Welcome to The Margin, a newsletter designed to keep you on the leading edge of monetization.

In business, the difference between being ahead of the curve or slow to adapt is anything but marginal. The Margin aims to be the most useful, timely, and incisive ping that hits your inbox all week. It includes critical research and analyst insights to inform short and long-term decision making.

Research Spotlight

Agentic AI

Agentic AI promises to transform traditional workflow automation. What is the impact of Agentic AI on vendors like ServiceNow and others that have built their business models around selling software tools that automate workflows?

In enterprise technology, there are no sacred cows. Every market faces disruption, and workflow automation is no exception. Traditional platforms like ServiceNow, Pega, and UiPath have long dominated by enforcing structured, rules-driven processes. But the rise of Agentic AI—autonomous digital agents capable of reasoning, adapting, and acting—threatens to redefine what workflow automation means.

This shift presents both risk and opportunity. Incumbents enjoy scale, loyal customers, and deep integration. Yet Agentic AI offers capabilities that rigid workflows cannot match: adaptability, autonomy, and the ability to handle unstructured or cross-silo processes. Vendors that embrace AI-native approaches may surge ahead, while others risk irrelevance.

Key Issues

  • How will Agentic AI redefine workflow automation?
  • What risks and opportunities do incumbents like ServiceNow face?
  • Which business processes are best suited for Agentic AI vs. traditional workflows?
  • How can organizations balance innovation with governance and compliance?

What You’ll Learn

  • The critical differences between traditional workflow tools and Agentic AI.
  • Real-world scenarios where Agentic AI delivers unique value.
  • Why incumbents may not disappear, but must adapt quickly.
  • Analyst perspectives on adoption timelines and enterprise readiness.
  • In this MGI Research Note, we compare traditional workflows with agentic automation, explore use cases for each, and assess the impact on incumbents and challengers.

Sign in and read MGI’s take on the future of Agentic AI, and the fate of ServiceNow.

Webinar

What If Your Next Software Deal Is Already a Mistake

What If Your Next Software Deal Is Already a Mistake?

Volatile interest rates, inflation uncertainty, tariffs, geo-political shocks, and Gen AI disruption are rewriting the rules of enterprise software buying. The old playbook no longer applies, and acting too soon could be just as risky as waiting too long.

Join us on August 28, 2025 at 8:00 AM PDT / 11:00 AM EDT for a live webinar where MGI Research analysts break down what every buyer, vendor, and investor needs to know before committing to their next deal.

Who Should Attend:

  • Senior tech buyers overseeing enterprise software spend
  • Software vendor executives navigating market volatility
  • Institutional investors targeting AI/SaaS opportunities

What You’ll Learn:

  • How the new economic reality changes ROI calculations
  • The impact of shifting regulations and supply chain instability
  • Gen AI’s role in reshaping competitive advantage
  • A data-driven scenario playbook for survival and growth
  • Balanced strategies for playing defense and offense

Reserve your spot today! Seats are limited to ensure live Q&A access.

Research Spotlight

a tablet showing the cover image of the CLM Top 35 Buyer's Guide

Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) Top 35 Buyer’s Guide

As readers of The Margin know, MGI Research recently published the CLM Top 35 Buyer’s Guide, providing independent ratings and analysis of the leading suppliers in Contract Lifecycle Management.

One area where buyers often seek clarity is how to approach such a crowded and fast-changing market. Based on our research, here are key considerations:

  • Know your use cases
  • It’s a diverse market with lots of choice
  • Use the MGI Six Stage CLM Maturity Model
  • A single vendor strategy may not be best
  • Market upheaval has begun
  • Avoid the mistakes of others
  • Most mega vendors are not innovating
  • AI is here, and CLM is one of the best use cases

Sign in and access the executive summary to explore these findings in more depth and see how CLM strategy is evolving.

Industry News

Ironclad, recently ranked and rated in the aforementioned CLM Top 35 Buyer’s Guide announced sweeping changes to its leadership team earlier this month:

  • Ironclad Expands Leadership Team Amid Rapid Growth
    Sunita Verma (ex-Google, Character.AI) joins as CTO, Elise Bergeron (ex-Snowflake, Salesforce) as Chief Strategy Officer, and David Simon (ex-Docusign, Oracle) as SVP of CAE Sales. The appointments follow former Docusign CEO Dan Springer’s arrival earlier this year. Ironclad also welcomed Eric Friedman, former Skadden chair, to its board to support AI product development for legal teams.

And just last week, Ironclad also announced a partnership with Harvey to deliver integrated solutions for mutual customers:

  • Ironclad Partners with Harvey to Accelerate Legal Workflows
    The collaboration aims to connect Harvey’s advanced legal research and reasoning with Ironclad’s automated contract workflows—enabling legal teams to turn insights into action faster, from updating templates to generating amendments and tracking obligations. CEO Dan Springer called the partnership “a way to make lawyers more impactful and accelerate business as a whole,” while Harvey CEO Winston Weinberg emphasized reimagining the legal stack for the AI era.

So What Have I Missed?

That’s it for this issue of The Margin. If you’ve made it this far, we’ll certainly see you next time.

Warm wishes,

MGI Research

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