A successful CLM implementation feels like crossing the finish line—but in reality, it’s just the starting point. Even with a smooth rollout, teams often hit unexpected roadblocks like low adoption, workflow hiccups, and process gaps that didn’t show up in testing.
The real work kicks in after go-live, with ongoing tweaks, training, and fine-tuning needed to get the most out of the system. While CLM promises streamlined workflows, improved compliance, and reduced risk, even with an exceptional implementation, organizations can expect to encounter common post-go-live challenges that threaten to derail those benefits.
CLM brings significant advantages but it’s not a magic wand that instantly resolves all contract-related challenges. Getting meaningful results requires time, resources, and patience. Rather than expecting overnight success, organizations must be ready for learning curves, adjustments, and proactive measures to optimize system performance.
Across the many CLM implementations we’ve supported, we have seen a handful of consistent post-live challenges organizations face. In this article, we’ll take a look at six of the most common challenges—along with best practices to overcome each. When you follow this guide, you’ll be poised to navigate your post-implementation phase confidently. Get exclusive practical strategies from us to drive user adoption, optimize workflows, and fine-tune your system for peak performance, for you to maximize your CLM investment.
#1 User Adoption and Resistance to Change
A CLM system is only as powerful as the people using it. Yet, one of the bigger hurdles post-implementation is getting employees—especially those accustomed to legacy processes and systems—to embrace the change. This, alongside inadequate understanding of CLM’s benefits and insufficient training, can lead to low adoption rates, undermining the system’s potential.
Some teams may see the CLM as just another layer of complexity, leading them to bypass it in favor of old habits. Legal teams might still draft contracts manually, sales might avoid initiating contracts within the system, and procurement might continue using email chains for approvals.
Mitigation Strategies
- Conduct in-depth training tailored to different user roles, ensuring both legal teams and other departments understand the system’s functionality.
- To ease the transition, implement a phased rollout (e.g., starting with the contract repository and automated approvals), adopting a crawl-walk-run methodology.
- Reinforce training with practical examples and hands-on exercises to build confidence in system usage.
#2 Data Migration and Integration Issues
Moving from scattered spreadsheets, email chains, and outdated repositories to a structured CLM system may also present unforeseen hurdles. Even with a meticulous migration plan, hidden contract inconsistencies surface only after users start working in the system. Legacy contracts may have incomplete metadata, and old storage methods often contain duplicate or conflicting contracts. Metadata fields may also be misaligned, especially if different departments historically tracked contracts differently.
Integration also poses challenges beyond the initial setup. Even with API connections or pre-built connectors (e.g., Salesforce, SAP, NetSuite), issues arise. Data sync delays can occur, even with real-time integrations, if APIs aren’t optimized for high contract volumes. Custom processes (e.g., procurement approvals) may require tweaks post-go-live, even with ERP integration. Even with a strong integration strategy, workflow fine-tuning across systems is ongoing, not a one-time setup.
Mitigation Strategies
- Set up scheduled reviews to catch metadata gaps, duplicates, and inconsistencies early. Use AI-driven contract analysis to flag missing or conflicting information post-migration.
- Regularly monitor integration logs and error reports to identify API bottlenecks. Adjust sync frequency or optimize API calls for high-volume contract flows.
- Treat integration workflows as living processes. Post-go-live, gather user feedback and refine approval flows, notifications, and data handoffs in real-time.
- Build automation rules to catch and escalate integration failures. Use alerting mechanisms to prevent silent sync failures that could disrupt contract processes.
#3 Insufficient Post-Implementation Support
It's critical to remember: your go-live is not the finish line—it’s just the beginning. And once your system is live, ongoing maintenance and support become crucial. Organizations that underestimate post-go-live support often experience delays in issue resolution, user frustration, and underutilization of key features.
Without timely assistance, users may struggle to generate reports or automate workflows, limiting the system’s perceived value. To get the most out of a CLM, organizations need dedicated ownership, either through an internal expert or an external partner, to provide ongoing support and drive optimal utilization.
Mitigation Strategies
- Having a designated administrator or a CLM management partner ensures timely troubleshooting and best-practice guidance.
- Maintain an internal CLM knowledge base with FAQs, how-to guides, and recorded training sessions.
- Establish a Business Desk function to oversee system governance and user queries.
- Periodically review system performance, user engagement, and areas for improvement to keep adoption rates high.
#4 Complexity in System Utilization Post-Live
A common post-implementation pitfall is assuming that every advanced CLM feature should be utilized immediately. Organizations often attempt to implement all functionalities at once, leading to overly complex workflows, longer deployment times, and overwhelmed users. This not only slows adoption but also creates implementation fatigue, where teams lose confidence in the system due to its perceived difficulty.
In practice, this can mean legal teams struggling with overly intricate approval chains, procurement teams facing contract categorization confusion, or sales teams defaulting to manual processes due to cumbersome system navigation. If the CLM is too complex post-go-live, employees may sidestep it entirely, diminishing its intended impact.
Mitigation Strategies
- Use the crawl-walk-run approach. Start with the "crawl" phase by prioritizing high-impact functionalities. Focus on core capabilities like contract repository management and automated approvals.
- Have a phased expansion (“walk” & “run”). Once the core functionalities are adopted and working smoothly, move to the "walk" phase. Introduce new features gradually, ensuring teams have time to adapt and integrate them into their workflows. As teams become proficient, you can "run" by rolling out more advanced features like AI-powered analytics or risk scoring. This phased expansion prevents information overload and increases adoption success.
- Ongoing optimization. Regularly review user engagement, system configurations, and reporting metrics to refine workflows and ensure they align with evolving business needs.
#5 Misalignment with Business Objectives
A CLM system should align with your broader business strategy. However, if the implementation isn’t tied to measurable objectives, leadership may struggle to see its true value. For instance, if risk reduction is a priority but the system is primarily used for automation, the ROI may seem unclear.
Mitigation Strategies
- Clearly define goals upfront. For example, if risk reduction is a priority, track compliance metrics such as the number of non-standard clauses flagged by the system.
- Secure stakeholder buy-in from legal, finance, procurement, and IT to ensure CLM functionalities support departmental needs.
- Maintain an ongoing dialogue with key decision-makers to adjust configurations as needed.
#6 Unrealistic Expectations for Immediate Results
Some organizations expect instant returns post-implementation, only to realize that optimizing CLM takes time. From refining workflows to continuously training users, true ROI unfolds over time, not overnight.
Mitigation Strategies
- Set realistic timelines for ROI, using phased milestones (e.g., reducing contract turnaround times by 10% within six months, then 30% over 18 months).
- Continuously optimize system performance through post-implementation audits, user feedback, and enhancements like AI-driven risk scoring and guided authoring.
- Recognize the maturity curve—some improvements (e.g., contract cycle-time reduction) may be visible within months, while advanced analytics take longer.
Get Long-Term, Continuous Success with Your CLM
Implementing a CLM system is just the beginning—its real impact depends on how well it is managed, optimized, and integrated into daily business operations post-go-live. Organizations that view implementation as the finish line often face challenges such as low user adoption, data inconsistencies, and underutilized features, ultimately diminishing the system’s intended value.
To fully unlock CLM’s benefits—whether improving efficiency, reducing risk, or driving strategic decision-making—businesses must take a proactive approach.
A strong post-implementation strategy, backed by expert guidance and ongoing model maintenance, ensures that CLM remains a powerful enabler rather than an administrative burden. With Execo’s CLM Support Services, businesses gain access to expert-led training, dedicated user support, and continuous AI tuning to keep contract data accurate, compliant, and strategically valuable. Beyond system maintenance, Execo provides advanced legal service provider (ALSP) capabilities, including contract abstraction, drafting, and redlining, ensuring contract management stays agile and efficient.
Whether you decide to tackle CLM challenges solo or with a partner, awareness is your first line of defense. Taking proactive steps to mitigate these roadblocks is already a huge step toward transforming your CLM from a one-off implementation into a long-term competitive advantage.
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