Short answer — the best contract-management (CLM) tools for manufacturing depend on scale and priorities (ERP / procurement integration, supplier & SLA tracking, change-control and auditability). Top options to evaluate are:

1. Icertis Contract Intelligence (ICI) — best for large manufacturers running SAP

• Why: Enterprise-grade CLM with deep, certified integrations to SAP Ariba, S/4HANA and Fieldglass; built for large-scale source-to-pay and lead-to-cash use cases common in manufacturing. (icertis.com)
• Good if you need: full ERP/Procurement integration, obligation tracking across complex vendor/customer contracts, global language and compliance support.
• Typical fit: Global enterprises / complex manufacturing supply chains.

2. DocuSign CLM (DocuSign Intelligent Agreement Management) — broad platform + SAP Ariba connector

• Why: Market-leading eSignature + mature CLM with a connector for SAP Ariba and other SAP integrations to streamline source-to-pay. Strong for organizations that want tight signature + CLM + procurement workflows. (docusign.com)
• Good if you need: best-in-class eSignature plus CLM tied into procurement systems.
• Typical fit: Mid-to-large manufacturers adopting digital signatures and procurement automation.

3. Agiloft — highly configurable, no-code CLM for complex workflows

• Why: No-code configuration and strong enterprise credentials; Oracle and other ERP integration paths make it a fit where heavy customization of contract workflows is required. (agiloft.com)
• Good if you need: rapid, deep customization of approval workflows, clause libraries, conditional drafting without heavy IT effort.
• Typical fit: Midmarket → enterprise manufacturers with unique processes.

4. Ironclad — fast, user-friendly CLM with strong workflow and legal-ops features

• Why: Recognized in recent analyst evaluations for ease of use, workflow automation and AI-first features that speed contracting and legal operations. (prnewswire.com)
• Good if you need: fast authoring/redline automation, self-service contracting templates, legal ops efficiency.
• Typical fit: Manufacturing companies scaling digital contracting and legal ops.

5. Conga CLM — strong for revenue lifecycle + order-to-cash manufacturing processes

• Why: Conga focuses on revenue lifecycle and integrates with CRM/ERP to automate quoting, order and contract flows—useful where contracts drive manufacturing orders and pricing. (conga.com)
• Good if you need: quote-to-cash / order-to-manufacture automation tied to contracts.
• Typical fit: Manufacturers with configurable products, complex quoting, or subscription / service components.

6. JAGGAER — procurement-focused CLM for supplier/sourcing-heavy manufacturing

• Why: CLM is part of a broader source-to-pay suite (supplier management, sourcing) that manufacturers use to control supply risk, onboard suppliers and enforce SLAs. (jaggaer.com)
• Good if you need: integrated supplier onboarding, performance & contract analytics inside procurement.
• Typical fit: Commodity-intensive manufacturers & those centralizing procurement.

7. Evisort → now part of Workday (Workday Contract Intelligence / CLM) — AI-first contract intelligence

• Why: AI-native document extraction and analytics, now available through Workday to enrich finance/HR/operations workflows and surface spend / obligation insights. Good for mining legacy contracts and automating obligation / rebate capture. (newsroom.workday.com)
• Good if you need: advanced AI extraction, analytics, and rapid post-signature discovery across a large contract estate.
• Typical fit: Midmarket → enterprise manufacturers with a large existing contract corpus.

8. LinkSquares (Finalize) / ContractWorks / PandaDoc — fast, lower-cost options for smaller teams

• Why: Faster time-to-value, simpler UI and affordable pricing. LinkSquares offers AI-powered post-signature analytics; ContractWorks focuses on secure repository, alerts and simple workflows; PandaDoc offers document automation and eSignature useful for smaller manufacturing operations. (linksquares.com)
• Good if you need: quick deployment, simpler contract lifecycles, or limited IT resources.
• Typical fit: SMB manufacturers or department-level pilots.

How manufacturing requirements change vendor selection

• ERP & procurement integrations (SAP S/4HANA, SAP Ariba, Oracle) — critical for buy-side contract enforcement and to prevent revenue leakage. Vendors such as Icertis, DocuSign, Agiloft and JAGGAER advertise certified integrations. (icertis.com)
• Supplier & SLA tracking — choose CLMs that surface obligations, auto-alert on renewals and tie to supplier performance dashboards (JAGGAER, Icertis, Evisort/Workday, JAGGAER). (jaggaer.com)
• Change control / engineering change orders (ECOs) — look for configurable workflows and audit trails (Agiloft, Ironclad, Icertis).
• Post-signature analytics and AI — if you have a large legacy contract estate, AI-driven extraction (Evisort/Workday, LinkSquares, Icertis + partners) speeds value. (newsroom.workday.com)
• Security & compliance — SOC 2, FedRAMP, data residency and enterprise SSO should be checked (vendor pages document certifications).

Quick evaluation checklist for manufacturers

• Must-have integrations: SAP S/4HANA / Ariba, Oracle ERP, P2P systems, PLM/SCM if used.
• Supplier lifecycle + onboarding support.
• SLA / quality clause tracking, renewal alerts, obligation dashboards.
• Ability to map contract terms to BOM/part-level commitments (or surface clauses that affect production).
• Implementation time and services: enterprise CLM often requires months; simpler tools can run in weeks.
• AI/manual data extraction accuracy on your contract types (ask for proof on your documents).
• Security certifications and data residency.

Recommended next steps (practical)

1. Shortlist 3 vendors from above aligned to your tech stack (ERP/Procurement + scale). 2. Ask each for a manufacturing reference and a demo using a real contract and a 30–90 day pilot scope. 3. Validate ERP integration approach (pre-built connector vs. middleware) and ask for implementation timeline + TCO (licenses + integration + services). 4. Run a 4–8 week pilot focused on the highest-value use case (e.g., supplier rebate capture, SLA enforcement, or quote-to-order automation). 5. Measure ROI from reduced cycle time, reclaimed rebates, or reduced missed renewals.

If you want, I can:

• Narrow this list to the 3 best fits given your size (SMB / Midmarket / Enterprise) and your ERP (SAP, Oracle, none), or
• Draft an RFP checklist and pilot scope tailored for manufacturing contract needs.

Which would you prefer?