How FMC Corporation transformed legal operations with CLM

In the ever-evolving domain of contract management, Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools have emerged as game-changers, streamlining processes and boosting organizational efficiency. In a recent episode of the Contract Heroes podcast, hosts Marc Doucette and Pepe Toriello had an insightful conversation with Susan Zagorski, Legal Operations Director at FMC Corporation, who shared her team’s success story in implementing a CLM platform, how its reshaped their operations, and the journey that led them to Agiloft.  

Starting the CLM journey 

Susan Zagorski stepped into the world of CLM with a clear vision: revolutionize how contracts were managed at FMC Corporation. In 2021, FMC embarked on a project to enhance systems and efficiencies across the board. After examining their technology landscape and identifying pain points, they uncovered that contract management was begging for some serious TLC.  

“When I came into FMC, we were doing one of the biggest deals FMC has done, between a divestiture and an acquisition at the same time. I never wanted to go back to manually gathering contract information,” Susan reminisced.  

And honestly, who can blame her? 

With a clear understanding that contract management was a primary challenge, Susan and her team embarked on a journey to modernize their contracting processes.  

Choosing the right vendor 

One of the most critical phases of Susan’s journey was selecting a suitable CLM vendor, a task that can feel like navigating a maze. Wading through a sea of options, Susan prioritized understanding the company’s specific needs, such as flexibility, customization, and global reach – factors crucial for a multinational corporation like FMC. 

After that, she dove into the marketplace. With Gartner reports and vendor chats, FMC whittled down their choices and Agiloft came out on top after thorough sandbox testing. This phase allowed FMC to evaluate the practical functionality of each vendor, and Agiloft emerged as the preferred choice due to its ability to deliver exactly what was promised. 

“Agiloft provided exactly what we were told we were getting…one of the vendors over-promised and under-delivered,” Susan noted. It’s all about picking a vendor that you can trust. 

Getting the team on board 

Implementing a new system is no small feat, especially on a global scale. The key element with kicking off a successful CLM project is all about getting everyone on the same page. Susan and her team pulled in regional leads and function-specific councils early on to ensure nothing fell through the cracks. They developed a comprehensive list of necessities, making sure the chosen CLM platform ticked all the boxes.  

“We had one lead from each region and developed a list of functionalities needed. My team developed kind of a list of the various functionality that we’ve seen out in the marketplace for CLM and basically used a ranking process through a series of surveys. Then we asked for additional information coming out of that to really drill down to what the requirements were that the law department needed,” Susan shared. Talk about a well-oiled machine! 

Susan emphasized the importance of thorough evaluation and understanding of internal processes before beginning the implementation. The initial phase, described as “crawling,” focused on setting up foundational elements, aiming for an efficient roll-out of Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs) and Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) across seven languages – a monumental task accomplished in just six months.  

Bringing it all together: Change management and adoption 

Implementing a new system isn’t just about tech; it’s about the people using it. Susan led robust communication strategies and training programs tailored to the needs of different user roles, from requesting contracts to administrative tasks. By leveraging company intranets, newsletters, and videos translated into multiple languages, the team ensured comprehensive awareness and understanding of the new contract management platform across the organization. 

“We leaned heavily on communication, using every channel to ensure people knew what was coming and why it mattered. The appetite from stakeholders was more than anticipated,” Susan remarked.  

Eyes on the future 

FMC isn’t stopping there. They’re gearing up to introduce Agiloft to more departments, including Sales. Their early success set the stage for even more impactful uses, like jazzing up procurement processes or creating data-rich dashboards to track everything from user adoption to contract efficiency.  

“We’re in that phase of clean-up and evaluating what’s next. There’s an appetite from the company to move into more sales-side uses,” Susan revealed. Sounds like exciting times ahead!  

Susan’s story is a testament to how the right mix of mindset, tools, and teamwork can turn contract management from a dreaded task into a strategic powerhouse. If you’re considering a CLM journey of your own, her experience is a treasure trove of wisdom. 

Advice for organizations embarking on the CLM journey 

Susan Zagorski’s journey highlights the magic of combining CLM software with a well-thought-out plan. Whether you’re part of Legal, Procurement, or Operations, leveraging CLM software can streamline your process, reduce errors, and empower your team to make smarter decisions. If you’re at the start of your CLM journey or mulling over an upgrade, let Susan’s journey inspire you to dream big and aim high.  

Interested in starting your CLM journey? You’re in luck! Catch our next masterclass on February 12 and learn how Agiloft’s Data-First Agreement Platform, a solution trusted by more than 900 organizations worldwide, gets lawyers back to lawyering! And who knows? You might just find your CLM groove.