Wolters Kluwer
2025
Phase 2: Reverse Auction Bidding
A configurable-transparency auction lets legal teams apply price pressure without forcing every firm relationship into open competition.
Overview
Turning Up Price Pressure Without Burning Relationships
A configurable-transparency auction model that lets legal teams apply competitive price pressure without forcing every engagement into open bidding. 7 months, Lead Product Designer, Wolters Kluwer.
Problem
The Business Wanted an Auction. The Real Risk Was Trust.
The business wanted an auction to drive competitive bids. The real problem was underneath that ask: pure price competition damages the trusted-counsel relationships legal teams depend on. Turn firms into interchangeable vendors and you win on cost once, then lose the relationship. The question became how to add cost pressure without alienating the firms a client has already built trust with.
Research
Three Constraints, All About Relationships, Not Technology
Three constraints shaped the design, all relationship risks rather than technical ones. Matter sensitivity varies, a routine high-volume matter tolerates open competition, a sensitive litigation or M&A engagement cannot. Relationship risk is real, full public price competition can embarrass incumbent firms. And everything had to stay auditable, with a consistent, defensible record and no informal side deals.
Ideation
One Control Instead of One Fixed Auction Model
The pivot was from "build an auction" to configurable transparency. One control that lets legal teams tune competitive pressure per matter.
No transparency protects relationships on sensitive work.
Partial transparency shows competitor bid amounts without identities.
Full transparency shows everything, for matters where open competition is appropriate. The tool doesn't decide how much competition a matter can bear. The legal team does.
Designs
Live Ranking, Governed by Design
Supporting mechanics: real-time ranking and undercut feedback so firms could adjust live, AI-enhanced insights surfacing value rather than just lowest price, automatic alignment of winning bids to pre-defined scope and thresholds, and full governance logging. Deliverables: dashboard, proposal comparison screens, active timer.
