Why did you start looking for a contract management solution?
For a long time, X-FAB managed contracts using tools that were already available internally. Like many companies, the first step was always to see whether existing solutions could support their needs. We started by looking at what we already had internally. Because the first reaction you always get when introducing a new platform is "another tool from another provider again". So you first want to make sure that your current setup is really not good enough. However, as the company continued to grow, it became clear that a simple folder structure was no longer the right solution. We needed one platform where different departments could take ownership of their contracts. Managing contracts should not rely on legal; it requires collaboration across the entire organization. At the same time, we wanted to keep control over who has access to what documents.
What made Contractify the right solution for X-FAB?
The search for the right contract management platform was something Silicon Foundries didn't rush. The team compared different solutions for more than a year. We looked at many different tools. A lot of them also use AI in different ways, but many solutions try to cover the entire contract lifecycle. You start with drafting and end with a complete contract overview.
For Manuel, that broad approach wasn't necessarily the best fit. "In a large, decentralized organization, I didn't see that being easy to implement," he explains. What he liked about Contractify was its clear focus: "They do what they do, and they do it well." Just as important was that the legal team stayed in control, rather than depending on a complex implementation process, they could decide for themselves how to use and configure the platform.
How has Ada changed the way you manage contracts?
Although we had already been looking into contract management software, the introduction of Ada proved to be the tipping point. Instead of manually entering contract information, Ada automatically recognizes key details such as counterparties, allowing users to validate the information rather than type everything themselves. Uploading contracts became much faster, the quality of the data improved and we immediately saw the time savings. Beyond efficiency, AI also solved a problem the legal team had experienced for years: inconsistent data.
How did you experience the implementation?
One of the biggest advantages was how quickly the team could get started with Contractify. Unlike other platforms that require months of implementation and configuration. The interface is self-explanatory, you can easily find your way around and start using the platform almost immediately. As the team became more familiar with the platform, we gradually started customizing folder structures, permissions and workflows themselves. I like the fact that I don't have to contact support every time I want to change something. I can simply experiment, adjust it myself and continue improving the platform as we go. That flexibility allows us to continuously evolve our contract management processes without being dependent on external consultants or lots of support requests.
How do you see the future of contract management?
Contract management will continue to become more intelligent and increasingly automated. Routine administrative work will gradually disappear, giving legal professionals more time to focus on negotiations, legal analysis and strategic advice. At the same time, other departments will become more self-sufficient by accessing contract information directly instead of relying on legal for every question. For international organizations especially, having one trusted platform that brings together contracts, metadata and knowledge will become essential. That's exactly the direction we are working towards: one central platform where every department can find reliable contract information, while legal retains complete oversight. That's what good contract management is all about: not to replace people, but enabling them to focus on the work that matters most.
