Contract Insights

Did you remember to read all of our blog posts from October? Don't worry; we have outlined each of them for you. Stay up-to-date with industry topics, real-world case studies, and contract management software and procurement best practices in November by reading the latest CobbleStone^® content.

The potential for contract risk is everywhere in the contract lifecycle...from missed deadlines to compliance issues and costly errors. Without a structured approach to managing contracts, organizations can quickly find themselves vulnerable to various risk variables that threaten financial stability, operational efficiency, and more. Fortunately, contract management software offers a myriad of tools to identify and mitigate these risks - keeping organizations on track and compliant. To that end, let's explore five common types of contract risk and how leading contract management software can help mitigate them - virtually ensuring smoother operations and peace of mind.

If you are a new CobbleStone Contract Insight® user, we understand that learning the contract management software system can be intimidating at the outset.  You may be asking yourself, "How will I learn the system?"  "How will I remember everything?"  "Do I need to do all of this myself?"  Well, rest assured, CobbleStone® offers a myriad of contract lifecycle management training resources to ease concerns you may have!  CobbleStone can provide training resources to fit your needs - whether you are a brand-new client, a new user of the system, or simply want to brush up on a few features.

Contract management software is instrumental in automating the drafting, negotiation, execution, and oversight of contracts. Naturally, there are some solutions that are better fitting for your organization than others. Because of this, the chances are you may be struggling with an outdated system that can cause you to miss out on the full value of your contracts. If your current contract management solution is slowing you down, it may be time to switch. But how do you know when it's time to upgrade? Well, here are three key signs that it's time to consider a superior contract lifecycle management software solution.

Procurement and supply chain professionals deal with an extensive and increasingly complex network of suppliers. These individuals can struggle with the inefficiencies of manual processes when managing contracts and tracking supplier performance. The lack of process centralization makes it difficult to keep tabs on each supplier's risk profile, delivery timelines, and quality standards. With fragmented documents and tedious spreadsheets, supplier base data can be prone to errors - delaying decision-making and risking compliance issues.

Streamlining and automating these processes allows businesses to gain visibility, maintain high-quality standards, and foster supplier relationships for a healthier supplier management strategy. This ultimately supports smoother and more strategic supplier lifecycle management workflows. So, let’s fine-tune your supplier management strategy for centralization and success!

Conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in a business setting are important. According to a study performed by MIT Sloan Management Review, over 80% of organizations see advanced AI as a vehicle for strategic opportunity. Additionally, 85% of organizations view AI as a means for competitive business advantages.¹

This interest in – and implementation of – AI applies to legal professionals, in-house legal teams, and other contract managers as well. Manually managing and reviewing an ever-increasing number of contracts and legal documents of varying complexity is stressful and inefficient. But it does not have to be.

Organizations can improve contract review and contract automation with AI-powered contract management software.

Contract data import and export processes can be riddled with bottlenecks, including challenges with data accuracy, format compatibility, and manual effort. Tedious input and validation processes slow down workflows, especially when handling large volumes of contracts and associated documentation, increasing the risk of human error. But it does not have to be this way. Here are three reasons contract data import and export can be easy with contract management software.

The healthcare industry provides services to treat patients with curative, preventive, rehabilitative, and palliative care. Healthcare organizations need to manage various types of contracts, which are rife with critical and sensitive data that are even more complex due to the regulations inherent to the industry. Winning healthcare organizations trust healthcare contract lifecycle management (CLM) software to assist with managing these contracts and data. To that end, here are four example scenarios with hypothetical organizations that elucidate challenges in contract management for healthcare, solved with an effective contract management solution!

State governments, local governments, and special districts manage extensive systems for housing, transportation, sanitation, utilities, land use, and communication to facilitate interactions between people, governments, and businesses. Contracts are public records, and managing them with inefficient and insecure methods is less than ideal. Additionally, vendor registration and management with outdated procedures is difficult and time-consuming. Contract management software can help, and this is why state and local governments love it so much. Let's explore further.