Reimagining Pharma Contract Management: Why It’s Time to Let AI Do the Heavy Lifting

I recently returned from our second Informa Pricing & Contracting USA conference in Philadelphia, where professionals from across the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry — contract managers, rebate specialists, and pricing experts — came together to explore regulatory changes, policy developments, and best practices in pricing and contracting strategies. 

Much like our first experience, this year's event reinforced just how complex and detail-driven this field truly is. While AI is speeding up time-to-market on the clinical side, many core business processes — especially those related to revenue tracking and analysis — remain surprisingly manual. 

Contract managers still spend 80–90% of their time digging through dense, multi-hundred-page agreements, manually extracting data points and entering them into spreadsheets. It’s slow, tedious, and leaves little room for higher-value work. 

Why Are Manual Processes Still the Norm? 

The persistence of these manual methods raises important questions. Why do outdated workflows continue to dominate? And why does hesitation remain around leveraging AI, especially when technology has made significant strides in parsing complex, lengthy documents? 

Some contract professionals argue that the agreements they manage are simply too intricate for AI to handle. But that perception is increasingly outdated. 

Advances in supervised machine learning and OpenAI technologies now enable precise, automated extraction of key contract data at scale with remarkable accuracy. In side-by-side evaluations, AI-driven solutions consistently outperform human reviewers, delivering 25–30% higher accuracy in identifying critical details. 

The Real Bottleneck: Fear, Not Capability 

So, what’s holding teams back? In our conversations at the conference, a recurring theme emerged: fear. Many professionals hesitate to propose AI initiatives to leadership, worried that doing so might signal they’re not capable of managing the workload manually. 

But here’s the truth: the value isn’t in manually extracting data — it’s in using that data to inform better, faster decisions. Leadership doesn’t want effort for effort’s sake. They want insights — delivered accurately and on time. 

AI Isn’t Replacing People — It’s Elevating Their Work 

Contract managers are highly skilled professionals. Spending 80% of their time copying data from PDFs into spreadsheets is not the best use of that talent. By automating repetitive data tasks, AI frees these experts to focus on strategic work — like analysis, compliance, and negotiation — where human judgment is irreplaceable. 

AI isn’t a threat; it’s an opportunity. It’s about removing bottlenecks, not people. 

Embracing Automation: The Path Forward 

Organizations that embrace AI for contract data extraction gain a strategic advantage. They become more efficient, reduce human error, and empower their teams to spend time where it matters most. 

At EncompaaS, we help pharma manufacturers eliminate the heavy lifting in contract management. Our AI-powered platform discovers, extracts, and visualizes critical data across contracts, amendments, and notices — giving your team instant access to the insights they need to drive smarter decisions. 

If you're ready to eliminate bottlenecks and get more from your contract data, let’s connect. We’d love to show you how we can lighten your load and unlock your team’s full potential. Contact us or book a demo today.