Trench Group cuts contract review times by 80% using AI platform
Trench Group has overhauled its contract management procedures by deploying artificial intelligence from Cambridge-based Luminance. The high-voltage component manufacturer now processes the majority of its contracts without direct legal team involvement, while sharply reducing review times and streamlining risk assessment.
Contract efficiency
The company previously experienced lengthy contract approval processes, which often led to delayed decision-making and the risk of missing critical obligations or exposures. Adopting Luminance's AI platform has changed its contract review workflow, enabling non-legal teams to autonomously manage many agreements.
Trench Group has cut average contract review times from 150 minutes to 30 minutes, representing an 80% reduction. Around 80% of contracts across functions such as sales and operations are now handled without initial legal oversight. The legal department is called upon only for high-risk or complex contracts that require specialist review, allowing it to focus on higher-value tasks.
Tariff analysis
One measure of the technology's impact is in tariff impact analysis. Previously, assessing the implications of tariff changes across 700 contracts took approximately two and a half weeks. Using Luminance's AI, the same process was completed in under two hours. According to the company, this acceleration has enabled management to make faster, evidence-based decisions regarding commercial strategy and risk.
Bigger sector shift
The move by Trench Group aligns with a wider transformation in legal operations in the industrial sector and beyond. Surveys indicate that more than 70% of manufacturers in Germany intend to invest in AI technologies this year. Across all industries, roughly 42% of organisations now use AI in their contract management processes. Businesses adopting these systems report efficiencies similar to those at Trench Group, particularly in redeploying legal staff towards strategic counsel rather than routine document examination.
AI system operation
Luminance's system undertakes an initial review of contracts, highlighting any potential risks or deviations from corporate standards. It suggests mitigations, which can then be applied by users across the business. This process enables faster completion of contractual work and centralises oversight, reducing the level of manual intervention required from the legal team.
Management perspective
"Luminance has cleared our document review bottleneck significantly. Our team now spends significantly more time on critical business advice instead of manual contract processing. We have complete visibility into our obligations and the confidence to make faster decisions," said Tim Siewert-La Chon, Head of Legal, Trench Group.
Eleanor Lightbody, CEO at Luminance, said: "We're delighted to be working with Trench Group as they transform their contract management operations. Their results demonstrate the tangible impact of Legal-Grade AI when applied to real-world business challenges. By automating time-consuming review processes and creating a single source of truth, Trench Group has streamlined their entire legal pipeline to work more efficiently while reducing risk."
