024-12$239,733.85$79,953.87+50.0%$56,244.24$175,614.6111271MICROSOFT
2025-01$289,319.83$49,585.98+20.7%$23,848.45$265,504.776868MICROSOFT
2025-02$211,875.82-$77,444.01-26.8%$14,151.38$197,059.661059MICROSOFT
2025-03$219,633.81$7,757.99+3.7%$9,773.88$209,859.93758MICROSOFT
2025-04$321,616.82$101,983.01+46.4%$0$321,616.82051MICROSOFT
2025-05$286,420.93-$35,195.89-10.9%$0$286,420.93055MICROSOFT
2025-06$273,486.44-$12,934.49-4.5%$0$273,486.44053MICROSOFT
2025-07$350,260.47$76,774.03+28.1%$32,520.92$317,739.554380MICROSOFT
2025-08$247,716.16-$102,544.31-29.3%$28,152.12$219,564.047092MICROSOFT
2025-09$348,742.03$101,025.87+40.8%$28,929.89$319,458.983185MICROSOFT
2025-10$273,064.39-$75,677.64-21.7%$38,159.40$234,904.994584MICROSOFT
2025-11$299,490.13$26,425.74+9.7%$3,710.99$295,446.75257MICROSOFT
2025-12$488,146.60$188,656.47+63.0%$88,397.29$399,416.929178MICROSOFT
2026-01$332,572.76-$155,573.84-31.9%$10,457.67$322,115.091165MICROSOFT
2026-02$889,560.80$556,988.04+167.5%$45,822.42$843,738.384560BARRACUDA NETWORKS

Spend Volatility — Months with >30% Swings

11 months experienced dramatic spend swings. The driver column shows which vendor accounted for the largest portion of the change.

PeriodChange %$ ChangePrimary DriverDriver $ Change
2024-07 → 2024-08+340%$641,668.99BLACKBERRY$554,000
2026-01 → 2026-02+168%$556,988.04BARRACUDA NETWORKS$535,788
2024-03 → 2024-04+97%$171,107.37BARRACUDA NETWORKS$71,100
2024-08 → 2024-09-70%-$580,899.63BLACKBERRY-$554,000.00
2025-11 → 2025-12+63%$188,656.47AMAZON$98,582.86
2024-11 → 2024-12+50%$79,953.87ASSET PANDA$26,479.15
2025-03 → 2025-04+46%$101,983.01BARRACUDA NETWORKS$71,100
2025-08 → 2025-09+41%$101,025.87MICROSOFT$59,754.84
2024-10 → 2024-11-41%-$109,325.07MICROSOFT-$41,845.54
2024-06 → 2024-07-35%-$100,821.00NINJAONE-$53,553.44
2025-12 → 2026-01-32%-$155,573.84AMAZON-$91,613.39

Swing Analysis

The +340% spike in August 2024 was driven by the one-time BlackBerry Spark Suite purchase ($554K). The +168% spike in February 2026 was the Barracuda email protection renewal ($536K). Both are predictable annual events that should be calendared and budgeted in advance. The remaining swings correlate with hardware bulk orders (April 2024: 84 units, October 2024: 130 units, December 2025: 91 units) timed to refresh cycles.

3-Month Rolling Average

Category Trend (Last 6 Months)

Category2025-092025-102025-112025-122026-012026-02
OTHER SOFTWARE$319,458.98$234,904.99$295,446.75$383,846.92$322,115.09$843,738.38
NOTEBOOKS$27,343.01$26,257.80$3,710.99$38,741.29$10,457.67$15,754.68
DESKTOPS$1,586.88$11,901.60$0$49,656$0$30,067.74
CDCT CONSULTING SERVICES$0$0$0$0$0$0
OFFICE WORKER$0$0$0$15,570$0$0
INTELLIGENT APPLICATIONS$0$0$0$0$0$0

Recommendations

High Priority

1. Build a Renewal Calendar

The 2 largest spend spikes (BlackBerry $554K, Barracuda $536K) were annual renewals. Calendar all license renewal dates 90+ days out to enable negotiation and budget allocation.

High Priority

2. Separate Recurring from Event Spend

The ~$244,107.04/month software baseline is predictable. Track it separately from hardware purchases and one-time licenses. Budget the baseline as fixed, and hardware as quarterly capex.

Medium Priority

3. Batch Hardware Procurement

Hardware orders are sporadic (0-130 units/month). Consolidating into quarterly procurement windows smooths spend and improves volume pricing.

Medium Priority

4. Set MoM Variance Alerts

With 11 months showing 30%+ swings, implement automated alerts when monthly spend exceeds 120% of the 3-month rolling average to catch unexpected costs early.