The Risks of Manual Contract Management and the Benefits of Software Automation

For many businesses, managing contracts can be a tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone task. Manually handling contracts leaves room for mistakes, missed deadlines, and overlooked legal obligations – all with the potential to lead to significant financial and legal consequences. However, with the rise of software automation for contract management, businesses can now mitigate these risks and maximize efficiency. In this article, we explore the dangers of manual contract management and the advantages of using software automation to streamline the process.

Brief overview of manual contract management and software automation

Manual contract management involves the traditional paper-based process of drafting, reviewing, and signing contracts. This method can be time-consuming and error-prone, leading to delays and potential legal risks. On the other hand, software automation provides a streamlined solution to manage contracts digitally. By using contract management software, companies can improve accuracy, increase productivity, and gain better control over their contracts. This eliminates the need for manual processes, as the software automates tasks such as creating, tracking, and modifying contracts.

Risks of Manual Contract Management

Human error

Human error in manual contract management refers to mistakes that can occur during the contract management process due to human involvement. These errors can include incorrect data entry, missing information, or misinterpretation of terms and conditions. Such errors can cause significant issues, such as delays in contract approvals, payment issues, or even legal disputes. Additionally, human error can result in reputational damage to a business, leading to loss of trust from clients and suppliers.

Errors can occur due to factors such as miscommunication, distraction, fatigue, or lack of training. Automated contract management processes, on the other hand, can reduce the risk of human error by removing the need for manual data entry and automating approval workflows, ensuring that contracts are reviewed and approved according to predefined rules and standards. Therefore, implementing software automation can increase accuracy and reduce the costs associated with manual errors.

Time-consuming

Manual contract management is time-consuming due to several factors, including:

• Manual data entry: Entering data manually takes a lot of time. The process involves copying text from physical contracts, emails, and other sources into a digital system. It also poses risks of mistyping and error.
• Searching for documents: Finding relevant information from folders can be a hassle. Employees might waste time searching for documents, leading to delays and missed deadlines.
• Manual routeing and approval: In manual systems, businesses must route contracts and approvals manually. This method requires intermediaries to communicate between departments and signatories. Manual routing leads to miscommunication and errors that impede progress.
• Missed renewal dates: Contract renewal is crucial, and missing a renewal date may be costly. In manual contract management, it's easy to lose track of renewal dates, and employees might forget it altogether.
• Limited collaboration: Manual contract management restricts collaboration among team members. This can lead to delays, missed deadlines, and errors.

Summing up, when manual methods are in place, employees spend a lot of time handling paperwork and routine tasks. The result is less time available to devote to complex, value-added tasks that aid business growth and competitiveness.

Lack of visibility

When contracts are managed manually, there is a lack of visibility that arises due to the complexity of the contract management process. This can result in delays, errors, and misunderstandings. Specifically, without a central repository for all contract-related documents, it can be difficult to track changes in the contract, ensure compliance, and monitor renewal dates.

In addition to this, manual contract management can lead to limited communication between different departments or stakeholders involved in the process. This lack of transparency can cause disagreements and disputes, hamper decision-making, and ultimately impact the bottom line.

Overall, lack of visibility is a significant risk associated with manual contract management.

Benefits of Software Automation

Accuracy and consistency

One of the significant benefits of software automation in contract management is accuracy and consistency. With manual contract management processes, human error can lead to mistakes that could ultimately cost a company time and money. By automating the contract management process, the software ensures that contracts are completed with the same level of accuracy every time.

The software can also help by ensuring that your business's contract template is used every time. By doing so, you can ensure that all contracts follow your business's standards and branding, giving your business reliable and predictable results. This ensures that every time someone within your company creates a contract, it is up to your standards and has the correct information.

In summary, accuracy and consistency in contract management through software automation provides businesses with a reliable and consistent approach, leading to time savings, cost savings, and happier customers.

Increased efficiency and productivity

When a company switches from manual contract management to software automation, they can expect to see a significant increase in efficiency and productivity. This is because contract management software can automate many of the tedious and time-consuming tasks that are typically done manually.

For example, creating contracts from scratch can be a time-consuming process that requires a lot of attention to detail. Contract management software can automate this process by using templates pre-approved by the legal team.

Approval workflows can also be automated, saving time by routing contracts to the appropriate parties for review and approval automatically. Automatic reminders and alerts can also be set up by the software to notify the relevant parties when a deadline is approaching.

In addition, contract management software offers enhanced visibility, which makes it easier for employees to collaborate and complete contract-related tasks in real-time, without waiting for approvals or information.

By streamlining these processes, companies can save valuable time and resources that can be redirected towards other critical business tasks. This increased efficiency not only helps businesses save time and resources but also improves overall productivity.

Enhanced visibility and control

Enhanced visibility and control refers to the ability of contract management software to provide immediate access to all important information and processes. This means that you can view the current status of all contracts in one place, giving you a better understanding of your company's overall contract portfolio.

The software also typically includes features that ensure contracts are managed in compliance with company policies and legal requirements. Additionally, automated contract workflows give you control over the entire contract lifecycle, from creation to renewal and termination.

With enhanced visibility and control, you can quickly and easily locate any contract, review its contents, and track its progress. This helps to reduce the risk of errors and missed deadlines, leading to better outcomes for your business. The software can also provide valuable insights into contract performance, enabling you to make data-driven decisions about future contracts.

Overall, enhanced visibility and control provided by contract management software empower you to take a proactive approach to managing your contracts, giving you a strategic advantage over your competitors.

Key Features of Contract Management Software

Contract creation and templates

Contract creation and templates is a feature of contract management software that simplifies the process of drafting contracts. Here's what you should know:

• Contract creation refers to the process of writing and finalizing a contract.
• With contract management software, the user can easily create and customize contracts using pre-built templates.
• The software can also provide suggestions and recommendations based on past contracts or specific clauses.
• Contract templates can save time and ensure consistency in contracts.
• Templates can be created for different types of contracts, such as NDAs, employment contracts, or purchase agreements.
• The user can easily access and edit templates to create new contracts.
• Templates can also be shared across departments or with outside parties.
• Contract management software can help ensure that contracts comply with legal and regulatory standards.

Automated approval workflows

Automated approval workflows refer to a process in which contract approvals and signatures are automated using software. This feature helps businesses to streamline and expedite the contract approval process while eliminating bottlenecks and reducing the margin of error.

With automated approval workflows, contracts are automatically routed to the relevant stakeholders for approval and sign-off. These stakeholders are notified via email when it's their turn to review and approve the contract.

The software also allows businesses to set up rules and guidelines for approval, ensuring that each contract is reviewed by the appropriate personnel. This feature helps to eliminate delays usually caused by back and forth communication, leading to faster turnaround time.

Furthermore, automated approval workflows ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Businesses can set up approval processes that adhere to specific regulations, such as those for financial and healthcare sectors.

In summary, automated workflows help businesses save time, reduce risk, and improve compliance by streamlining contract approvals while ensuring each contract is reviewed by the appropriate personnel.

Automated reminders and alerts

Automated reminders and alerts are a key feature of contract management software that help ensure important deadlines are not missed. Here are some points that explain it in detail:

• Reminders and alerts are created based on specific dates and events set within the contract.
• The system sends out notifications via email or in-app notifications to the relevant parties.
• Users can customize the frequency and timing of reminders and alerts to suit their needs.
• Automated reminders and alerts can help prevent legal and financial consequences that may result from missed deadlines.
• They can improve communication and collaboration between teams by keeping them informed and up-to-date on the progress of contracts.
• The system can track when a contract has been opened, reviewed or modified, and send alerts to the relevant parties to ensure they are aware of any changes.
• Advanced systems can even monitor contracts for compliance, and send notifications when contractual obligations are due or overdue.
• Automated reminders and alerts reduce the need for manual follow-up and tracking, saving time and reducing the risk of human error.

By automating reminders and alerts, contract management software helps teams streamline their processes and stay on top of critical deadlines, ensuring they never miss an important contractual obligation.

Contract analytics and reporting

Contract analytics and reporting is a crucial feature of contract management software. It allows users to gather and analyze data from their contracts to generate insights and make informed decisions.

Analytics tools help you track key metrics such as contract value, renewal rates, and compliance performance. You can monitor these metrics in real-time dashboards to ensure that your contracts are contributing to your business goals.

Reporting tools help you generate custom reports on your contracts, giving you valuable insights into the performance of individual contracts or your overall contract portfolio. You can use this data to identify areas for improvement, track compliance with regulatory requirements and legal standards, and make data-driven decisions to optimize contract management processes.

With contract analytics and reporting, you can transform data from your contracts into valuable insights that can be used to improve your business performance. By leveraging these insights, you can ensure that your contracts are contributing to your business goals, minimize risk, and achieve greater value from your business relationships.

Implementation Process

Choosing the right software

Choosing the right contract management software is critical for successful automation. It should meet your specific business needs, budget, and technical requirements. Here are some factors to consider:

• Functionality: Choose software that offers the features and tools you need for your business. Some essential features include contract templates, automated approval workflows, and analytics and reporting.
• Usability: The software should be user-friendly, intuitive, and easy to navigate. It should have a simple interface that doesn't require a steep learning curve.
• Integration: Look for software that seamlessly integrates with other systems, such as CRMs or ERPs. This helps to streamline processes and increase efficiency.
• Customization: The software should be customizable to meet your unique business needs and workflows. This allows you to tailor the software to fit your specific requirements.
• Security: Security is crucial when dealing with sensitive contract data. Choose software that offers robust security features such as encryption, access controls, and audit trails.
• Support: The software vendor should offer good customer support, including implementation, training, and ongoing technical support.

Overall, choosing the right contract management software can help you mitigate the risks of manual contract management and enjoy the benefits of automation.

Training and adoption

Training and adoption is a crucial step in the implementation process of contract management software. This phase involves educating employees on how to use the software and ensuring its adoption throughout the organization.

One way to achieve successful training and adoption is to create a training program tailored to the needs of each department. This ensures that employees receive relevant information that pertains to their specific job responsibilities.

Another important factor is to make sure that the software is intuitive and user-friendly. This increases the chances of employees using the software on a regular basis. Software that is difficult to use or seems like a burden is less likely to be adopted.

Additionally, it is important to have a clear communication plan in place to communicate the benefits of the software to employees. This helps create a positive attitude towards the new system and encourages adoption.

Finally, it is important to provide ongoing support for the software. This can include setting up a help desk or having a dedicated team available to answer questions. By providing ongoing support, employees feel more confident in using the software and are more likely to adopt it into their daily work routine.

Integration with other systems

Integration with other systems refers to the ability of contract management software to seamlessly connect and communicate with other software applications utilized by a business. This can include:

• Customer relationship management (CRM) software to track customer interactions
• Accounts payable (AP) software to automate invoice processing
• Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to manage inventory, finance, and operations
• Electronic signature software to easily sign and execute contracts

Benefits of integration include:

• Streamlining the contract management process and eliminating the need for manual data entry
• Reducing the risk of errors through automated data transfers between systems
• Enhancing transparency and collaboration between departments
• Increasing overall efficiency and productivity

Properly integrating contract management software with existing systems requires careful planning and coordination to ensure seamless integration and minimize disruption to existing processes.

Case Study

Real-life example of a company benefiting from contract management software automation

One real-life example of a company benefiting from contract management software automation is the implementation of a contract management system by a large pharmaceutical company. Here are the details:

• Prior to using the software, the company's legal team had laborious contract management processes which included extensive manual tasks, such as digging through spreadsheets, scanning documents, and searching through emails.
• The implementation of contract management software streamlined the process of contract creation and approval workflows, which saved the legal team countless hours of manual labor and significantly reduced the risk of human error.
• The software's automated reminders and alerts feature also helped to eliminate the risk of missed deadlines, which helped to improve compliance and avoid any potential legal disputes.
• With the enhanced visibility and control provided by the software's analytics and reporting features, the company was able to gain a better understanding of their contracts and make more informed decisions.
• The software's clause and template libraries helped in the creation of custom contracts with appropriate legal and safety guidelines, ensuring compliance with all local and federal regulations.
• Overall, the implementation of contract management software automation helped the company cut operational costs, improve productivity, and ensure regulatory compliance, while reducing the risk of potential legal disputes.

Final thoughts

Manual contract management poses significant risks, including errors, inconsistencies, and delays. The lack of visibility into the contract lifecycle can lead to non-compliance and missed renewal dates. Moreover, manual contract management is time-consuming and resource-intensive, leaving little room for strategic activities. Adopting a software automation solution can mitigate these risks and deliver a range of benefits.

From faster contract creation and negotiation to centralized contract storage and automated alerting, contract management software streamlines the entire contracting process, ensures compliance, and frees up resources for more strategic initiatives. Ultimately, automating contract management drives cost savings, accelerates contracting cycles, and enhances organizational efficiency.