Transforming Legal Departments: MNTSQ's Impact on Ishihara Sangyo's Legal Operations

In a significant move towards digital transformation, MNTSQ Inc. has partnered with Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd. to enhance their legal department's efficiency through the implementation of the MNTSQ Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) platform. This collaboration is a testament to the growing global trend of utilizing technology to streamline business operations and improve productivity.

Identifying Pre-Implementation Challenges

Before the integration of MNTSQ CLM, Ishihara Sangyo's legal team, consisting of just ten members, was managing contracts for a workforce of approximately 1,800. The manual labor involved in their operations was cumbersome; each consultation from business departments began with emails directed to individual team members. They would manually convert emails and attached documents into PDFs for archival, a process that became a burden particularly after the transfer of a dedicated administrative staff member. Finding historical review data could easily take 30 minutes to an hour, which highlighted the urgent need for automation.

Furthermore, the company relied on a legacy Access system established prior to the year 2000, which had become a black box with no available design documentation, complicating any modifications. Quarterly notifications for contract deadlines required extensive manual checks and Excel compilations to distribute across departments, leading to significant inefficiencies.

The Decision to Transition: A Bottom-Up Approach

The decision to adopt MNTSQ’s platform wasn’t driven from the top management but stemmed from motivated young professionals within the legal department who took the initiative to address the inefficiencies they experienced daily. This grassroots approach involved comparing around 20 potential vendors without appointing a single leader, thus fostering collaboration and equal input among team members.

Reflecting on previous unsuccessful endeavors, particularly with an AI contract review tool that did not align with their internal standards, the team prioritized the need for software that could integrate smoothly with existing operations. Ensuring that MNTSQ CLM was compatible with their specific workflows was the critical factor in its selection.

Post-Implementation Benefits: Efficiency Gains

Once MNTSQ CLM was adopted, the legal team witnessed remarkable benefits. Manual PDF conversion was eliminated, consolidating project management under one roof. The full-text keyword search feature revolutionized their ability to review historical data, drastically reducing investigation times that had previously taken up to an hour.

The transition was smooth, with the rollout to approximately 500 business unit accounts being seamless and efficient. Automation of notification tasks related to contract deadlines has also reduced administrative burdens substantially, with projections suggesting a saving of over 200 hours of labor annually. Consequently, the team can now focus on higher-value activities with a reduced operational load.

Future Prospects: Focusing on Core Activities

With the significant labor savings achieved from integrating the MNTSQ CLM, the legal department can redirect their efforts towards improving the quality and speed of contract reviews and providing training sessions on regulatory compliance within the company. The transformation has been well-received, as most of the new responsibilities associated with the software have involved eliminating superfluous tasks rather than adding to the workload. The team anticipates further advancements in productivity through the implementation of AI contract assistants and other emerging features.

About MNTSQ CLM

The MNTSQ Contract Lifecycle Management system supports the entire lifecycle of contract management from creation and review to execution and knowledge sharing, utilizing AI to provide comprehensive solutions. This technology encourages an efficient management style that fosters speed in business operations while ensuring robust governance throughout the organization.

About MNTSQ Inc.

Founded in November 2018, MNTSQ Inc. is a startup with the vision of making all agreements fair and accessible. They have formed strategic partnerships with three of Japan's leading law firms, applying their expertise alongside cutting-edge AI technologies to develop services like MNTSQ CLM and the MNTSQ AI Contract Assistant. The company's mission is to revolutionize contractual relationships and ensure fairness in every agreement, aiming for a world where anyone can finalize agreements instantly and equitably.