In the fast-paced world of contract management, the rise of comprehensive Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) solutions has been remarkable.

These solutions offer an array of impressive functionalities and continuous improvements that promise to revolutionise how legal teams and contract managers handle contracts. However, amidst this excitement, we’ve observed many projects that struggle to take off, falter at early stages, or fall into disuse after an initially promising start.

At the heart of this issue lies a disconnect between the capabilities these full-featured solutions offer and what legal and procurement teams and organisations actually want and are capable of utilising.

In a recent conversation, a General Counsel succinctly expressed the sentiment shared by many: after extensive exploration of numerous options, all he really wanted was a fully searchable SharePoint library with all contracts in one place, accompanied by essential metadata such as expiry dates to ensure no renewal slipped through the cracks.

The purpose of this blog series is not to diminish the value of comprehensive CLM solutions, which are truly remarkable when implemented by organisations well-suited to their functionalities. We have good relationships with several CLM solution providers, and make introductions and recommendations regularly where they are well suited for our customers’ requirements.

Instead, we aim to address the needs of those customers who either do not require the extensive functionality, face constraints in utilising it fully, or encounter budgetary or IT team limitations that prevent them from adopting a comprehensive solution. For these customers, a practical alternative must exist.

This series explores the practical options available to teams in such situations by leveraging the power of Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and complementary and affordable tools. While some may have bad recollections of older versions of SharePoint, the online solution has come a long way, and these tools are well-suited to streamline specific high-priority aspects of the contract lifecycle management process. By implementing them, teams can achieve tangible benefits in their priority areas within a short timeframe, all at a price point that aligns with their organisational needs.

Follow the rest of the series as we delve into the world of practical contract management with Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, and discuss how these tools can empower businesses to enhance their contracting processes without needing a full Contract Lifecycle Management solution.

The topics covered in this series are listed below: 

• Maximising Contracting Outcomes: Start earlier in the process
• Setting the Foundation: Preparing Your Templates for Automation
• Unlocking Contract Data: Optimising Templates for Structured Information
• Streamlining Contract Requests and Document Drafting: A Cost-Effective Approach
• The Value of Specialised Document Automation Solutions in CLM
• Streamlining Approval Processes in a Microsoft Environment
• Streamlining Contract Execution: Embracing the Power of Digital Signing within Microsoft Tools
• How do I get contracts and data into a contract library?
• Managing Contract Expiry Dates in SharePoint Contract Libraries
• Maximising Contract Views in SharePoint: Making Data Work for You
• Unlocking Contract Insights in a SharePoint Contracts Library
• Effective Collaboration in Contract Management: Balancing Internal and External Needs
• Enhancing Contract Flexibility: Exploring Playbooks in a Microsoft Environment
• Rethinking Auto Redlining: Balancing Technology and Human Collaboration

Please let me know if you have additional queries you would like me to address.

If you want better CLM outcomes and want to look at your options and get a practical assessment of which options will best suit you, get in touch. We can recommend and introduce you to full CLM solutions or help with more targeted interventions, depending on your needs.