Square Enix Eliminates "Time Stealers" with Faster, Easier Contract Management
Square Enix selected Contracts 365 to modernize contract lifecycle management after an earlier CLM implementation failed to meet expectations. By leveraging a Microsoft 365-native contract management platform, Square Enix simplified contract access, improved user adoption, automated reporting, and increased visibility across legal operations while eliminating the "time stealers" that slowed contract processing.
Square Enix Contract Management Results
Contracts 365 helped an industry-leading gaming studio improve contract management efficiency, visibility and usability.
Industry: Gaming and Entertainment
Organization Type: Global Video Game Publisher
Contract Platform: Contracts 365
Technology Stack: Microsoft 365 & SharePoint
Previous CLM: Replaced legacy non-Microsoft platform
Primary Contracts: NDAs, MSAs, Work Orders, Licensing
Key Outcomes: Better usability, automation, reporting, transparency
Customer Quote: What Square Enix Says About Contracts 365
“With Contracts 365’s intuitive functionality, user adoption was a breeze. There’s been minimal training that we’ve had to offer which is incredible because it allows us to focus on continuing to improve our processes.”
Stephanie Pimentel, Purchasing & Legal Operations Manager
Square Enix
Supporting Quote
"One of the very first things everyone looked at was the user interface. It was very clean, very easy. One or two clicks and you were looking at the contract."
Adam Sullivan
General Counsel
Square Enix
About Square Enix
Square Enix® is among the world’s leading video game publishers, with offices in North America, Europe, and Japan. Part of The Square Enix Group, they distribute and license entertainment content around the world and boast an impressive portfolio of intellectual property, including Final Fantasy®, Dragon Quest®, Star Ocean®, Kingdom Hearts®, and the legendary Space Invaders®.
Business Challenge
Square Enix had a smaller legal team that needed to increase throughput of high-volume contracts, such as NDAs, Work Orders, and MSAs, to better manage its processes and allocate resources to more time-intensive contractual reviews, which include licenses, deal agreements and the like.
Over the years, the legal team transitioned from pen and paper contracting to SharePoint. As the team grew, they decided to implement a new, digital contract management system not built on Microsoft 365, but—as is all too often the case—the pitch turned out to be better than the product. “I think I counted it out once: 14 clicks just to see a contract,” noted Adam Sullivan, Square Enix’s General Counsel. “And with every click, it was contacting the system, waiting, reloading, refreshing. It was absurd.”
Square Enix began an exhaustive review, looking for a contract management software solution that could improve automation, increase efficiencies, and nail the basics like electronic signatures. But, more than that, it had to be able to align with a highly complex workflow that spanned multiple levels, limits, locations, and different approvals for requests. At the same time, it had to deliver a granular reporting breakdown of efficiencies to truly understand where the “times stealers” were.
Why Square Enix chose Contracts 365®
Ease of Use, Self Configuration, Microsoft 365 Integration
The ability to have our team self-configure the software to support Square Enix’s specific business processes was critical. Noted Stephanie Pimentel, Legal Operations Manager, “We are always growing and innovating and wanted the innovation that Contracts 365 offered—that’s really what won us over.” After seeing specific use cases readily demonstrated in the software, and getting positive feedback from stakeholders, they decided to move forward.
Adam agreed, “One of the very first things that everyone looked at was the user interface. It was very clean, very easy. In terms of functionality, it was much, much easier. One or two clicks and you were looking at the contract. It was simple and easy to navigate.” And with Contract 365’s intuitive functionality, user adoption was a breeze". Stephanie went on, “There’s been minimal training that we’ve had to offer, which is incredible because it allows us time to focus on continuing to improve our processes.”
The Early Results:
Eliminating "Time Stealers"
The implementation process was incredible, with the Contracts 365 and Square Enix teams collaborating to ensure a smooth transition. “Their availability was great,” said Stephanie, “Whatever we needed, Contracts 365 was always available. Taking us through things, from A to Z, explaining as well as teaching—they ‘taught us to fish,’ - so now we’re able to do a lot more on our end.”
Automated reporting has also been a huge plus. “With our previous system, we had to pull reports every time. With Contracts 365, reports are sent weekly. I can instantly check to see what’s come through and how many contracts have been closed out. I see who’s taking on what and how many tasks each person has.”
Stephanie continued, “It helps with turnaround, but also the transparency that the system offers to our business users. Now they know where to go. And they also have the responsibility of knowing that if something is waiting on them, they can respond in the system. That’s really increased the efficiency of requests that are coming through.”
Final score, Square Enix: 1, Time Stealers: 0
Frequently Asked Questions About Contract Management for Gaming Companies
Why did Square Enix replace its previous contract management software?
Square Enix replaced its previous CLM platform because it was difficult to use, required excessive navigation to access contracts, and lacked the flexibility needed to support complex legal workflows.
How did Contracts 365 improve user adoption?
The intuitive interface reduced the learning curve significantly. Square Enix reported that very little training was required for users to begin working effectively within the platform.
What types of contracts does Square Enix manage?
Square Enix manages NDAs, Master Service Agreements, Work Orders, licensing agreements, publishing agreements, and other commercial contracts supporting its global gaming business.
How did automated reporting improve legal operations?
Contracts 365 automatically delivers reports showing contract volume, workload distribution, completed agreements, and operational metrics, eliminating manual reporting and providing better visibility into legal performance.
Why is Microsoft 365 important for gaming organizations?
Organizations already using Microsoft 365 can leverage existing security, collaboration, document management, and governance capabilities while keeping contracts within the Microsoft ecosystem.
What is the best contract management software for gaming companies?
Gaming companies benefit from contract lifecycle management software that combines intuitive usability, workflow automation, reporting, Microsoft 365 integration, flexible configuration, and strong support for complex approval processes. Square Enix selected Contracts 365 after determining it best met these requirements.
See Contracts 365 in Action
Looking to improve contract throughput, user adoption, and visibility across legal operations?
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