Mindmap of implementing Weagree's Wizard (1) - Weagree

Mindmap of implementing Weagree’s Wizard (1)

Contract management implementation change management. In a series of blog posts early 2009 (click here, here and here), I discussed how the implementation of the Weagree Wizard entailed a change management process and I identified which steps should be taken to realise a successful implementation.

Together with Weagree’s main launching customer, ASML (a Nasdaq- and Euronext-listed multinational supplying the world’s greater electronics giants with their high-tech chip-production machines), we designed a so-called ‘mindmap’ reflecting a detailed and structured brainstorm overview of all the aspects of the introduction and implementation of Weagree’s contract drafting software.

Let me share a generalized version of our mindmap. In this post 1, I give the explanation; in blogpost Mindmap of implementing Weagree’s Wizard (2) only the mindmap.

Contract automation implementation mindmap. With ASML, we identified three dimensions of rolling out their Weagree Wizard: (i) a content-dimension, (ii) the human factor, and (iii) the process-related aspects. These dimensions can be spun out to key-elements and then further elaborated to sub-elements (et cetera). The high level mindmap could be translated into the following bulletpoints:

I.          THE CONTENT-DIMENSION – YOUR MODEL CONTRACTS

a)       Identify User groups & template requirements (in view of timing):

  • Legal department (use of: day-to-day contracts; month-to-month contracts; M&A (NDA, bid letters, frame MOU, SPA); intellectual property rights (licenses, JDA’s, forms); real estate and construction; …)
  • Procurement / purchasing
  • HRM (consultancy and employment agreements)
  • Tax (intra-company SLAs)
  • Finance (intra-company loans)

(b)       Contract drafting conventions

(c)       Upgrade model contracts

  • Owner per contract
  • Best practice group / BU / staff

(d)       Select and upgrade model contract clauses (to be collected in knowledge management functionality of the Weagree Wizard)

  • Identify owner per contract clause
  • Best practice groups
  • Insert explanatory notes
  • Admin responsibility for Wizard-drafting consistency

Note: there is no need to upgrade model contracts before implementation of a contract assembly solution (because the Weagree Wizard appears to be a catalyzer)!

II.         THE HUMAN FACTOR – PERSONS INVOLVED

(a)       Legal department

  • General counsel / Head of Legal
  • In-house legal counsel
  • Best practice groups for model contracts
  • Administrator (template insertion) and coordinator

(b)       Non-legal (BU’s, IT, staff)

  • BU’s and business line managers (scheduled according to the scope and phase of roll-out)
  • Internal customers / sounding board for Q&A’s
  • Involve/inform IT helpdesk

(c)       Weagree

  • Advice on use and functionalities Wizard
  • Support on Roll-out and Use
  • Model contract upgrading services
  • Template insertion services

III.        ROLL-OUT AND USE – THE PROCESS-RELATED CHALLENGE

(a)       Training

  • Three to four day-parts for inducing and training a template administrator
  • Intro presentations to internal customers
  • Optimise Q&A-questions and template setup

(b)       Preparations for use

  • Deliver ‘demonstratable’ content (initial input for teasing your peers and illustrating capabilities)
  • Insert model contracts and build Q&A’s (this involves: preparing model contracts; building Q&A’s (questions, answers, options); allocating the templates to user groups)
  • Establish contracting house style

(c)       Start using!

  • Presentations to stakeholders: legal department members; Head of Legal, and senior management (non-users!); and, group-by-group, key business managers (if desired: subject to approval)
  • Update notices to all stakeholders (i.e., about improved model contracts and new contract clauses)
  • Use template Q&A’s for intake of new cases

(d)       Incorporate in daily work (anchoring new approach in the culture)

  • Continue optimising template Q&A’s
  • Legal department meeting – permanent agenda item
  • BU / business line meetings

Roll-out – technical matters

(a)       Hosting and security (Internal vs. Weagree)

(b)       Daily backup

  • Created contracts (via DMS vs. via hosting)
  • Model contracts

(c)       Second stage: build interfaces & web-services

  • Sharepoint / DMS
  • CMR
  • Company entities book

Obviously, each case differs from the other. Also, for law firms another approach would likely be more effective. Nevertheless, this mindmap may serve as a starting point for establishing your roadmap to automated contracting. Weagree is of course available to help your company with it.

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Terms of Use

I hereby accept (or reconfirm my acceptance of) Weagree’ Terms of use, in which: