For Superfeet, Contracts 365 ensures that contract management is a perfect fit.

“The idea that, ‘You’ll be able to find anything in 30 seconds,’ 
that spoke volumes. Before Contracts 365, we couldn’t 
find anything in 30 minutes, let alone 30 seconds!”

Michael Lindeman
VP of Information Technology
Superfeet

Customer Profile

Founded in 1977 as the Sports Medicine Division of Northwest Podiatric Laboratory, Superfeet manufactures over-the-counter orthotics—custom-fit shoe insoles for hardworking feet. The company combines biometric data, cutting-edge technology, and innovative materials to help people get the most out of every step. With a growing global market, Superfeet orthotics help millions of feet move the way they’re supposed to, adapting the flat surface inside shoes to the contours of your feet for life-changing comfort, unmatched support, and enhanced performance.

Business Challenge

After nearly 50 years in business, Superfeet has grown from its Pacific Northwest roots to serve customers in more than 34 countries worldwide. As a global manufacturer and retailer, the company handles hundreds of contracts every year. And its contract management needs run the gamut—from supplier and retail agreements to manufacturing and technology contracts to marketing and vendor agreements. The list goes on.

In its earlier years, Superfeet managed contracts the way many growing companies do: email, Excel sheets, SharePoint, and all the Microsoft tools in its Office Suite. But, over time, the process of managing so many disparate systems became burdensome. What were the final terms? Where were the latest versions? What contracts were coming due? 

Michael Lindeman, VP of Information Technology at Superfeet, recalled, “We just realized, ‘We can’t keep running down this path. We have to do this better.'" So, when the topic of identifying a Contract Lifecycle Management solution surfaced at Superfeet’s Executive Leadership Team meeting, there was immediate consensus. One of Superfeet’s executives recommended Contracts 365 to the group and it quickly rose to the top of the list of vendors they evaluated. 

Why They Chose Contracts 365

“Contracts 365 hit the right notes, right out of the gate, especially when it came to our IT infrastructure.” said Lindeman. “We didn’t need to contemplate a new platform or additional silos of information as they fit directly in with our Microsoft stack.”

Lindeman went on to note that Contracts 365’s ability to leverage Superfeet’s existing Microsoft cloud for data and document storage was very compelling. “Being able to hold onto our own data—the security, compliance, and control of our data—that was a big factor.”

The other thing that impressed Lindeman was the obvious impact Contracts 365’s file-management capability would have on Superfeet’s operations. “We’re not overly complex in our workflows or in what we’re trying to do with these documents”, Lindeman explained. “But Contracts 365’s approach to data and document management was head and shoulders above any other solution out there.”

In fact, Contracts 365's contract management software is designed around a core User Experience principal called The 30-Second Imperative. It’s a highly sophisticated design principle that states, no matter how complex the contract needs of an organization may be, users should be able to do most contract-related tasks in 30 seconds or less.

“But when we started discussing the idea that, ‘You’ll be able to find anything in 30 seconds,’ that spoke volumes.” Lindeman laughed, “Before Contracts 365, we couldn’t find anything in 30 minutes, let alone 30 seconds!”

“Having everything organized and lined up within an ecosystem we’re familiar with, and having the skillset in house to support Contracts 365, that’s big bonus,” Lindeman explained.

Looking Ahead

Lindeman also appreciated Contracts 365’s ability to meet Superfeet where they are, while providing a clear path for growth. “We use Dynamics 365 for Sales, so the Contracts 365 for Dynamics 365 integration will be great for us down the road. And we’re very interested to explore Contracts 365’s AI Companions—from the AI Metadata Extraction Companion to the new AI Negotiation Companion—can help improve our processes as well.”

But right now, Lindeman is excited to see his company getting off on the right foot. “One of the things you look for in a vendor is not just what you have today, but what’s coming tomorrow. Where are you planning to go in the space?”  he said. “I think Contracts 365 has done a great job in terms of showing a vision, showing direction—being able to show that there’s this whole other world, a new way of doing things, and inviting us to think differently about how we approach challenges. They helped us check the boxes we needed to check while also starting to develop a vision about tomorrow.”