Good article on the pro and cons as well as the do’s and dont’s when automating your contract management process – from Selectica’s point of view to the track to success:
Weigh the pros and cons of pilots. They can start to become more hassle than help is when they contribute to the deceleration of an implementation project, simultaneously raising costs and pushing out the system go-live.
Brainstorm known issues in the contract life cycle well before implementation. Ask key groups involved in the contract process, ”What does our system need to do?” This is an important distinction from asking what your system does today or what you want it to do that it does not.
Beware the ”big-bang” approach. Start with smaller, bite-sized chunks and get users comfortable with key functionality one step at a time. Phased approaches lead to higher adoption rates, faster rollout, and increased end-user satisfaction.
Have a plan for legacy documents. The amount of time required for implementation increases with the amount of legacy data that has to be loaded in the system and set up to be monitored and maintained. Determine beforehand if you need every contract since the beginning of the company in the system or not.
Stick to the go-live date. Set a goal date and go!