Case Studies
The Detroit Pistons
How Marshfield helped the Detroit Pistons slam dunk on their contract management challenges
Overview
The Detroit Pistons, as a leading sports organization, manages a fast-paced and complex business environment that extends well beyond the basketball court. From corporate partnerships to vendor agreements, the business team handles a high volume of contracts that are integral to their day-to-day operations.
The Challenge
Pistons Sports and Entertainment faced several critical challenges in managing their contracts, resulting in inefficiencies, delays, and lost opportunities. These challenges spanned multiple areas, including accessibility, approval processes, contract renewals, and auditing.
Contracts were stored across multiple platforms, which were only accessible to the legal team. This siloed approach created bottlenecks, and the heavy reliance on manual processes lacked consistency, leading to inefficient workflows and unnecessary delays.
In addition, the absence of a structured, standardized approval process caused contracts to bypass necessary stakeholders, creating gaps in accountability and resulting in incomplete reviews. Manual routing of contracts without clear workflows led to missed opportunities for proper vetting.
Another major challenge involved tracking contract renewal and expiration dates. Without a system in place, the team often faced last-minute scrambles, putting them at a disadvantage during negotiations, as well as straining internal resources.
The lack of a centralized repository for contracts made it difficult for the organization to access, manage, and analyze critical contract data.
And finally, when it came to auditing, the absence of a centralized contract management system made it extremely time-consuming to provide comprehensive lists of open contracts.
Marshfield’s Solution
To meet the Pistons’ contract management needs, Marshfield Consulting implemented a comprehensive Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) solution using Docusign’s CLM platform. This solution was designed to address specific operational challenges while integrating seamlessly with their existing systems, including Docusign’s DocGen and eSignature.
Key CLM Requirements:
- Centralized Contract Repository
- Automated Approval Workflows
- Renewal Alerts
- Enhanced Accessibility and Reporting
- Training and Adoption Support
The project took between three and four months to complete, aligning with the Pistons’ seasonal business operations. Marshfield Consulting ensured the system was fully implemented before the start of the basketball season, allowing the organization to focus on their core activities without disruption. The project adhered to both the budget and the tight timeline necessary for a successful rollout.
Benefits & Results
The implementation of Docusign CLM significantly reduced the time it takes to process contracts, saving several days in contract turnaround time. This has also improved the legal team’s efficiency, especially during peak periods.
All stakeholders can now track the status of contracts in real time, reducing the need for back-and-forth communication and follow-ups. This transparency has increased efficiency and ensured that contracts are not delayed.
The finance team can now easily generate reports on active contracts, expiring contracts, and vendor details, a task that previously required significant manual effort. The new system has simplified the audit process by providing centralized access to all contract data, improving compliance, and saving hours of work during audits.
The streamlined contract workflows have improved both the employee and stakeholder experience by reducing turnaround times and minimizing miscommunication. The system’s transparency enables users to track contract statuses, enhancing accountability and reducing the need for follow-up inquiries. Additionally, the self-service capabilities empower employees to retrieve contract data independently, promoting efficiency and reducing administrative burdens.
The implementation of Docusign CLM has provided the Pistons organization with a scalable solution that can grow with them.
By addressing critical challenges such as manual approval processes, limited visibility, and inefficient tracking of renewals, the new system Marshfield implemented has streamlined workflows and significantly reduced contract turnaround times. Improved accountability and transparency across departments have enhanced collaboration and reduced administrative burdens. With the scalable CLM solution in place, the Pistons are well-positioned to manage future growth, adapt to evolving business needs, and continue leveraging contract management as a strategic asset in their operations.
Kat Harrison, Marshfield’s Sr. Solution Consultant and Pistons Project Lead had this to say, “The success of the Pistons’ CLM project is due in large part to the engagement, responsiveness, and participation of their project team, which allowed us to meet all of the client requirements and deliver the project on time and under budget. We transformed their contracting process.”
The implementation of Docusign’s CLM system transformed the Pistons’ contract management, delivering significant efficiency gains and positioning the organization for future scalability.
About The Detroit Pistons Organization
The Detroit Pistons are a Detroit-based American basketball team. The Detroit Pistons Community & Social Responsibility mission is to use the game of basketball as a vehicle for change that will inspire and impact the community.
The four pillars of focus are education, health & fitness, mentoring and equality, with the flagship program of Basketball for All serving as the primary community initiative. The Detroit Pistons foundation administers funds for charitable purposes in the metro Detroit region.
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