Your CLM Post-Live is Just the Beginning—Why Ongoing Support Matters

What Execo's CLM Operations Service Does for YouGoing live with your Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system can feel like crossing the finish line—but it's actually the start of the marathon. Your CLM implementation may be a success, but sustaining that success is where many teams struggle. 

Without dedicated attention, even the best-configured CLM systems drift out of alignment with changing business goals and new technology integrations. Some organizations attempt to manage this by squeezing maintenance into already packed schedules or assigning it to teams without specialized expertise. While this approach might seem practical at first, the misalignments in roles and skillsets can creep into the system, leading to the quiet break of integrations, branching out to outdated workflows.

While many companies choose to handle this maintenance on their own, others find significant benefits in bringing in an expert partner. This is where Execo’s CLM Operations Services come in. Instead of relying on your internal teams already stretched thin, our dedicated CLM experts are ready to back you up in continuously optimizing your system, workflows, and templates. This alongside fine-tuning AI to keep your CLM investment performing at peak value.

Let’s break down the reasons why having specialized, ongoing CLM support is the smartest way to protect and grow your investment.

Why Ongoing CLM Support Makes Good Business Sense

Your CLM Must Evolve as Fast as Your Business

Many businesses treat ongoing optimization of their CLM as a side task, often handled by busy legal, procurement, or IT teams. While this "do-it-yourself" approach can work temporarily, it often means updates only happen reactively, after problems surface.

Consider healthcare providers managing large volumes of patient, vendor, and payor contracts. When new regulations like the No Surprises Act require rapid updates to contract clauses and approval workflows, internal teams may struggle to quickly identify all impacted contract types, templates, and clause libraries and make necessary system changes. This lack of dedicated attention leads to a lag in compliance updates, potentially increasing the risk of penalties. 

Similarly, a global manufacturer facing sudden tariff changes must promptly revise contract templates and approval processes to avoid unexpected costs and supply disruptions. Yet without proactive monitoring and timely updates, internal teams juggling multiple responsibilities might only recognize these risks after the business feels their impact.

These are the kinds of challenges Execo’s CLM Operations Services aims to address. We help busy teams remain proactive: our CLM experts take the leg work of identifying changes in the regulatory and market conditions, alongside the swift updating of your approval workflows and clause libraries.

Without Support, User Adoption Slips

Organizations assume their employees or teams will naturally embrace the new system after CLM goes live. Yet, in reality, user adoption often slips over time without consistent and structured support.

For instance, your sales team may initially use automated approvals, but if workflows aren’t updated to match changing business processes, they may revert to manual methods, like emailing contracts for approval. 

Research shows that companies with higher user adoption of automated CLM processes see significant benefits—such as a 50% reduction in contract delays and up to 75% fewer missed contractual obligations. There’s maintenance required to sustain these gains: continuous user training, proactive adoption monitoring, and responsive user support. 

Execo helps our clients improve upon the typical internal "self-service" approach by giving structured onboarding, targeted training, and dedicated support tailored specifically to your users' changing needs. Our goal is to ensure strong user adoption and prevent workarounds, allowing your CLM system to deliver sustained value.

Integration Breakdowns Are Avoidable

Most companies initially integrate their CLM with essential tools like CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot), ERP (SAP, Oracle), e-signature platforms (DocuSign, Adobe Sign), and procurement solutions (Coupa, Ariba). While these integrations usually run smoothly at launch, ongoing management is often handled reactively—only after a problem arises.

A subtle Salesforce API update, for example, might disrupt data synchronization, creating mismatches in contract metadata. Without proactive monitoring, teams may only discover these errors when a renewal is missed or an obligation is incorrectly tracked. Similarly, unexpected downtime or glitches with e-signature integrations can stall critical contract execution. This can impact revenue recognition or vendor onboarding timelines. 

Your IT teams can handle the legwork of this but with so many competing priorities and limited experience in CLM, these integration issues can slip through the cracks.

That’s where Execo helps. We help identify potential issues early and swiftly address them before they disrupt your operations. Rather than waiting for disruptions to impact your business, we ensure seamless interoperability across your entire CLM ecosystem, keeping your workflows stable and dependable.

Reporting Must Evolve With Your Business

Contract data is easily one of your company's most valuable assets—but here's the thing: its value hinges on it being accurate, current, and ready to use. 

You'll get initial reporting dashboards and analytics set-up when you implement a CLM, but truly understanding what you need from those reports? That usually only comes after you've been using the system for a few months. 

The reality is that business priorities shift, and reporting needs evolve. Dashboards that were once valuable may no longer provide the insights your teams need as your business grows. 

Consider a global technology company managing software licensing contracts. Early on, basic renewal dates may suffice, but as subscription revenue grows in importance, the organization’s leaders require deeper insights. Such reports might include renewal conversion rates, average negotiation cycle times, and flagging high-risk deviation trends by region or business unit. Without regular refinement, reporting may no longer provide the timely visibility necessary for smart decision-making.

Execo helps clients proactively address this challenge. We work closely with you to anticipate changing reporting needs. Through our continuous refinement of dashboards and obligation tracking, we ensure your CLM provides relevant, actionable insights aligned with your business strategies.

Staying Compliant Means Staying Proactive—Not Reactive

Regulations are never static, especially in industries with frequently changing compliance standards. This is particularly evident in heavily regulated industries such as healthcare, where companies must navigate shifting mandates such as HIPAA, ESG standards, and the Stark Law. Relying solely on internal teams—who are already juggling multiple responsibilities—to update workflows and contract language based on newly identified regulatory changes can unintentionally create risky compliance gaps.

Execo continuously monitors regulatory changes and promptly updates your templates, workflows, and approval processes, ensuring your contracts stay aligned with current compliance requirements. Powered by our human-in-the-loop integration, we combine AI and human expertise to ensure your CLM adapts swiftly and accurately to evolving regulations, further enhancing its value.