What Dating Tech Can Teach Us About Contract Lifecycle Management
When should you swipe right on a new CLM?
It’s no longer news that technology is increasingly present in every aspect of our lives — both personal and professional.
While the dizzying number of technology tools and their possible applications can make your head spin, for most of us, the end game is pretty much the same — using technology to increase the speed, efficiency and accuracy of tasks in our daily lives — all of which hopefully contributes to an increasingly stress-free way of operating (at least that’s the theory).
So, with this common end goal in mind, it only makes sense that we can apply lessons from using technology in our personal lives to a professional context.
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When it comes to showcasing new technology, both tech demos and dating share some striking similarities.
In order to find the right partner (or at least narrow down the field), they both rely on quick, engaging, relatable presentations and making a memorable first impression, which is why there are valuable lessons from the similarities between CLM tech demos and dating.
While we definitely don’t pretend to be dating experts, what we do know is that, much like so much else in our lives, the introduction of technology into the dating world in an effort to accelerate and simplify the process has probably opened up a Pandora’s box of so many possibilities that it’s hard to know what you want or more importantly need and whether you’re prepared to wade through all of possibilities out there and make the right choices for you.
One of our favorite analogies is comparing the CLM selection process to a relationship, which starts with dating, in the form of initial demos — some of us play the field more than others, while others are happy with fewer potential partners.
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If things are going well there may be second or even third customized demo dates for the preferred few. When you’re ready to take the next step in your developing relationship, perhaps a proof of concept or pilot makes sense.
If all that goes well, there will be an engagement and hopefully a long and productive marriage with the “one” — the vendor that lights your fire — but let’s not forget that we’ll need to get that solid pre-nuptial agreement (in the form of a contract) in place first — just in case it isn’t the fairytale ending you were hoping for.
There are a few options available when it comes to getting that initial insight, and either one or a combination of the following options are often useful to help you make more informed decisions:
- Demos – initial demos offer an uncustomized, high-level overview of the system’s features and functions. Multiple demos are not uncommon, and although follow-up demos can be customized to some extent to highlight customer specific requirements, demos still only provide relatively generic insight into the system.
- Proof of Concept (POC) – POCs offer a minimally configured, hands on experience of the vendors POC / sandbox instance of the solution. There is usually little to no configuration in the implementation process for a sandbox, so you should expect inevitable limitations. A POC is generally considered a less significant test of a technology’s functionality than a pilot and is often provided free of charge.
- Pilot – Pilots offer a more extensively configured, customer-specific implementation to allow the customer the closest “real life” experience of the solution. Pilots often come at a cost to the potential customer as there is a relatively heavy lift for the vendor to get these set up effectively.
So, the real question is how much and what type of information and insight do you really want or, more importantly, need to gather and validate, and which of these options is the best mechanisms to get it?
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The right answer can usually be found when you put in the time and effort to prepare properly before jumping into demos.
Methodically collected, well-recorded, prioritized CLM requirements should be your North Star and basis for orientation throughout all demos, POCs and Pilots.
Also, not to sound like your parents, but let’s also remember that all good relationships take work — including the one with your technology partner.
- Take the time you need: While being decisive is an asset, both sides need to take the time to understand each other’s businesses and ensure that your long term goals are aligned. You don’t want to find out after the “marriage” that your idea of fun is movie nights and a good book and they’re all about rollercoasters and parties — expectation management is key.
- Don’t always trust “Yes”: So many first dates and demos are premised on the participants telling one another what they think the other wants to hear. Too many quick “yes’s” to every question about functions, features, integrations and customization should be a red flag. No system can do everything you need, out of the box, without at least some qualification about the work required.
At the end of the day, dating and demos require time and focused effort to ensure (as much as you can) that you have sound reasons for embarking on hopefully a long and productive journey with your partner.
May you never know bad relationships and turbulent break-ups with your CLM vendor. But if you do, we’ll be here for you with tubs of your favorite ice cream and sound advice for getting it right next time.
Lucy Bassli is an attorney, the author of “The Simple Guide to Legal Innovation” and “CLM Simplified: Efficient Contracting for Law Departments,” and the founder of InnoLaw Group, PLLC, consulting to legal teams to empower them to streamline their legal review of contracts based on efficient processes, optimal templates, simplified playbooks, effective automation and continuous data-driven improvements.
Lara Trope works with Lucy Bassli at InnoLaw. She is an experienced commercial attorney and operations consultant, whose career has included working as a practicing attorney, as in-house counsel for a global company, as a knowledge management lawyer for a multi-jurisdictional law firm, and managing content production for a legal tech SaaS start-up.
