5 lessons to learn for successful CLM implementation

“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” – Eleanor Roosevelt  
 
Gartner’s report, “Peer Lessons Learned for Contract Life Cycle Management (CLM) Software Implementation,” aggregates the experiences of more than 170 contract management professionals, as they reflected on their CLM journeys, from initial software evaluation to continued improvement and optimization within their CLM platform. Whether their projects were a roaring success or a lesson in what not to do, these insights answer key questions like, “If you could start over, what would you do differently?” and “What one piece of advice would you give to others?” 
 
Read on to learn the top 5 lessons gleaned from this wealth of data, and how you can ensure implementation success, whether you’re purchasing CLM for the first time or outgrowing and replacing your current system.  

Lesson 1: Engage key stakeholders early 

One of the most frequently cited lessons from Gartner Peer Insights is the importance of engaging key stakeholders early in the process. This includes understanding the needs and pain points of various departments, especially legal and procurement teams. Early engagement helps in defining comprehensive requirements and gaining buy-in, which is crucial for smooth implementation. 

Agiloft’s 100% Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) rated professional services team agreed, focusing a portion of their recent “Secrets to Success” webinar that, “For every stakeholder you’re including, you might be forgetting three.”  

It’s important to think beyond your immediate business needs when creating buy-in for your new CLM system. Contracts can touch almost every department across your organization, so it’s important to define clear goals and objectives for the system overall, then ensure that each element of your dream workflow is represented within your organization.  

Cross-functional engagement goes beyond just the vendor evaluation process and software implementation. To ensure your teams effectively use the new technology, it’s crucial to work directly with them. This collaboration is key to the success of your CLM. Said best by Allison DiBona from Agiloft customer Alkermes, “…Engage early, and engage often.” 

Lesson 2: Thorough vendor research and Proof of Concept (POC) 

Selecting the right vendor is critical. The Gartner report recommends conducting thorough research and running POCs to ensure the chosen software meets the organization’s needs. This step helps in understanding the software’s capabilities and limitations before making a significant investment. 

While it’s important to take your eventual implementation in strategic, manageable phases, you need to know that the technology you’re investing in can scale with your organization, with the strength to solve the problems of tomorrow as well as the frustrations of today.  

Take special notice of your potential provider throughout the evaluation process. How is their response time, and what does the support model look like? Will you have to spend a lot on licenses to see true success? How does the rest of the market view the vendor? 

Finally, don’t be afraid to put them to the test. Any CLM vendor that is as invested in transforming your contract process as you are will gladly allow you to put your own contracts through their software to see if it meets your needs.   

Lesson 3: Invest in user training 

Training is another crucial aspect highlighted in the Peer Lesson report. If no one uses your CLM system or if they’re not using it correctly, you’re missing the benefits and introducing yourself to potential risk. 

It’s important to think about the end-user experience of your new workflow, ensuring it’s easy to adopt and, if included in the process as advised in lesson one, you have boots on the ground with a personal investment in the overall success of your new CLM process, a cheerleader or change champion for the “why” this system is important for your organization.  

Whether you’re leveraging the training programs built and offered by your new vendor, or training teams internally, continuing to focus on user adoption is critical to the performance and effectiveness of your CLM software.  

After experiencing detractors in the user adoption process, Agiloft customer ETS to included members of their team in the UAT process, significantly improving adoption and the software’s impact across the enterprise.  

Lesson 4: Organize contracts and workflows 

Before importing legacy contracts into the new system, it’s essential to cleanse data and map out workflows. This preparation helps in avoiding issues during the implementation phase and ensures a smoother transition. 

In Agiloft’s Implementation Secrets to Success webinar series, the team emphasizes the importance of mapping out your process, to include all your stakeholders and the individual systems and technologies that they use. 

Don’t be afraid to iterate, early and often – if the path you’re starting down isn’t right, work to change direction. And, take the time to invest in data migration and policy enforcement. Today, there are tools available to help you ingest and analyze legacy contracts, and work to streamline standard language creation and enforcement across your organization.  

Lesson 5: Phased rollout and expert collaboration 

A phased rollout allows organizations to manage the implementation process more effectively. Starting with a single workflow and gradually scaling up helps in identifying and addressing issues early. Collaborating with an implementation partner can provide the necessary technical expertise and support. 

When choosing a vendor, it’s important to find not only the technology itself, but also a technology provider that views the implementation process as a true journey, knowing that the needs and reach of your CLM will change over time. Taking implementation in a phased approach allows you to make quick changes or improve on phases as you go.  

And remember: Don’t become complacent. It’s important to take proactive looks under the hood of your contract management processes, assessing where you are on the CLM maturity model, and deciding when you’re ready to take the next step.  

Conclusion 

Implementing CLM software is a complex but rewarding endeavor. By learning from the experiences of peers, organizations can navigate the challenges more effectively and work towards a true, successful CLM experience. Engaging stakeholders early, conducting thorough vendor research, investing in user training, doing the data and process map groundwork, and opting for a phased rollout are key strategies that can make a significant difference.  

Read the full report to see how, with the right approach, CLM software can transform contract management processes, driving efficiency and compliance across the organization.