Operations leaders play a pivotal role in shaping go-to-market (GTM) strategies. Yet, many are constrained by a patchwork of disjointed contract systems and disparate contract management tools that lead to fragmented data, rising operational costs, poor cross-functional collaboration, and sluggish decision-making due to the absence of a single source of truth. By reimagining contract management, UK operations leaders can convert these pain points into opportunities for greater efficiency, alignment, and long-term growth.
The Hidden Costs of Fragmented Contract Systems and Contract Management
Relying on multiple, unintegrated contract systems often carries unseen but significant costs:
- Rising operational expenditure: Maintaining several platforms typically results in higher software licensing fees, duplicated features, inconsistent processes, and additional staff training needs. According to research by McKinsey, inefficient contractor management practices can lead to organisations overpaying for contracted services by as much as 30–50%.
- Poor cross-functional collaboration: When departments such as sales, legal, and finance each use their own contract systems, collaboration suffers. Siloed systems create communication gaps, delay contract approvals, and complicate compliance. In contrast, collaborative contracting models have shown 15–20% gains in cost and delivery performance through more integrated operations.
- Delayed, unclear decision-making: Without a single source of truth, fragmented data makes it difficult to track contract progress or performance in real-time. This impairs timely, informed decision-making. McKinsey highlights that poor contract management can erode up to 9% of annual revenues due to suboptimal terms and lack of visibility.
Read also: What is contract management? A complete guide
The Strategic Role of Operations Leaders in GTM Success
Operations professionals are uniquely positioned to unlock business value by:
- Implementing a unified contract management system: Consolidating contract data within one centralised platform helps reduce duplication, eliminate inefficiencies, and free up budget and personnel for strategic initiatives.
- Improving cross-department collaboration: An integrated system creates a shared workspace for legal, sales, procurement, and finance teams—helping them stay aligned and speeding up the contract lifecycle.
- Enabling data-led decisions: Real-time access to contract data equips operations leaders with actionable insights, empowering them to make faster and better-informed decisions that drive commercial outcomes.
Turning Contract Management into a Strategic Asset
To move beyond reactive contract systems, operations leaders should take the following steps:
- Evaluate existing tools and processes: Carry out a full audit of your current contract workflows to identify bottlenecks, duplicated processes, and missed optimisation opportunities.
- Adopt an integrated CLM solution: Invest in a unified contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform that centralises creation, negotiation, execution, and storage. A single system ensures everyone works from the same source of truth—reducing risk and delay.
- Automate routine tasks: Automation tools can generate contracts, manage approvals, send reminders, and handle renewals—cutting manual workload and reducing errors. This allows teams to focus on value-adding work.
- Improve visibility with data and analytics: Look for platforms with robust reporting features that offer real-time dashboards and performance tracking. This visibility supports proactive contract governance and lets leaders address issues before they escalate.
- Invest in cross-functional training: Ensure that all teams interacting with contracts understand and can fully leverage the new system. Training promotes a culture of accountability and collaboration, while reducing resistance to change.
Final thoughts
For UK operations leaders, tackling the inefficiencies of disconnected contract systems is more than a cost-cutting measure—it’s a strategic imperative. Streamlining your contract systems and overall contract management not only improves internal workflows, but also strengthens your GTM strategy, enabling your business to stay competitive and responsive in a fast-moving market.
For further insight into optimising contract management within operations, explore Oneflow’s solution for IT and Operations:
👉 https://oneflow.com/solutions/it-ops/
