The real cost of a slow CLM implementation: Generic vs. healthcare-specific solutions

Time-to-value matters. Why every day counts once implementation begins.

In our first post Why Healthcare Deserves Its Own CLM Software, we explored why healthcare, in all its complexity and ever-evolving changes, requires its own contract lifecycle management (CLM) solution. Now, let’s look at what happens after the decision is made, i.e. when it’s time to turn plans into progress.

In healthcare, the path from contract to value can’t afford delays. Every extra month of setup is a month where compliance readiness is postponed, onboarding slows and teams are left to continue juggling manual work. The sooner your CLM starts delivering value, the faster you gain visibility, control and measurable ROI¹.

Why generic tools take longer in healthcare.

If you have ever implemented a generic CLM in healthcare, you know the pattern: Things stall, hidden costs pile up, multiple re-configurations are required and what looks like “go-live” on paper rarely feels that way in practice.

Here’s why:

• Data and templates without healthcare context: Without pre-configured contract types for provider agreements, credentialing and payer relationships, and so on, implementation starts from scratch, which extends timelines².
• Customization overload and IT backlog: Because the tool wasn’t built for healthcare, IT teams may spend months building custom fields and integrations for provider data and compliance routing². Note, this customization often comes with additional fees.
• Missing specialized workflows and regulatory layers: Healthcare contracts involve physician incentives, provider-payer relationships, regulatory triggers like Stark Law or OIG obligations and co-management clauses. Generic CLMs require heavy re-engineering to configure these highly specialized workflows assuming the implementation and support teams have the expertise to accomplish this³.
• User resistance and adoption lag: When workflows don’t align with how legal, compliance or provider contracting teams operate, users lose trust and the rate of adoption slows¹.

On paper, a generic CLM may look like it’s checking the right boxes, but six months later your compliance and legal teams are still waiting for fixes while timelines double².

Comparing timelines side by side makes the difference clear.

How healthcare-specific CLMs shorten the path to value.

When your CLM is built for healthcare, you skip the re-engineering. Purpose-built CLMs start with the regulatory workflows, clause libraries and data fields healthcare organizations actually need. That means fewer customizations, faster deployment and earlier adoption across all departments¹.

Here’s what makes faster time-to-value possible when a CLM is purpose-built for healthcare:

• Core workflows for provider, vendor and payer contracts ready out of the box.
• Clause libraries and templates specialized for healthcare, including Stark, OIG and value-based care language.
• Built-in routing for compliance and regulatory review from day one.
• Dashboards and alerts that surface renewals, obligations and thresholds automatically.
• Workflows aligned with legal, compliance, procurement and provider contracting teams, leading to faster adoption and measurable performance gains¹.

Organizations using modern, purpose-built CLMs report up to 50% faster contract cycle times and significantly less revenue leakage than those relying on generic or manual systems¹. For healthcare, that speed translates to earlier compliance readiness and reduced operational risk.

The ripple effects of faster adoption.

When your CLM becomes operational sooner, it does more than check a “go-live” box. The downstream benefits multiply:

• Faster compliance readiness: With core workflows live early, contract monitoring, review and renewal alerts happen sooner¹.
• Smoother audits: Early adoption creates visibility into obligations and contract status, reducing last-minute audit pressure¹.
• Earlier ROI: Measurable savings and efficiency gains show up months sooner when cycle times drop and compliance gaps close¹.
• User confidence: When users see immediate improvements, adoption accelerates and the CLM becomes part of daily operations¹.
• Scalability: With a solid foundation in place, teams can expand to analytics and advanced modules without rework¹.

The takeaway.

In healthcare, time-to-value is more than a KPI, it’s a measure of operational resilience. A generic CLM might promise functionality, but it often delivers delay. A healthcare-specific CLM like Ntracts accelerates implementation, strengthens compliance sooner and turns contracts into value faster. For example, our clients achieve a 100% implementation success rate, with typical time-to-value in 6–9 months.

In the next and final post in this series, we’ll explore what it takes to make your CLM success stick long after go-live and why having a healthcare-backed support team by your side makes all the difference.

Download our guide to see how Ntracts helps healthcare organizations reach value faster.

Sources

1. World Commerce & Contracting (2022). Contracting in the New Economy: How Digital Transformation Drives Performance.
2. Concord (2023). How Long CLM Rollouts Actually Take (and Why). Retrieved from concord.app/blog/how-long-clm-rollouts-actually-take-and-why.
3. Ntracts (2024). Healthcare Contract Lifecycle Management FAQ. Retrieved from ntracts.com/healthcare-contract-lifecycle-management-faq.