Understanding the Business Impact of CMMC 2.0 (2025–2026)

A series of topical articles, each examining how CMMC 2.0 enforcement changes contract eligibility, executive risk, operational requirements, and supply-chain dynamics across the U.S. defense industrial base.

Series Overview

CMMC 2.0 has shifted from a compliance discussion to an acquisition reality. As CMMC requirements are introduced through solicitations and contract actions, certification status increasingly functions as a gating condition for who can bid, who can team, and who can sustain performance on covered work.

Much of the public conversation focuses on control implementation and audit mechanics. This series takes a deliberately executive and operational lens: what enforcement means for revenue continuity, legal exposure, capture strategy, teaming decisions, budgeting, and the cross-functional work required to maintain compliance over time.

How to use this page: This landing page is the index for the full series. Each installment is listed below as it is published, with either (a) a link to an on-site article page or (b) a direct link to the published copy elsewhere. The underlying long-form analysis is available on SSRN.

Installments

New articles will be added here as they are published.

Article 1: CMMC 2.0 Is No Longer an IT Problem. It Is a Contract Eligibility Problem. Published
This introductory, overview article explains why treating CMMC as an IT issue rather than a business qualification creates unnecessary risk, particularly as certification requirements begin appearing in active contracts and influencing source-selection decisions. The stakeholder scope for CMMC 2.0 now extends well beyond IT and cybersecurity, expanding further into the business, compliance, legal, contracts, procurement, and executive ownership.
Publication Date: January 14, 2026.
Article 2: Why “We Will Be Ready Soon” POA&Ms Are No Longer a Viable Strategy Under CMMC 2.0 Coming Soon
Publication Date: Approximately two weeks

If you would like to be notified as new installments are posted, follow along on LinkedIn or check back on this page.

What This Series Covers

Contract eligibility and bid readiness: how certification becomes a gating factor in solicitations, awards, option years, and recompetes.
Executive accountability and legal exposure: the operational meaning of affirmations and the importance of defensible evidence.
Audit reality and organizational scope: documentation, scoping, and cross-functional participation beyond IT (HR, legal, procurement, facilities).
Prime/sub dynamics: flow-down, vetting, supplier readiness, and the implications of nonconforming subcontractors.
Implementation priorities: near-term actions and practical sequencing that reduces risk and preserves competitiveness.

Anchor White Paper (SSRN)

The articles in this series are derived from the longer analytical white paper: CMMC Business Analysis: The Business Impact of CMMC 2.0. The paper provides extended regulatory context, implementation considerations, and detailed analysis supporting the series.

Read the full paper on SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5676342

Attribution, Use, and Contact

This series is authored by Dr. Daniel Chaney and derived from the SSRN white paper referenced above. Unless otherwise noted, all content on this page and associated article pages is © Dr. Daniel Chaney, 2026. All rights reserved.

For reuse inquiries, collaboration, or citation questions, contact: chaney@dcre-labs.com

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3700-6961