How Skillsoft Accelerated Its Contracting Time From Days to Minutes

Executive summary

Skillsoft, a leading provider of talent development solutions, saw an opportunity to optimize how it managed contracts across its business. The company sought to improve process efficiency and visibility through a centralized contract lifecycle management (CLM) system. By implementing Ironclad as its CLM solution and integrating Ironclad with Salesforce CPQ, Skillsoft significantly reduced its contracting time, standardized its contracting processes globally, improved compliance, and enhanced cross-functional collaboration.

Growth through acquisition

Skillsoft provides a comprehensive and blended selection of interactive learning experiences, including self-paced online courses, live virtual instructor-led training, hands-on practice labs, digital coaching, audiobooks and eBooks, and AI-powered interactive simulations. Skillsoft’s need for a centralized CLM stemmed from its growth through multiple acquisitions bringing together Skillsoft, Global Knowledge, Codecademy, and other businesses.

Amidst this rapid growth, optimizing its contracting process became an important need. Through a comprehensive “North Star” evaluation of Skillsoft’s business processes to support go-to-market functions, it became clear that this was a significant opportunity to streamline operations. 

IT leads the way

Skillsoft’s approach to implementing Ironclad was strategically led by the IT department, positioning itself as a business partner with deep expertise in system integration and process optimization. Recognizing the critical importance of contract management to the company’s continued success, IT took ownership of guiding the implementation while collaborating closely with Skillsoft’s legal team, who were the traditional owners of contracts.

The IT Team, which included professionals with prior experience implementing CLM systems, brought valuable perspective to the project. They established a clear vision for how the contract management system should function within Skillsoft’s environment of multiple business units and global operations. IT established comprehensive guiding principles to keep the solution as standardized as possible. This approach was guided by the principle that if Ironclad’s platform can natively perform a function, that capability should be enabled rather than creating customizations or workarounds.

The integration between Ironclad and Salesforce CPQ was a cornerstone of the implementation strategy. This integration created a seamless flow from quote creation through contract generation, approval, and execution. The team carefully mapped existing workflows and then reimagined them within the new system, dramatically reducing the number of steps required while maintaining necessary controls and approvals.

What made Skillsoft’s implementation particularly effective was its willingness to challenge and reimagine existing processes. When users had questions, the IT team ensured business units understood how standardization and simplification would benefit the entire organization. This change management component was crucial, and particularly effective at building trust and demonstrating expertise. 

The implementation was approached as a true digital transformation initiative rather than a simple technology deployment. IT worked cross-functionally with legal, sales, and revenue operations to ensure the new system would address the full spectrum of contract management needs while also considering future requirements for scaling and expanding into new regions and business units. This forward-looking approach positioned Ironclad as the foundation for broader process improvements throughout the organization.

Results and benefits

The implementation of Ironclad catalyzed a significant transformation across Skillsoft, with impacts extending far beyond the immediate improvements in contract management. What began as a solution to address specific pain points evolved into a cornerstone of the company’s broader digital transformation strategy, delivering both tangible operational improvements and strategic business value.

The post-Ironclad implementation enables Skillsoft to enjoy unprecedented transparency into its contract processes and portfolio. With all contracts now managed in a single, accessible platform, Skillsoft can proactively monitor renewal dates, compliance requirements, and contractual obligations.

Perhaps most significantly, the Ironclad implementation has enabled Skillsoft to extend its market reach. The standardized, digital workflows now in place allow the contracts team to support new countries and regions. This geographical expansion has opened new revenue opportunities while ensuring consistent compliance with regional regulations.

The digital transformation of contract processes has also had a profound impact on employee experience and productivity. By simplifying complex workflows—in some cases reducing multi-step processes down to just eight steps—and eliminating manual, email-based approvals, Skillsoft has enabled its team members to focus on higher-value activities. This efficiency gain has been particularly impactful during the post-COVID era, when the need to digitize previously paper-based processes became urgent.

Beyond the operational improvements, the Ironclad implementation has delivered strategic benefits that resonate at the highest levels of the organization. IT’s leadership in this initiative has further cemented its role as a strategic business partner.

Ironclad has also improved cross-functional collaboration and process improvement throughout Skillsoft. What began in the legal department has become “contagious,” spreading to sales, revenue operations, and other functions as teams see the benefits of standardized digital workflows. This organic adoption speaks to the genuine value the system has delivered and positions Skillsoft to realize even greater returns on its investment as usage expands.

Key results:

Operational Improvements

• Global standardization: Ironclad became the global standard for contract management across all Skillsoft business units.
• Enhanced visibility: The company gained unprecedented insight into its contract portfolio.
• Streamlined processes: Workflows were simplified, with digital workflows replacing manual, email-based processes.
• Expanded global reach: The efficiency of the Ironclad platform enabled the contracts team to support more countries and regions, particularly in EMEA.
• Increased capacity: The contracts team can now handle higher volumes of agreements and additional workload with the same resources, improving throughput and responsiveness.

Strategic impact

• Cross-functional collaboration: Ironclad enhanced collaboration between legal, sales, revenue operations, and IT departments.
• IT transformation: IT demonstrated its strategic ability by driving this initiative that delivered clear business value.
• Digital acceleration: This implementation further positioned Skillsoft for success in the digital-first business environment.

Conclusion

For Skillsoft, implementing Ironclad as its CLM solution has been transformative. By standardizing and digitizing contract management processes, Skillsoft has improved visibility, streamlined compliance, and increased productivity across the organization. The implementation has become an example for additional process improvements and cross-functional collaboration.

As Skillsoft continues to integrate and optimize its contract management processes, the company is well-positioned to realize even greater value from its Ironclad implementation in the future.