Legal Technology in CLM: Intersecting with Support and Innovation
The beauty of contract lifecycle management (CLM) is its invisible but ruthless ability to squeeze real value out of the contracts you choose, sign and implement. In the treadmill of day-to-day business, it is effortless for a company or a team to invest in a contract and then forget about it. Sudden demand and other priorities come in the way while the contract is pushed slowly into a corner and sits comfortably- in a perennial shadow. Until one day – when you realize that too much time and money has already been lost in that ‘stagnant’ contract. This is where contract lifecycle management (CLM) kicks in. It never lets the contract slide into a shadow. It always keeps a floodlight cast upon it. It is forever tracking it, watching it, steering it, and getting the best value out of it. For this to happen, however, a contract lifecycle management (CLM) must have three strong pillars.
The intersection of legal, technology, and support in CLM
A good CLM is spineless without these three backbones –  legal, technology, and support. Because the entire efficacy of CLM hinges on these three towers. These three areas make or break any contract lifecycle management (CLM). Without legal capabilities and the strength to uphold compliance, a contract is as good as a hollow straw man. It may look tall and moving, but it has no substance. It lacks teeth. It will fail to execute demand – because it lacks legal muscle.
Similarly, technology brings an in-built structure to any CLM. All the work of CLM depends on the data it tracks and manages. Without this capability of information and actionable insight, CLM would fail to trace and correct inefficiencies. That’s where technology becomes indispensable. And finally, support. This is the ultimate last mile. If CLM lacks the element of support, neither its legal grip nor its technology footwork will be of any use. Support is what gives oil to these engines. It’s what keeps everything moving.Â
Let’s double-click on all these pillars once. And see how a good contract lifecycle management (CLM) fills in these capabilities.
 Legal
A good CLM helps a business ensure the contract is watertight on critical legal requirements and compliance considerations. It adds the legal lens that a business needs for all these areas where legal expertise matters – like contract drafting, negotiation, and review processes. From this point of view, a robust CLM solution should allow you to:
- Create contract execution workflows governed by policy and based on contract value, type, and risk
- Save document changes with editing party details for complete transparency
- Negotiate clauses or suggest revisions in real-time
- Provide electronic signature solutions, enabling the parties to e-sign without getting the documents physically transported
- Allow users to also sign bulk contracts and save significantly in time and costs while reducing risk
- Give a centralized, secure repository for contracts and related documents, including old and new contracts
- Provide comprehensive, flexible contract summaries or abstracts for quick information retrieval.
- Automate contract approvals under predefined conditions like contract value and type
- Enable a consistent legal language and process
Technology
With technology, contract lifecycle management (CLM) injects automation of repetitive tasks and document generation. Here, a business can also tap the eagle-eyed view of contract analytics and insights for informed decision-making. Technology also helps integrate with other systems for seamless data flow. Features that signal this strength are:
- Contract authoring custom add-ons, clause, and template libraries
- Effectiveness of KPIs – utilization, scoring and value assessment, the quantity of contracts, and renewal rate
- Revenue opportunities through improved contract management and data analysis
- Data-driven contract compliance and contract coverage
- Built-in intelligence for alerts and corrections
- Contract efficiency through lower contract cycle times, improved internal collaboration, and policy-driven contract authoring
- Timely alerts and notifications to reduce administrative, dispute, and operational expenses
- Notification for concerned parties when a contract reaches its expiration date and is up for renewal.
- Tracking and management of contractual obligations and SLAs – expiration dates, renewals, and other vital details
- Provision of proactive alerts and notifications for significant milestones, including contract expiry or contract renewal.
SupportÂ
The mark of a good CLM is that it has more than the product. It has a lot of flesh to fill in the skeletal offering of CLM. Like training and onboarding of CLM software for users. Or like – helpdesk and technical support for troubleshooting. Support also includes crucial areas like ongoing maintenance and updates to ensure system effectiveness.
- Consultation and advice on choice of tools and CLM approach
- Expert help on legal and negotiation areas that a business might need
- Customization assistance for some processes or business needs
- Skills and on-demand talent for any area that a company lacks in
- Roll-out plan and execution
- Maintenance and monitoring
- Immediate remediation of issues
- All-time support staff
When all these areas intersect, an organization can relish the outcomes of:
- Increased efficiency and time savings in contract processes
- Enhanced accuracy and reduced risk of errors
- Improved collaboration and communication between legal and other stakeholdersÂ
The ‘How to question’
Of course, a business must have successful implementation strategies to reap the best from the decision to invest in CLM. This is where the choice of the right expert would mean a lot. Choosing a vital specialist in both product and service aspects of CLM implementation is essential. CLM experts from Proen can help you in this direction.Â
Contract lifecycle management (CLM) deployment must strongly collaborate with legal, technology, and support teams. A business has to put in some time to assess and select the right contract lifecycle management (CLM) solution. Making decisions about customization and configuration to align with organizational requirements will also happen at this stage. But once you pick the right partner, there’s no looking back. So if you plan to go on the path of CLM, or change your CLM solution, do not forget the importance of this trifecta. Legal, technology, and support have to be robust and complementary in a good CLM. Take time to explore and leverage the potential of this intersection. It can change the fate of your business. It can move you from chaos to confidence. From uncertainty and randomness to sure-footedness and a bright future. To learn more reach out to our experts today.
For queries, write to us at – contactus@proen.co.in.
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For additional information – 5 CLM Myths in Legal Tech Debunked