Contract Management
XBuddy Contract Management provides a structured workflow for every contract in your business — from initial draft through negotiation, legal approval, digital signature, and ongoing obligation monitoring. Contracts are linked to the CRM contacts, vendors, or employees they relate to, giving you a single view of all commitments per counterparty.
Key Entities
| Entity | Description | Path in App |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | The core document: type, parties, value, dates, status | Contracts → All Contracts |
| Contract Template | Reusable structure with standard clauses for common contract types | Contracts → Templates |
| Clause Library | Named clause blocks that can be inserted into any contract | Contracts → Clause Library |
| Signatory | A person (internal or external) who must sign the contract | Contract detail → Signatories tab |
| Obligation | A recurring commitment derived from the contract (payment, delivery, review) | Contract detail → Obligations tab |
| Attachment | Supporting documents (NDA, annexes, exhibits) linked to a contract | Contract detail → Attachments tab |
| Audit Trail | Immutable log of every edit, approval, and signature event | Contract detail → History tab |
Contract Lifecycle
Draft → Under Review → Legal Review → Approval → Pending Signature → Active → [Renewal / Expired / Terminated]Status Definitions
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being authored; not yet submitted |
| Under Review | Submitted to counterparty for negotiation |
| Legal Review | In internal legal team queue |
| Approval | In workflow approval chain |
| Pending Signature | Approved; awaiting all signatures |
| Active | Fully executed; obligations being monitored |
| Renewal | Approaching expiry; renewal workflow active |
| Expired | Past end date; not renewed |
| Terminated | Ended before expiry date |
Key Features
- Contract Templates — Standardize common contract types (MSA, NDA, SLA, Employment, Vendor Agreement) with pre-filled clauses and approval routing
- Clause Library — Maintain a library of approved legal language; insert standard or alternative clauses into any contract
- AI Risk Analysis —
contract_risk_analyzerscans contract text for non-standard terms, missing protections, and risky obligations - Multi-party Signing — Integrated with the E-Signatures module; supports sequential and parallel signing orders
- Obligation Tracking — Recurring payment, delivery, and review obligations auto-generated from contract terms
- Expiry & Renewal Monitoring — Automatic alerts at 90, 60, and 30 days before expiry; renewal workflow can be auto-triggered
- Confidential Contracts — Access-restricted contracts visible only to designated users
- CRM / Vendor Integration — Link contracts directly to Contacts, Accounts, or Vendors for 360° visibility
- Version History — Full redline history showing every change between contract versions
Workflows
Standard Contract Approval
- Draft — Author creates contract from template or from scratch; attaches supporting docs
- Internal Review — Sent to designated reviewer (account manager, department head)
- Legal Review — Routed to legal team if contract value exceeds threshold or type requires review
- Approval — Approval workflow runs (configured per contract type); CFO or executive approves high-value contracts
- Signature — Approved contract sent via E-Signatures to all signatories in configured order
- Active — All signatures received; contract status → Active; obligations begin monitoring
NDA Fast-Track
- Upload NDA →
nda_auto_screenerscans against standard NDA baseline - If no deviations → auto-approve route (skips legal review)
- If deviations found → routes to legal with AI annotation showing exactly what differs
Permissions
| Permission | Description | Typical Roles |
|---|---|---|
contract_management:view | View contracts and their status | All managers |
contract_management:write | Create and edit contracts | Account managers, legal staff |
contract_management:review | Submit review comments | Legal team |
contract_management:approve | Approve in workflow | Management, legal director |
contract_management:sign | Initiate and manage signature requests | Account managers |
contract_management:manage | Template and clause library administration | Legal admin |
contract_management:view_confidential | View restricted contracts | Legal director, CEO |
AI Agents
| Agent | Trigger | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Contract Risk Analyzer | Manual or scheduled | Scans contract text for non-standard clauses, missing protections, risky terms; produces risk score and annotated findings |
| Contract Expiry Monitor | Scheduled (daily) | Alerts contract owners at 90 / 60 / 30 days before expiry; triggers renewal workflow if configured |
| Contract Clause Advisor | Manual | Suggests missing standard clauses based on contract type and jurisdiction |
| Contract Signature Chaser | Scheduled (daily) | Sends reminders to signatories who haven’t signed within configured SLA |
| NDA Auto Screener | Event-driven (on NDA upload) | Compares NDA to standard baseline; flags deviations for legal review; auto-approves standard NDAs |
Integration Points
| Module | Data Flow |
|---|---|
| CRM | Link contracts to Contacts and Accounts; view all contracts from CRM contact page |
| E-Signatures | Send contract for digital signing directly from contract detail page |
| Finance | Link contracts to recurring invoices and payment terms |
| Procurement | Vendor contracts synchronized with Vendor records |
| HR | Employment contracts linked to Employee records |
| Approvals | Contract approval workflows managed through the Approvals engine |
FAQ
Can I negotiate contract terms with an external party inside XBuddy?
Yes. Use the Under Review status and send a collaboration link to the counterparty. Changes are tracked in version history with redline diff.
What contract types are supported?
Any type: MSA, NDA, SLA, Employment, Vendor Agreement, Lease, Reseller, Partnership. Custom types can be added in Contracts → Settings → Contract Types.
Can I set automatic renewal?
Yes. On any contract, enable Auto-Renew and set the renewal lead time. The system creates a renewal workflow N days before expiry.
Who can see confidential contracts?
Only users with the contract_management:view_confidential permission. All other users see the contract exists but cannot open it.
How does the AI risk score work?
The contract_risk_analyzer agent reads the contract text and identifies clauses that deviate from your configured standard templates or that match known high-risk patterns (unlimited liability, unilateral termination, IP assignment). Each finding is annotated with severity (low / medium / high) and a suggested revision.