Work smarter, not harder: 10 productivity hacks using technology

In today’s corporate environment, in-house legal teams are expected to deliver more with fewer resources. Business expectations are increasing, yet budgets and headcount remain limited. The most effective way to keep up? Work smarter, not harder.

Leading legal functions are leveraging automation and AI to eliminate inefficiencies, streamline routine tasks, and focus on high-value strategic work. Nearly every legal process, from contract management to compliance reviews, can be optimised and automated using the right tools.

Here are ten practical ways to cut wasted effort and significantly increase productivity:

1. Centralise legal documentation

Few things are more frustrating than hunting for a critical contract buried in an overflowing email or a locked filing cabinet. A centralised digital repository keeps everything accessible, organised, and secure.

• Faster retrieval: find key contracts, policies, and case files instantly.

• Scalable storage: eliminate the need for physical filing cabinets.

• Self-service access: allow business teams to retrieve approved documents without legal intervention.

Example: Caidya uploaded 15,000+ files to Plexus using bulk upload, cutting retrieval times and reducing administrative burden.

2. Speed up approvals with eSignatures

Legal workflows often stall because of something as simple as waiting for a signature. Why rely on wet signatures when digital options cut turnaround times and improve tracking?

• Reduce delays: approvals can happen in minutes, not days.

• Eliminate paper-based dependencies: sign from anywhere, anytime using e‑signature solutions.

• Ensure compliance: track approvals with a full audit trail.

No more chasing people down for signatures – let technology do the legwork.

Example: Plexus Approve and eSign is customisable to meet industry-specific compliance needs, including Part 11 regulations.

3. Streamline contract lifecycle management

Contracts are the backbone of any business, yet in-house legal teams often get bogged down in manual processes, version control issues, and approval bottlenecks. A modern contract lifecycle management system simplifies the process.

• Automate approvals to reduce back-and-forth emails.

• Ensure compliance by using pre-approved contract templates.

• Increase visibility and track contract status in real-time.

4. Use AI to optimise legal reviews

Repetitive contract reviews drain valuable time and energy. AI-powered legal tools can analyse contracts in seconds, flagging risks and missing terms, so your team can focus on what matters.

• Identify risky clauses by using AI to highlight compliance red flags.

• Reduce manual workload and free up lawyers for strategic work.

• Improve accuracy and minimise human error in repetitive tasks.

Example: Plexus Contract Review reduces manual review time by up to 80%, allowing in-house legal teams to work faster and more efficiently, 

AI isn’t replacing lawyers; it’s helping them do more in less time.

5. Establish a clear delegation of authority framework

In-house legal teams shouldn’t be stuck approving every single change in a contract lifecycle. A well-defined delegation of authority (DoA) framework ensures the right people are making decisions at the right level.

• Predefined approval levels align contracts with the right stakeholders.

• Automated permissions can assign user roles to prevent unnecessary escalations.

• Reduce bottlenecks and let low-risk approvals proceed without unnecessary legal intervention.

Your General Counsel shouldn’t be signing off on every minor agreement. Let technology handle the hierarchy.

Example: Plexus can be configured to an organisation’s DoA workflows, ensuring approvals happen smoothly without unnecessary delays.

6. Enable self-service legal tools

In-house legal teams spend too much time on routine, low-risk requests. Empowering other teams to handle basic legal tasks frees up lawyers for more strategic work.

• Let business teams generate standard contracts: NDAs, vendor agreements, and more.

• Reduce legal intervention and escalate only high-risk matters.

• Ensure compliance and use automation to enforce policies.

Example: Plexus self-service tools help teams cut legal workload by up to 40% while maintaining legal oversight and reducing risk.

7. Standardise legal templates

Inconsistent legal documents lead to confusion, errors, and compliance risks. Standardised templates ensure accuracy while speeding up execution.

• Maintain consistency and eliminate unnecessary variations.

• Faster contract creation is enabled by using pre-approved documents.

• Reduce review time by having Legal only review exceptions, not every document.

Example: Sonnedix implemented standardised templates with Plexus, cutting legal drafting time and allowing their legal team to focus on business expansion.

8. Optimise legal matter management

In-house legal teams handle a high volume of requests from across the business, leading to inefficiencies and delays. A structured matter management system improves tracking, prioritisation, and execution.

• Centralise all legal matters by managing requests in a single platform.

• Automate triage and prioritise work based on urgency and impact.

• Improve visibility by tracking request status to optimise resource allocation.

No more endless email chains: centralised workflows mean less friction and faster resolutions.

Example: Caidya moved from an email-based request system to Plexus, increasing efficiency and reducing manual workload.

9. Use data to drive better decisions

Legal teams need more than intuition to improve efficiency: they need data-driven insights.

• Track contract turnaround times to identify bottlenecks and optimise workflows.

• Monitor compliance risks by analysing trends to flag potential issues.

• Measure legal workload to allocate resources strategically.

Example: Plexus analytics provides real-time data, helping in-house legal teams optimise their processes and demonstrate impact.

10. Embrace agile legal operations

Legal once operated as a static, reactive function. Today, the best in-house teams are embracing agile, tech-driven processes to move faster and drive better business outcomes.

• Automate repetitive tasks to free up Legal for complex matters.

• Use AI and automation to accelerate contract approvals and compliance reviews.

• Standardise workflows to improve turnaround times and reduce inefficiencies.

Legal should work at the speed of business, ensuring compliance without slowing progress.

The Plexus advantage: delivering more with less

By implementing these productivity hacks, in-house legal teams can transition from manual, reactive work to proactive, strategic impact. This in turn delivers faster outcomes, lower costs, and reduced risk.

Business moves fast. Legal teams need to keep up. The right technology helps them eliminate inefficiencies, automate routine work, and focus on the matters that truly drive business success.