Follett Learning Improved Collaboration by Centralizing Contract Workflows

For companies managing a high volume of agreements, contract workflows can quickly become a bottleneck. Decentralized, manual processes create inefficiencies, increase risk, and limit visibility into key contract data. This challenge isn’t unique—many organizations struggle to balance the need for department-specific flexibility with the benefits of centralized oversight.
One company that successfully addressed this challenge is Follett Learning, a leading educational materials supplier. By centralizing contract management while maintaining department-level autonomy, Follett improved collaboration, reduced risk, and streamlined operations. Here’s how they did it—and how your business can, too.

The cost of decentralized contract management

Without a centralized cloud-based contract management software, businesses face common challenges:

• Limited visibility – Contracts stored across emails, shared drives, and local folders make it difficult to locate specific agreements, track key terms, or enforce compliance.
• Inefficient workflows – Manual contract processes slow down approvals, leading to delays in sales cycles, vendor onboarding, and financial reporting.
• Higher risk exposure – Missed deadlines, inconsistent terms, and limited oversight increase financial and legal risks, such as breach of contract risks.
• Administrative burden – Teams spend hours searching for contracts, correcting errors, and managing inconsistent versions instead of focusing on strategic work.

Follett Learning faced these exact challenges. With contracts spread across different departments, they lacked visibility and control, which impacted their ability to manage risk and respond quickly to customer needs.

How Follet Learning centralized contract workflows

Follett Learning adopted Concord to bring structure and control to its contract processes. The key to their success? A balance of centralized oversight and department-level flexibility.

Subsidiary functionality for controlled autonomy

Follett manages contracts across departments—sales, marketing, procurement, and more—while maintaining standardized templates and workflows. By leveraging Concord’s subsidiary functionality, Follett enabled departments to manage their contracts while ensuring alignment with company-wide policies.

This structure ensures consistency without restricting department-specific workflows.

Structured organization for faster access

A well-organized contract repository eliminates wasted time searching for documents. Follett implemented:

• A clear folder structure that categorizes contracts by department, contract type, and status.
• A robust tagging system for quick searches based on key terms, renewal dates, and counterparties.

With these improvements, teams can locate contracts in seconds rather than sifting through scattered files.

Hybrid workflows for seamless integration

Follett creates highly customized contracts, often drafting agreements outside of Concord before uploading them for storage, tracking, and collaboration. Instead of forcing a complete process overhaul, Concord’s flexibility allowed them to maintain existing workflows while benefiting from centralized oversight.

This adaptability ensures businesses can improve contract management without disrupting established operations.

The impact: better collaboration, faster processes, and fewer errors

By centralizing contract management, Follett Learning saw measurable improvements:

• Faster contract processing – Automated workflows and streamlined approvals reduced turnaround times.
• Fewer contract-related errors – Standardized templates and clear processes helped eliminate inconsistencies.
• Improved compliance and risk management – A centralized repository provided better visibility into contract obligations and renewal deadlines.
• More time for strategic work – Teams spent less time on administrative tasks and more on high-value initiatives.

“Super important for us,” Eisenhauer emphasizes, referring to the ability to maintain flexibility while ensuring company-wide consistency.

Key takeaways for your business

If your organization struggles with decentralized contract management, consider these best practices:

• Centralize storage – A single source of truth eliminates confusion and reduces risk.
• Use access controls – Empower departments while maintaining oversight with role-based permissions.
• Automate workflows – Reduce manual tasks and speed up contract approvals.
• Leverage searchability – Tags, filters, and structured folders help teams quickly find what they need.
• Adapt to existing processes – A contract management solution should enhance, not disrupt, current workflows.

By implementing these strategies, businesses can improve collaboration, reduce risk, and free up valuable time—just as Follett Learning did.
The bottom line: A centralized contract workflow doesn’t just save time—it improves compliance, enhances collaboration, and creates a more agile operation.