No-code and low-code platforms are lowering the barrier to create tailored CLM workflows. This article highlights how teams can use these platforms to automate approvals, clause assembly, and post-signature processes with minimal developer involvement.
Why no-code/low-code matters for CLM
Legal teams want agility: fast template updates, new approval flows, and niche contract types. No-code/low-code tools allow business owners to build and iterate without lengthy IT projects.
Capabilities to expect
- Visual workflow builders: Drag-and-drop approval routing, conditional logic, and notifications.
- Clause libraries and templating: Tokenized templates with conditional clauses inserted based on metadata.
- Integration connectors: Prebuilt connectors for SSO, eSignature, ERP, CRM, and storage.
- Event triggers: Post-signature triggers to create invoices, send reports, or start onboarding flows.
Good governance practices
- Role separation: Business users can assemble workflows but legal/IT should approve and publish templates.
- Change logs and rollback: Ensure version history and the ability to revert to prior templates.
- Testing sandbox: Build and test flows in non-production before publishing.
When to choose low-code over no-code (and vice versa)
- No-code: Best for simple routing and template changes managed by the business.
- Low-code: Better when integrations or custom logic need light development and API orchestration.
Example workflow: Automated supplier onboarding
- Sales or procurement triggers a template with supplier metadata.
- Conditional clauses inserted based on supplier region and risk profile.
- Automated routing to legal for high-risk clauses, otherwise to the business approver.
- Post-signature: create supplier record in ERP and kick off onboarding tasks.
Measuring success
- Time from request to fully executed contract.
- Number of manual handoffs eliminated.
- Template error rate and rollback frequency.
Conclusion
No-code and low-code CLM tooling empowers teams to iterate faster and keep pace with business needs. Pair those tools with governance and sandboxing to gain agility without sacrificing control.