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Agreement Insights

Agreement Insights

The hub for agreement management knowledge

34 Topics
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34 Topics

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Five agreement workflow upgrades you can make this quarter

If your agreement process still depends on emails, shared drives, and manual tracking, you’re not just wasting time—you’re probably missing revenue.Deloitte’s Mark Ross called it a “perfect storm” for agreement management: regulatory pressure, expanding legal teams, and outdated workflows have made agreements a growing source of risk and drag.But the upside? AI is finally good enough to help fix it. And you don’t need a massive overhaul to get started.Here are five things you can do this quarter to make your agreement process smarter, faster, and more valuable—based directly on what Mark Ross, principal at Deloitte, and Shanthi Iyer, Docusign EVP and chief information officer, shared in a recent webinar. ✅ What you can do this quarter1. Use AI-assisted review to draft faster and cut redlining delays: Seventy percent of contract friction happens before signature. Docusign’s AI Assisted Review helps legal teams draft clauses, suggest compliant language, and manage templates so less time

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

The agreement chaos is real—here’s how to clean it up

When’s the last time you knew exactly where every agreement in your organization lived?If your answer is “never,” you’re not alone.Agreements often get scattered—emails, desktops, cloud drives, even filing cabinets. And that chaos? It slows down deals, increases risk, and makes audits a nightmare.Here’s the move: create a single, digital source of truth for every agreement—past, present, and future.Whether your contracts are signed in Docusign, scanned from paper, or uploaded as old Word docs, having them all in one centralized repository is a game-changer. Not just for finding agreements, but for understanding what’s in them.This is where Docusign tools like Navigator + Iris shine. They help you digitize, organize, and analyze all your agreements so you’re never flying blind again.✍️ Here’s the TLDR on what you’re able to do with Navigator and Iris: Centralize everything: Eliminate agreement sprawl by consolidating every contract into one accessible repository. Make old contracts s

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

62% of teams lose track of agreements—here’s how to not be one of them

What happens after an agreement is signed?For many teams, the answer is that it disappears into a folder, a drive, or someone’s inbox, never to be seen again.That’s a big problem when 62% of professionals say they struggle to find completed contracts, and most still analyze contract data manually.If your agreements are hard to find or your data is buried in static files, you're not just losing time. You’re losing money, missing deadlines, and increasing risk.AI-powered agreement tools are changing that. Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platforms like Docusign IAM now let you store, search, analyze, and act on agreements in real time.✍️ Key points to know about Docusign Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM): Find agreements fast: Instantly search by clause, date, contract party, or dollar value—even across thousands of documents. Never miss a deadline: Get notified about auto-renewals, expirations, and other key events. See the full picture: Turn static text into searchable d

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Smarter systems for smoother agreements

Most agreement workflows weren’t built for how teams actually work today. They're full of handoffs, disconnected tools, and outdated processes that waste time and frustrate everyone involved. What’s worse is that fixing these workflows often gets deprioritized because they live in the background—until something breaks.But this stuff matters. Agreements are where business happens. And when the process is slow, scattered, or error-prone, it creates friction at the moments that matter most.Here are ways teams are rethinking the agreement process with smarter tools and clearer systems. Fix the front end of the process: Most agreement problems start with inconsistent or outdated data. Pulling from a reliable source of truth early on can prevent downstream issues. Docusign Agreement Preparation helps by pulling real-time data from systems like Salesforce or HubSpot directly into templates. Make version control effortless: Too many teams still rely on email attachments and spreadsheets. A s

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Stop wasting time digging through agreements—use this instead

If your team spends hours digging through folders just to answer a basic question about a vendor contract, you’re not alone—and you’re likely leaving money on the table. Poor visibility into agreement data can mean missed deadlines, unclaimed rebates, overpayments, and less leverage at renewal time.Navigator helps you cut through the noise. As part of Docusign’s Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform, it brings all your vendor agreements into one smart, searchable place. With AI-powered analysis and automated term extraction, your procurement team can uncover savings opportunities, stay on top of deadlines, and hold vendors accountable—all without the spreadsheet scramble.✍️ Key takeaways about Navigator Spot savings with AI search and data extraction: Surface agreements with outdated payment terms or upcoming renewals in seconds, then use that intel to renegotiate and reduce spend. Avoid surprise renewals: Get automated alerts ahead of renewal deadlines so you can evaluate

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

How to automate agreement workflows across your entire tech stack

Tired of copying and pasting agreement data between systems?Most agreement processes don’t happen in a vacuum. Whether you’re onboarding new hires, signing vendor contracts, or closing deals, agreements are just one step in a larger workflow. The problem? Too often, your systems don’t talk to each other. That means manual work, redundant data entry, and a lot of room for errors.Maestro changes that. It’s a no-code workflow builder that connects Docusign Agreement Workflows to the tools your teams already use—like Power Automate, Salesforce Flow, ServiceNow, and Workato. So your agreements move automatically between systems, and your teams stay focused on the work that matters.✍️ Key takeaways about Maestro Start Docusign workflows from your existing tools: Trigger agreement processes directly from platforms like Salesforce, SharePoint, or ServiceNow with upstream integration. Push agreement data into other systems: With downstream support via Workato, you can send data and trigger wo

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

The hidden reason you’re losing deals: Agreement chaos

When deals stall, it's rarely because someone missed a call. More often, it's because the agreement process is a mess: manual, slow, and fragmented. If your sales team is still stitching together contracts from old templates or chasing approvals across email threads, you're leaking revenue.This is where automation and AI step in. When you embed agreement workflows directly into your CRM, you eliminate guesswork, reduce risk, and move deals forward faster. It’s not just about speeding things up—it’s about aligning teams, creating consistency, and unlocking revenue.✍️ Key points Speed kills deal delays: When sellers can generate compliant agreements inside the CRM with automated routing and approval, they close deals up to 3x faster. Visibility drives action: Real-time status updates mean no more wondering if legal reviewed it or if the customer opened it. Everyone knows where things stand. Centralization prevents revenue loss: A single source of truth for agreements means RevOps can

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

How to Send, Manage, and Track Agreements for Signature Using Docusign CLM

Sending agreements for signature quickly and efficiently is crucial for keeping business processes on track. With Docusign CLM (Contract Lifecycle Management), you can streamline this process, whether you’re sending manually or using automated workflows. Here’s a quick guide to help you make the most of these features in Docusign CLM.❓What’s the best way to send a document for signature using Docusign CLM?You can send a document for signature directly from within CLM using the “Prepare for Signature” action: Navigate to your document in CLM (e.g., from the Documents page or folder hierarchy). Click into the document preview. Select Actions > Prepare for Signature. This opens a Docusign eSignature envelope with your document ready for configuration. From there, add recipients, customize the message, add required fields, and send the envelope just like you would in Docusign eSignature.❓Can I send documents automatically using CLM workflows?Yes! CLM supports automated sending thr

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

How to Add Fields Automatically with AutoPlace in Docusign

AutoPlace is a time-saving feature in Docusign that lets you automatically insert fields (like signatures, initials, dates, and text) based on anchor text or specific tags embedded in your documents. If you're tired of manually dragging and dropping fields, AutoPlace can help you streamline templates, bulk send workflows, and integrations.❓What is AutoPlace in Docusign?AutoPlace allows you to insert fields at predefined positions by matching specific text strings in your document. When Docusign detects the string (e.g., Client Initials, /r1/), it places the associated field in that spot automatically.Key benefits: Reduces manual work for field placement Ensures consistency across multi-page documents Supports all field types (signatures, dates, initials, custom fields) ❓How do I set up AutoPlace in an envelope?To use AutoPlace: Add your document and recipients as usual On the Fields page, add a field to your document In the field’s settings, click Set up AutoPlace under the loc

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

How to use data labels in Docusign to streamline templates, forms, and bulk send workflows

If you regularly use Docusign templates, bulk send, PowerForms, or web forms, mastering data labels can save you time and reduce manual errors. Data labels let you auto-fill matching fields, simplify formulas, and ensure consistency across your documents. Below are the most frequently asked questions about data labels—what they are, how to use them, and why they matter.❓What are data labels in Docusign eSignature?Data labels are internal field names you assign to form fields in Docusign. They are: Only visible to the sender (not recipients) Used to auto-fill matching fields in a document or template Essential for bulk send, PowerForms, web forms, and formula fields For example, if you assign the same data label (like CustomerID) to three fields, entering data in one field will automatically populate the other two.❓Why should I use descriptive data labels in templates?Using clear, custom data labels instead of Docusign's default ones (which are long and unreadable) makes it easier t

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Docusign @ Docusign: How The Docusign Legal Team Uses IAM

Docusign’s legal and procurement teams have been running an inside experiment—applying Docusign’s own Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) tools to streamline supplier agreements and make daily operations smoother. The result? Faster workflows, fewer mistakes, and more time back.This internal use case from the Docusign @ Docusign program is full of takeaways for any team still stuck in spreadsheets or chasing down renewal dates manually.✍️ Key takeaways Centralize and search smarter: Navigator helped eliminate spreadsheet chaos by creating a searchable agreement repository with automated alerts for renewals, SLAs, and insurance requirements. Reduce risk with better visibility: With AI-powered search and filtering, the legal team can now track relationships, compliance issues, and missed deadlines more proactively. Automate simple workflows fast: Maestro enabled self-service NDAs for suppliers with a no-code workflow built in five minutes—no IT ticket needed. Respond faster to i

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

See how KPC Private Funds uses the Docusign Intelligent Agreement Management platform

See how KPC Private Funds uses the Docusign Intelligent Agreement Management platform

If you’re looking for ways to streamline complex agreements, you might be interested in how KPC Private Funds tackled this challenge. By using Docusign IAM, they cut 70% of the time spent on agreements, reduced their template library by 87%, and are on track to reach 90% efficiency gains as they scale.Before IAM, their investment agreements were weighed down by PDFs, manual data entry, and redundant paperwork. Now, they’ve completely transformed their process by: Replacing PDFs with Web Forms: Investors only see the fields relevant to them, reducing confusion and errors. Automating agreement workflows with Maestro: Investor data is mapped to the right template, and documents route automatically for review and signature. Seamlessly integrating with their CRM: Once agreements are signed, they’re stored instantly, eliminating manual uploads. 👉 Want to see exactly how they did it? Read their full story here.💬 Community chat: Share your thoughts on these questions or ask your own in t

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

How Docusign’s People Team Uses Docusign and Workday to Simplify Hiring

This recent Docusign blog explores how the People Team uses Docusign eSignature and Workday integrations to simplify hiring and onboarding, reduce turnaround times, and improve the employee experience. ✍️ Key Takeaways:Faster hiring and onboarding: The People Team uses Docusign eSignature templates to send offer letters, enabling applicants to quickly review and sign documents. The Workday integration pre-fills forms with existing data, eliminating the need for manual entry. Effortless workflows for HR staff: With the integration, agreements like offer letters, promotion letters, and termination notices are automatically generated, routed, and stored, saving time and reducing errors. Global compliance, no hassle: The integration supports international signing standards like eIDAS, ensuring agreements meet legal requirements regardless of where they’re signed. Improving contingent worker onboarding: The team uses Docusign Web Forms to gather and auto-fill information into agreements, st

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

CLM 101: What It Is and Why It Might Be the Right Fit for Your Business

Growing businesses often struggle to manage the contract process effectively, leading to delays, risks, and frustration. This new Docusign publication, Guide to Contract Lifecycle Management, offers a comprehensive guide to contract lifecycle management (CLM), explaining what it is, how it works, and whether it’s the right fit for your organization. The guide explores the challenges of scaling businesses, key benefits of CLM, and practical tips for selecting the right solution. Whether you’re just learning about CLM or ready to implement it, the guide is packed with actionable insights to help your organization streamline contract management.✍️ Key Takeaways:What is CLM? Contract lifecycle management is a software solution that automates and streamlines the contract process, helping organizations reduce delays, risks, and inefficiencies. How does it work? The core functionalities of CLM include documentation generation, collaboration, workflows, signature, storage, analytics, and integ

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

(Dis)Agreement Management: How To Avoid Conflict at Holiday Gatherings 🎁

Holiday gatherings can often be filled with tension, but they don't have to be. In this Docusign blog, we dive into strategies for avoiding conflict during the holidays.We explore expert advice from hostage negotiators, corporate mediators, and even improv coaches, all of whom share their insights on managing difficult discussions and fostering understanding.✍️ Key takeaways:Define your desired outcome: Before entering a conversation, focus on what you hope to achieve—building a connection, not winning an argument. Empathy is key: Great negotiators start by putting themselves in the other person’s shoes. This can help you connect even with those you disagree with. Ask the right questions: Use curiosity to your advantage by asking open-ended questions, like "Why do you think that?" to encourage dialogue and strengthen relationships. The power of gratitude: Show appreciation for the other person’s perspective with the "Thank you, because" technique to de-escalate tension and foster mutua

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Annual vs. Total Contract Value: Which Metric Works for You?

This Docusign blog dives into the difference between two key metrics for calculating contract value: Annual Contract Value (ACV) and Total Contract Value (TCV). While both measure the value of customer agreements, they offer unique insights into business performance. In the blog, you’ll discover how ACV and TCV are calculated, their advantages and limitations, and when to use each to guide strategic decisions for your organization. Whether you're optimizing marketing initiatives, planning annual revenue, or targeting high-value customers, these metrics play a pivotal role in leveraging the value of agreements.✍️ Key Takeaways:Annual Contract Value (ACV):Definition: The average revenue a contract generates per year. Formula: ACV = Total contract value (excluding one-time fees) ÷ total years in the contract. Use Cases: Useful for analyzing annual revenue, sales campaigns, and customer retention efforts. Limitations: Does not account for one-time purchases or customer attrition.Total Cont

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

How ESG Clauses Are Helping Businesses Build a More Sustainable Future

Sustainability has become a key priority for businesses, but how can contracts play a role in achieving those goals? This Docusign blog explores how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) clauses are helping organizations tackle global challenges, like reducing emissions and improving ethical sourcing practices.The blog also highlights Docusign’s partnership with Bonterms, which makes it easy for organizations to integrate standardized, adaptable ESG clauses into contracts.✍️ Key takeaways: What are ESG clauses? These contract provisions embed sustainability principles, setting clear expectations for organizations and suppliers to address environmental, social, and governance goals. Why ESG matters now more than ever: Growing pressures from regulations, investors, and customers make ESG commitments essential for staying competitive and future-proofing operations. Opportunities and challenges: Standardizing ESG clauses can address inefficiencies caused by inconsistent drafting,

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Contract cheat sheet: A breakdown of 15 must-know types

Contracts are the backbone of business operations, but with so many different types, it’s important to understand which ones best fit your needs. This Docusign blog explores 15 common types of contracts and how they can be used to streamline operations, minimize risk, and ensure smooth business transactions.From fixed-price agreements to licensing contracts, the post covers why different contract types exist and how understanding them can protect your business and boost efficiency. Dive into this guide for a comprehensive overview and practical insights on navigating the world of agreements.✍️ Key Takeaways:Fixed-price contracts: Simplify agreements with pre-determined costs. Cost-plus contracts: Share risks by covering expenses and adding a fee. Time and materials contracts: Pay for hours worked and materials used. Unit pricing contracts: Break work into smaller units for clarity. Unilateral contracts: One party promises payment only after actions are completed. Bilateral contracts: B

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Solving Public Sector Agreement Challenges with Docusign IAM

For public sector agencies, efficient and secure agreement processes are foundational to providing timely services and fulfilling missions. Docusign Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) offers agencies key capabilities to streamline and secure the signing phase of their agreement workflows, helping them address common challenges in managing agreements at scale.Insights and capabilities for public sector success: Security and authentication: Public sector agreements require robust security to maintain trust and meet regulatory standards. Docusign IAM incorporates layered security features and identity verification options to help ensure that agreements are signed securely and authenticated accurately, safeguarding sensitive government transactions. Flexible signing options: Docusign IAM provides various signing methods that allow agencies to meet both internal teams and constituents on their preferred platforms, from mobile devices to embedded applications. Notifications through SMS

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Were You at Microsoft Ignite or the Docusign Community Events in Chicago?

Did we see you in Chicago?! Drop your biggest takeaways and favorite moments from our Community events or Microsoft Ignite in the comments below (bonus points for photos 📸)!👉 If you were at Ignite: What’s the one thing you made a note to share with your team? What was your favorite demo? Did anyone talk to Satya?!! 👉 If you were at our Docusign Community Chicago River Cruise or After-Hours Hangout, we want to see your photos and hear your thoughts on how it went! Constructive criticism on our events is ok too 😅 Show and tell us everything in the comments👇

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Tactics for Managing Public Sector Agreements After Signing

In public sector work, the signature isn’t the end—it’s just the beginning of managing agreements effectively. Many agencies focus on creating and capturing signatures, but what happens after can make or break compliance, efficiency, and mission success. Our recent blog highlights how Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM), a new category of cloud software, helps agencies overcome common post-signature challenges. Here’s what we learned:Key Challenges in Managing Signed AgreementsAfter agreements are signed, agencies often face hurdles like tracking documents, limited visibility, and static PDFs that lock up valuable data. Compliance mandates push agencies to digitize and centralize, but outdated manual processes can lead to the “Agreement Trap”—where inefficiencies and misplaced information cost time and value. A recent study with Deloitte shows that this "trap" can mean up to 6,000 hours lost per agency function!To tackle these issues, agencies can: Centralize agreements: Having a si

Lindsay.RothfeldDocusign Employee

published in Agreement Insights

Share what you learned at Dreamforce 2024!

Share what you learned at Dreamforce 2024!

Did you make it to Dreamforce 2024? We had an absolute blast and can't wait to hear all about your time there!Drop your biggest takeaways and favorite moments in the comments below (photos encouraged!!). What new insights blew your mind? What’s the one thing you can’t wait to share with your team? Which session was unforgettable? Did anyone talk to Marc?!! Tell us everything Dreamforce in the comments 👇

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Strategies to Build a Standout Customer Experience

In today’s competitive market, creating a standout customer experience can make or break a brand. Ganesh Iyer, Chief Solutions Officer at ResultsCX, knows exactly what it takes to meet evolving customer expectations while balancing efficiency and personalization. In this Docusign blog, Iyer shares his insights on designing exceptional customer experiences that not only retain customers but boost ROI.✍️ Key Takeaways: Meeting Customer Expectations: Customers want anytime, anywhere access to products and services. Brands need to offer multiple communication options and provide fast, efficient, and personalized customer support to stay competitive. Empowering Employees: While automation and AI improve efficiency, employees remain vital for creating meaningful customer connections and solving high-stakes problems, especially in high-stakes industries like healthcare and banking. Strategic Customer Experience Investments: Metrics like CSAT and NPS are important, but Iyer emphasizes that

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Strengthening Trust While Securing Customer Data

How can organizations safeguard customer data while creating seamless digital experiences throughout the agreement process? In a recent conversation, Docusign Chief Privacy Officer Cindy Rosser and CISO Kurt Sauer, along with Megan Lewis Pulliam from MeridianLink, highlighted the critical balance between ensuring security and delivering a seamless customer experience.You can read the full blog here, but here are a few top takeaways:✍️ Key Takeaways: Balancing Security and Customer Satisfaction: Organizations face the challenge of providing a secure agreement process without creating friction for customers. Streamlined solutions, like integrated identity verification and digitized notarization, can significantly enhance both security and user experience. Future-Proofing Against Evolving Threats: The threat landscape is constantly changing, and organizations must proactively adapt their technology and processes. Tools like Docusign Monitor offer near-real-time visibility into potential

leah.breenLeah Breen

published in Agreement Insights

Automating Public Sector Workflows with the Docusign Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform

Public sector case management often involves navigating a complex web of processes. While efficient management is crucial for timely service delivery, inefficiencies can arise from cumbersome manual steps and outdated workflows, creating backlogs that hinder progress.Docusign’s IAM capabilities are designed to tackle these types of challenges. By automating manual tasks and embedding digital agreements into existing workflows, Docusign helps public sector employees focus on what truly matters: delivering high-quality services to constituents without the burden of excessive paperwork.You can read the full Docusign blog on this topic, but here are a few top takeaway that highlight how Docusign IAM can transform public sector case management: ✍️ Public Sector Use Cases in Action: Building Permit Application: Delays in processing building permits can add an average of six-and-a-half months to construction timelines, raising costs for both materials and labor. With Docusign IAM, cities can

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