4 Strategien zur Implementierung von Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)

contract lifecycle management

Menschen lehnen Veränderungen von Natur aus ab. Das gilt ebenso, wenn es um das Thema „Digitale Transformation“ geht oder eben eine neue Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)-Software implementiert werden soll.

Tatsächlich scheitern 70 % der Vorhaben zur digitalen Transformation vor allem wegen des Widerstands der Mitarbeiter sowie der mangelnden Unterstützung durch das Management. 

Im Folgenden zeigen wir Ihnen vier Change-Management-Strategien. Damit soll sichergestellt werden, dass die Implementierung Ihrer CLM-Software erfolgreich abläuft.

1. Planen Sie und nehmen Sie sich so viel Zeit, wie dafür nötig ist.

Wenn ein Unternehmen mit einem eigenständigen Vertragsmanagementprozess eine neue Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)-Software einführt, ist es mit der Installation allein nicht getan. Eine erfolgreiche Implementierung setzt Planung voraus. Nur so finden Sie heraus, wie Ihre optimalen Vertragsstrategien aussehen und wie Ihre neue Plattform diese Prozesse bestmöglich unterstützen kann.

Work with your CLM software vendor prior to implementation . Evaluate your current method of contract processing and receive valuable feedback from the provider on how you can improve it. The right CLM software vendor takes the time it takes to first get to know your company and then understand the possible application areas and cases. Building on this, he makes suggestions for improvement that are based on similar customer experiences in order to finally configure the platform so that it perfectly meets your requirements.

The initial phase may always be more time-consuming, but if you can find the time to plan properly, it will pay off later. Because you can then use your tool even more efficiently.

In order to configure your system, your CLM software provider will ask you for a lot of information and documents – this includes, for example, the contracts that you want to save, the contract data that you want to track and your standard contract templates. The faster you make this information and data available to your provider, the faster the implementation can be; and the sooner you implement your new CML system, the less time you will lose in inefficient contract processes.

2. Recruit the management and executives for the implementation

Since contracts affect almost every department, it is unlikely that your legal department alone will be able to enforce new company-wide contract procedures. That’s why you need management support for your new CLM platform – an advocate from the executive floor who advocates the benefits of the platform and encourages teams to use the tool.

It is human to resist change, even if it has been shown to be beneficial. However, if you have a management advocate to help you enforce the new process and put the teams in charge of using the new platform, user adoption is likely to increase.

Your teams will follow the direction of those to whom they report directly. Ideally, managers should be directly involved in the day-to-day business of their employees, e.g. For example, a senior vice president, sales manager, or other position of authority.

What else can help to overcome the resistance to change:

Your teams will follow the direction of those they report to directly. Ideally, you want the executive sponsor (s) to be directly involved in their day-to-day operations, like a senior vice president, a sales executive, or another authority position.

Some other considerations to overcome resistance to change: 

  • Be enthusiastic . A positive atmosphere “from top to bottom” helps to build trust in your teams and to make it clear why the new platform has advantages above all and does not represent an additional burden.
  • Communicate early, clearly, and often . Discuss upcoming changes with your teams often. This is how you avoid surprises. Be aware of possible objections, but be open and answer questions and be ready to discuss possible issues.
  • Explain exactly how your employees benefit from a CLM: Show how the platform accelerates the work processes for contract approval, reduces the administrative burden, prevents misplaced contracts, etc.

3. Relieve your „power users“

It is important that there are real experts in your team who are very familiar with the CLM platform Champions. But make sure that you only have a single „power user“ there. The bigger your company is, the more it can be overwhelming for a single person if she is the only expert for the CLM platform and has to answer all the questions that arise, but at the same time has to deal with all day-to-day tasks.

Always consider the size of your company, the number of customers and applicants, and the current workload of the potential power user. If you manage hundreds of contracts and many employees use your platform, it is best to employ several experts. In this way, questions from the other CLM users on your team are distributed among the experts and the burden on the individual is reduced. 

Regardless of whether you mark another person as a power user or if there is someone who is familiar enough with the platform to answer general questions – only having multiple contacts really ensures that your team can continue to work effectively and conclude contracts.

4. Collect feedback and train your employees accordingly

Use the pilot phase before go-live to get feedback from your test subjects for improvements to the tool. With the help of the test phase of selected users, you can optimize the CLM before it is implemented throughout the company. The rollout can run smoothly. It is therefore imperative that you ask your team before go-live what should be improved on the CLM so that the entire contract process becomes faster and easier.

Once your platform is live, keep an eye on the learning curve. If, for example, too much time passes between the software training and the first or second drafting of the contract, employees will usually find it difficult to remember how the platform actually works.

To cushion the learning curve, you should plan in-house training. So your users can experience the platform in action. Also, check the self-service training resources your CLM software provider provides. This could be instructional videos or instructions for your users, for example.

From structured planning to self-service training – with these four change management strategies for implementing your contract lifecycle management you can show your teams that your new CLM software has more advantages than disadvantages. 

You can find more tips, advice and insights around CLM implementation on this blog .

 


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