Closing the Gap: How CLM and Expenditure Management Drive Legal Operations

Modernization Imperative For LegalOperations Key Findings In the race to modernize legal operations, corporate legal teamsface a transformative imperative: adopt smart, scalable tools thatrevolutionize collaboration, rein in spend, and fortify governanceand security. Without proper modernization efforts, legal teamsface fragmented workflows, slow collaboration, and security gapscaused by manual processes and overlapping tools. Legal opsfunctions, from contract lifecycle management (CLM) to spend Corporate legal teams are prioritizing centralizedlegal operations in the coming year, but manual Overlapping point solutions and proliferatedmanual processes are causing bottlenecks inlegal proceedings and contract management, A centralized approach to legal operations —one powered by the right tools — is crucial toimprove employee productivity, manage spend Siloed And Redundant Solutions UndermineUser Experience Legal team operations are hampered by having too many tools withoverlapping functionalities that are unintegrated and spread acrossdisparate systems. Yet, even with duplicative functionality, these When legal teams operate in silos using multiple point solutionswith overlapping functionalities, they are unable to fully optimizetheir workflows, maintain effective version control, or minimizeerrors. This leads to a poor user experience, with respondents delaying Tech Modernization Increases SpendAnd Compliance Risks Disconnected legal operations systems contribute to fragmentedworkflows (53%) and increase the likelihood of paperworkinaccuracies. These issues can adversely affect legal teams’ abilityto manage spend effectively. Organizations that delay modernizingtheir legal operations technology stack will persistently experiencedisjointed workflows, heightened risk of errors, and operational Collaboration Barriers Limit Legal’sStrategic Impact Legal teams are expected to operate as agile, business-alignedpartners, yet collaboration across business teams remains apersistent challenge. Sixty-six percent of legal team leaders citedifficulty working with external partners, while 56% struggle with Persistent data silos and tools that are unable to scale with businessgrowth compound these issues. Without modern platforms toconnect people and processes, legal departments are constrained A Shift Toward Unified Legal Operations As legal teams look for ways to improve collaboration andproductivity within their organizations, they are setting their sightson a more streamlined operations experience. To achieve theseinitiatives in the coming year, respondents are prioritizing theadoption of a technology solution that centralizes legal operationsacross business units while also centralizing the management of Current Tech Stacks Fall Short On IntegrationAnd Security For legal teams, every word and process milestone holds weight —accuracy, security, and usability are paramount. While satisfactionwith the capabilities of their current stack is generally high, legalteams are least satisfied with integration, accuracy of data, contractrepository, and redlining and security capabilities. Their biggestqualms are not with more advanced capabilities but with the basicqualities that make a tool secure and usable. Legal teams hopeCurrent State Centralized Platforms Enable Collaboration,Compliance, Andgrowth Legal departments are under increasing pressure to do more withless. They must expedite informed decision-making, strengthencompliance, and mitigate risks without sacrificing efficiency.Centralized legal operations platforms address these challengeshead-on: nearly two-thirds (63%) of surveyed legal leaders citeimproved collaboration, while 50% report better compliance. Legal Ops Investmentsdrive ProductivityAnd Revenue Overcoming operational challenges allows legal teams to free uptime to focus on more strategic work that enables them to evolveinto a more strategic business partner to the wider enterprise.These tools not only streamline day-to-day tasks but also empowerlegal to drive both top-line growth and bottom-line impact. Sixty-seven percent of legal leaders report improved productivity andefficiency and an equal share attribute increased revenue to legal Key Findings Corporate legal teams are prioritizing centralized legal operations inthe coming year, but manual processes and legacy tooling stand in Overlapping point solutions and proliferated manual processes arecausing bottlenecks in legal proceedings and contract management, A centralized approach to legal operations — one powered by theright tools — is crucial to improve employee productivity, manage Conclusion Legal teams are essential as organizations navigate today’s volatilebusiness landscape, but they face challenges from outdated,fragmented systems. To unlock strategic value, legal must embrace •Centralize and rationalize legal operations, starting withspend and contract management.Eliminating silos ensures •Invest in better integra