Interpreting Business Needs
The manufacturing company faced several challenges with its existing contract management process. Contracts were stored in individual employees' OneDrives, leading to a lack of centralized storage, version histories, and compliance with internal standards. The company needed a mission-critical system but had a lean budget and no internal developers. The decision to build versus buy was influenced by the high costs and inflexibility of pre-built tools.
The Middle Ground Approach
Microsoft 365 offers a middle ground in the classic buy versus build debate. By configuring out-of-the-box platforms, businesses can rapidly deliver functionality at a fraction of the cost. For this project, a team of one developer, one project manager, and one solution architect built the CLM system in two months and 275 hours, costing just under $30,000. This approach provided a high return on investment compared to custom-built or pre-built solutions.
Expected Functionality
The CLM system needed to manage contracts from 21 departments across multiple countries. Key requirements included:
Contract Creation: Fielding contract requests from non-legal users and providing curated templates.
Collaboration: Facilitating communication among peers, internal counsel, and external counterparties.
Role-Based Progression: Allowing specific job titles to progress or revert contract statuses.
Central Repository: Storing active and archived contracts with notifications for important dates.
Technical Design
The technical design focused on a centralized contract repository to standardize data gathering and minimize the number of Power Automate workflows. The architecture included minimal flows in department sites and detailed how contracts moved between the contract hub and child department sites. Tools like Syntex and Adobe Sign were integrated seamlessly to meet specific business needs.
Building the Solution
The solution was built using several Microsoft 365 tools:
SharePoint: Used for storing contracts, with customized views and forms for different complexity levels.
Power Automate: Acted as the connective tissue, automating workflows and notifications.
Syntex: Extracted metadata from documents, enhancing the business process by reducing manual data entry.
Adobe Sign: Facilitated the signing process, integrated with SharePoint and Power Automate to streamline contract approvals.
Collaboration and Communication
The client partitioned users into Teams channels to protect sensitive contracts and used Word Online for document-specific collaboration. Power Automate reduced the footprint of workflows by abstracting flows for usability across all departments. This approach maintained consistency and reduced costs for updates.
Handling Change Management
Introducing a CLM system to users with varying levels of experience required robust change management. Documentation surfaced early and often in Teams and SharePoint, and dynamic guides were created to help users navigate the process. This ensured that users from interns to legal experts could effectively use the system.
The Value of Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 provides several benefits for building line-of-business applications:
Familiarity: Users are already familiar with Microsoft tools, reducing the learning curve.
Cloud-First: Enables access from multiple devices and locations.
Teamwork: Facilitates easy communication and collaboration.
Integration: Seamlessly connects different tools, reducing overhead.
Customization: Allows for branding and customization to fit business needs.
Conclusion
Building a line-of-business application with Microsoft 365 offers a cost-effective, flexible, and powerful solution for managing critical business processes. By leveraging tools like SharePoint, Power Automate, and Syntex, organizations can create robust systems that enhance productivity and streamline operations. Let Improving help your organization leverage Microsoft 365 by reaching out to us today!
