From Automation to Advantage: A Q&A with Carolina Colombo, Avaya
- Cosmonauts Team
- Feb 13
- 4 min read
As generative technology becomes increasingly embedded in contracting workflows, contract managers are being asked to balance speed and efficiency with accuracy, governance, and professional judgment.
In this Future Contracts Miami Q&A, Carolina Colombo, Certified Contract Negotiation Senior Manager at Avaya, shares a practitioner’s perspective on using AI responsibly, overcoming common CLM challenges, and how the role of the contract manager is evolving in a more automated, technology-driven environment.
Enjoy the interview below.
What legal, ethical, or professional risks do you associate with increased reliance on AI and automation in contracting workflows?
The immediate risk with AI is the accuracy of the output. While AI is an excellent tool that should be part of our daily workflow, we cannot let the responses go unchecked. There should always be someone verifying the accuracy and veracity of the answer, the structure and sources (you can always ask AI to cite them).
Beyond accuracy, we must confirm that the organization has set up appropriate guidelines to protect the data. We need to ensure that the information we ingest or share isn't being used to train public models. Ultimately, AI must be used responsibly and in strict accordance with the internal policies developed by the organization.
Why has contract lifecycle management proven so challenging for organisations to implement effectively? Which factors most often prevent CLM initiatives from achieving their intended value?
There are several reasons why I consider CLM is sometimes seen more as an additional burden than a beneficial tool:
Lack of training: If users don’t understand how to properly use the tool or how they benefit from it across the full negotiation cycle, it is very likely they won't care about the CLM
Complexity: Some workflows can be overly complicated because they are based on rigid internal policies that force users to follow too many steps to get the desired outcome
Support: Without the support of your own organization and the stakeholders who are key to the contract lifecycle, a CLM initiative is destined to fail
However, the way I see it, there are clear benefits to adopting a CLM tool:
Help speed up and improve the negotiation cycle
Facilitate approval tracking for audit and transparency purposes
Incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) to help analyze contracts and data gathering in a simpler way.
Increase visibility of contract status and workload to every business unit
Faster Negotiations & Turnaround – Therefore acceleration of revenue
In your opinion, what new skills or competencies should future contract managers develop to remain effective in an increasingly technology-driven environment?
Contract managers need to be flexible to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. It is also key to take advantage of the new tools your organization provides and attend training sessions to understand how others are embracing these changes.
Developing soft skills is equally important because we don’t do our job in a vacuum. We need to interact with stakeholders, colleagues, customers, and vendors, and those relationships must be established and nourished.
How do you see the role of the contract manager evolving with increased automation and AI?
The role of the contract manager is constantly changing. We are negotiators, advisors, project managers, and coordinators. We wear many hats—that is what keeps us on our toes and makes me love this profession.
However, staying effective requires us to keep up with new technologies and processes. We need to learn to automate and simplify the routine work so we can focus on the complex situations and deals that truly make a difference.
The reality is, if you don’t take advantage of these technological developments, you won't be able to move to the next phase of your career..
What do you hope attendees will take away from your participation at Future Contracts Miami?
I’ll be honest—I was a bit apprehensive about AI at first. But as time went by and I started testing its limits, I realized what a powerful ally it can be and how much value it adds when used the right way.
I hope my experience resonates with the audience. I want them to see that I’m not a tech developer; I’m a contract manager just like them, always looking for tools to improve the quality of my work. I’ve found AI to be fascinating. It doesn’t cease to amaze me how it handles the repetitive heavy lifting, which saves me time and allows me to focus on the parts of negotiation that really matter.
Join Carolina on Stage at Future Contracts Miami
Carolina will be exploring these themes further at Future Contracts Miami, where she will join fellow practitioners on the panel “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: How Generative Technology Is Transforming Contracts.”
The session will examine how contract managers and legal operations teams can apply AI responsibly, unlock real value from CLM, and evolve their role as contracting becomes faster, more connected, and more data-driven.
February 24 - Opening Reception | 6pm - 8pm
February 25 - Conference Day | 8.30am - 7.25pm
Newman Alumni Center, University of Miami
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