R.I.P. Maverick Spend: When Buying Stuff Was Hard

It all started this morning, on a typical Fun Friday here at 1-CP, when one of our bright-eyed developers innocently asked, "Hey, what's 'maverick spend'? - Do people know this term?" Clearly, the poor soul had never experienced the nail-biting thrill of booking a last-minute flight directly at the vendors' website, praying that the CFO would reimburse him for the suspiciously late booking outside the normal process.

To give our colleague a taste of the "good old days," we turned to our trusty AI companion (who, thankfully, remembers a time before 1-Click-Procurement bliss) for an answer. The result? A hilarious and surprisingly accurate dictionary entry that perfectly captures the chaos and confusion of pre-1-CP business travel.

We loved it so much, we just had to share it with you! So buckle up and prepare for a trip down memory lane, as we revisit the bygone era of maverick spend, a time when even booking a simple flight could trigger a corporate panic attack. But fear not, dear reader, for this is also a tale of triumph, of how technology swooped in to save the day and usher in a new age of one-click travel bliss.

(Now, without further ado, here's the AI-generated dictionary entry that started it all...)

Maverick Spend

/mav·er·ick spend/ (noun)

1. (circa 2010s) A dreaded phenomenon in the corporate world, often whispered in hushed tones and accompanied by nervous glances. Referred to any travel booking made outside approved channels, usually involving frantic emails, cryptic spreadsheets, and the phrase "But I couldn't find anything in our tool!" CFOs would break out in hives at the mere mention of it. Travel departments would barricade themselves in their offices to avoid it. Employees would develop elaborate schemes to circumvent it (often involving disguises and fake mustaches).

Example: "Brenda's last-minute trip to Fiji for a "coconut industry conference" (which suspiciously coincided with her birthday) caused a maverick spend incident that resulted in a company-wide travel ban, the installation of GPS trackers on all employees, and a mandatory seminar on the ethical implications of piña coladas."

2. (circa 2024) A quaint and nostalgic term, much like "payphones" or "travel agents." Following the widespread adoption of 1-CP (1-Click Procurement) software, "maverick spend" became a relic of the past. Employees could now book flights, hotels, and even camel rides with a single click, all while adhering to company policy and budget. CFOs slept soundly, travel departments finally emerged from their bunkers, and employees enjoyed stress-free (and surprisingly affordable) business trips.

Example: "Grandpa, tell us the story about the maverick spend again! Did they really have to... call someone to book a flight?"