Tech-Savvy Contract Managers Could Power The Future of Procurement

Key Takeaways

• Contract Managers are crucial in bridging the gap between Procurement and Legal departments.

• By leveraging technology and adopting a digital mindset, Contract Managers can streamline workflows, automate tasks, and improve contract lifecycle management.

• Utilising the power of technology strengthens the connection between Procurement and Legal, making the contract management role more efficient and effective. Contract Managers are the unsung heroes who are the essential link between Procurement and Legal departments.

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And I talk to you from a position of being on both sides and in the middle. Sadly, Procurement and Legal sometimes struggle with engagement across the business. I’d say that legal teams usually get the better end of the deal - their profession comes with a deep-rooted credibility in every society culture. That level of respect and credibility cannot be bought. That’s why people boast about having a law degree, or parents push their children to enter the legal profession, often blinded to the difficulties of success in the legal space.

But Procurement…oh dear. We’ve got a problem with our image, our value proposition, and just about everything else when it comes to people in our organisations truly recognising our value.

This is just for context. I don’t want to linger here. But I want more of you to be aware of a role that I genuinely believe will solve many issues.

The contract manager role. A person who acts in both a procurement and legal capacity. A person who deeply understands Procurement and commercial contracting. And these people exist. I’ve spent half my career in this niche. Being offered good money, exciting roles, dealing with a lot of shit, too, along with the good stuff, but the value this role provides can empower your procurement and legal teams.

But is traditional contract management enough to bring these two often-divergent departments closer?

We need to start thinking about this more digitally.

The Unfortunate Disconnect between Legal and Procurement