Key takeaways
- Know your contracting model—flexibility beats speed for bespoke businesses. AlixPartners doesn’t run high-volume standard agreements. Every consulting engagement requires highly customized contracts across 42+ workflows. They chose Ironclad for flexibility and rapid iteration, not just cycle time reduction. The lesson: define what success looks like for your business model before evaluating CLM tools.
- Rip-and-replace works with executive sponsorship and legal ownership. AlixPartners replaced their legacy CLM in 5.5 months by securing C-suite buy-in, building a senior partner steering committee, and letting legal ops own the implementation. The “tone from the top” drove adoption across 900+ global users.
- Speed isn’t the goal—elevating legal’s strategic impact is. AlixPartners’ legal team was already fast. Ironclad freed them to work on complex, high-value deals instead of routine contracts. Non-attorney staff now handle standard requests while attorneys focus on sophisticated matters that actually need legal expertise. Measure success by legal bandwidth for strategic work, not just faster cycle times.
- Meet users everywhere with creative change management. AlixPartners used individual calls, group meetings, videos, SharePoint sites, quick reference guides, and business unit sessions to onboard 900+ users. Ironclad’s walk-up usability meant training stayed brief. Results: word-of-mouth demand led to expansion from sell-side into procurement and HR without a formal sales pitch.
- Experiment with AI early and fail fast. Raise your hand for early access programs. Block calendar time for learning. Partner technically-minded attorneys with legal ops to test features and give real feedback. Provide curated resources so teams know where to start. Set goals to stay accountable. Don’t expect perfection—expect to learn through experimentation.
Interested in seeing how how Ironclad can help streamline your contracting? Talk to one of our digital contracting specialists and get a custom demo.
Ironclad is not a law firm, and this post does not constitute or contain legal advice. To evaluate the accuracy, sufficiency, or reliability of the ideas and guidance reflected here, or the applicability of these materials to your business, you should consult with a licensed attorney. Use of and access to any of the resources contained within Ironclad’s site do not create an attorney-client relationship between the user and Ironclad.
