How it Started:

The legal team at the university was bogged down by an inefficient contract management process, eating into their valuable time. It was not only difficult to locate and manage contracts but there were also significant delays in processing. 

Their reliance on physical signatures and the absence of a centralized repository meant that the team was always playing catch-up. Here’s the journey of how they automated their contract management with SpotDraft:

Their Challenges:

‍₀₁ Lack of a Centralized Repository:

“We used to keep contracts in a network-attached storage. It was difficult to keep track, and we couldn't even search for a contract by its name or type.”

Before a CLM tool, the university’s legal team used to have contracts from different departments scattered across platforms and locations. It was nearly impossible to pull out information or even locate a specific contract when needed. Even if they had the title, the clause, or people’s names, conducting a search wasn’t an easy feat.

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₀₂ Hard to Track Dates:

“It was difficult to track contract expirations. Coaches would end up working with us beyond contract expiration and settlements would become tricky”

With a small legal team and a lot of contracts, it became challenging to track which contracts are expiring when. This would complicate the payroll process, especially during the coach’s exit. Some contracts were renewed later and some were not renewed at all.

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₀₃ Dependence on Manual Effort:

“We used to create contracts, print them, sign them and then scan them back or physically deliver them to various offices. Approvals and signatures took forever.”

As late as 2023, the legal team at the university was still relying on physical signatures, the availability of all parties in-person and a lot of walking around. This made the contracting process unnecessarily long and tedious.

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₀₄ Expensive eSignatures:

“Previously we paid for each signature, and these costs were far too high for our team to bear. We wanted a tool that offered eSignatures built into the tool and moreover, one that is intuitive and easy to use.”

Prior to SpotDraft, the university used DocuSign for eSignatures. Apart from each signature stacking up the costs for the legal team, it also involved storing the correct version of the contract in one place. This created confusion and made the process long-drawn and problematic. The need of the hour became a CLM tool wherein you can edit, sign and store, all in one unified location.

“SpotDraft is an intuitive, user-friendly, and customizable tool. The dashboard made more sense than the other tools we evaluated. What also stood apart was that SpotDraft is always making updates and improvements”

Paralegal at university

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How SpotDraft Helped:
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₀₁ A Centralized Contract Repository:

After implementing SpotDraft’s CLM, the legal team at the university finally reaped the benefits of an all-one-solution:

• Storage: The contract repository ensured that all contracts were housed in a single location. All information was consolidated within the tool and it became simpler to keep track of agreements.
• Search: With SpotDraft, it became easy for the legal team to find exactly what they were looking for - be it contracts expiring within a certain period, or contract with a certain clause, or a specific employment agreement, it was all just a search away.
• Multiple Stakeholders: The legal team is now able to collaborate seamlessly with other teams like the athletics department, HR, coaches, Provost’s office, President’s office and International Affairs. Everyone can review, approve and sign, using a tool that’s easy to use with minimal training.

“I ran into someone at the International Affairs office, he wanted to find out which schools across the world we had agreements with. SpotDraft enabled us to share this information within minutes. This ensures that efforts are not duplicated and we don't create partnerships with schools we already have contracts with”
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Paralegal at university

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₀₂ Reminders and Notifications:

After implementing SpotDraft’s CLM, the legal team started receiving:

• Execution emails: to keep everyone in the loop that a contract has been executed.
• Expiration notifications: Reminders about which contracts are expiring and which contracts require renewal.

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₀₃ Streamlined, Automated Processes:

Prior to SpotDraft, processes were manual. Now every step of the contract lifecycle is highly automated. Right from using templates created on the tool to collaborating on edits to executing and signing, processes are streamlined and automated. 
Another benefit is that offices across the university know that if a contract comes from SpotDraft, it has received legal approval and it’s good to go. This reduces a lot of duplicated, manual efforts.

“I use SpotDraft for about 50-60% of my day. It saves me over an hour every day, which I used to spend back and forth on email. This saved up adds up during the week. I am able to gainfully utilize the time for productive work”

University Counsel

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₀₄ Unlimited Native eSignatures:

Previously, the legal team at the university paid for each signature. This became expensive and was not an efficient use of legal resources. Now the team can draft, sign and even store contracts all in one place.‍

“With SpotDraft, I am able to send a contract to coaches and they can sign it from anywhere, even on-the-go. No more tracking them down! Before, we used to print, sign and scan.”

University Counsel

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What’s Next for the university:

The legal team at the university currently uses SpotDraft mostly for coaching and athletics contracts. The aim is to expand reach to more offices like the Provost’s office, International affairs and more academic offices/areas. This would involve more approvals, more signatures and a revamped review process. With SpotDraft as a CLM partner, the legal team is all set to automate and streamline contract processes across teams.

‍“I work closely with the Director of the Athletics Department using SpotDraft. He has repeatedly told me how happy his department is with our new processes and how it has helped modernize our department.”

University Counsel