New Conga Research Reveals AI Ambition Outpaces Operational Readiness in CLM

95% of organizations use AI in CLM, yet only 38% report fully integrated maturity

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Conga, the company lining up commerce, today announced new research revealing that organizations are high on AI ambition but low on operational readiness in contract lifecycle management (CLM). Notably, 95% of respondents report using AI to some degree within their CLM processes and 49% say they are highly confident using AI with minimal oversight, despite only 38% describing their CLM maturity as “integrated.”

“With AI adoption accelerating, many organizations are moving faster in deployment than in discipline,” said Jason Smith, Global Director, CLM Product Launch at Conga. “What we’re seeing is not a technology gap, but a readiness gap. AI is exposing weaknesses in process, data quality and governance that CLM programs can no longer ignore.”

The survey of 250 senior leaders across legal, revenue, compliance and procurement highlights that many organizations remain in a phase of experimentation rather than transformation, creating added pressure on legal teams to manage contractual risk, compliance and oversight. Despite this pressure, 67% of professionals surveyed report their company does not have a formal AI policy for use.

“AI is accelerating the evolution of the legal function in ways we couldn't have predicted even two years ago,” said Logan Maley, General Counsel at Conga. “CLM sits at the center of that shift, connecting legal, finance, sales and procurement around a shared source of contractual truth. Organizations that mature their CLM programs, and close the gap between AI readiness and adoption, will be the ones positioned to move faster and with less risk.”

The research also highlights how AI is currently being used, where it is delivering value and ways of improving.

• AI Use Cases: Search and reporting (69%) and risk assessment (68%) are the most common applications.
• Where AI Is Delivering: Reporting quality (59%) and risk identification (51%) show the greatest improvement.
• Biggest Barrier to Scale: 40% of early adopters cite lack of staff training, followed by troubleshooting support gaps (31%) and unclear use cases (27%).

Talker Research conducted the research with a survey of 250 senior leaders across legal, revenue, compliance and procurement spanning healthcare, financial services, technology and manufacturing industries. The report examines AI maturity levels, use cases, trust and the real-world challenges organizations face as they integrate AI into CLM.

The full findings from “AI in CLM: AI's Role Now and in the Future of Contract Lifecycle Management” are available now. Download the trend report and companion white paper. For more information on Conga CLM, visit conga.com/platform/contract-lifecycle-management.

About Conga

Conga lines up commercial operations so companies run as connected, smarter businesses. By unifying the people and processes that drive commerce, Conga aligns pricing, quoting, contracting, rebates and communications so teams stay in sync and buyers keep moving forward. The result is trusted decisions, consistent buyer experiences and profitable growth. More than 10,000 customers worldwide, including over 50% of the Fortune 100®, trust Conga when commercial complexity is high and global impact is on the line. Learn more at Conga.com.