contract maturity model
Climb the Contracting Maturity Ladder
Transform your contracting process from chaotic survival to strategic scalability. Get your personalized roadmap with 30-60-90 day action plans.
54% organizations are contracting inefficiently
This inefficiency creates compliance risks, slows revenue recognition, and prevents scaling.
Not sure where you stand?
Discover your contracting maturity level and see how you compare to industry leaders.
How to use this roadmap
1
Select your maturity stage
Choose the stage that best describes your current contracting process.
2
Validate your current state
Review the checklist to assess your team’s capabilities and confirm your starting point.
3
Get the 30-60-90 day plan
Follow the 30-60-90 day plan with specific actions to build sustainable improvements.
4
Track success metrics
Use benchmarks to measure progress and ensure you’re reaching your efficiency goals.
1
Select your maturity stage
Choose the stage that best describes your current contracting process.
2
Validate your current state
Review the checklist to assess your team’s capabilities and confirm your starting point.
3
Get the 30-60-90 day plan
Follow the 30-60-90 day plan with specific actions to build sustainable improvements.
4
Track success metrics
Use benchmarks to measure progress and ensure you’re reaching your efficiency goals.
Select Your Maturity Stage
Stage 1: Survival
Stage 1: Survival
“We’re drowning in email chains and last-minute escalations.”
Everything is reactive. Legal is the bottleneck, and processes are manual, chaotic, or nonexistent.
Defining Features
Everyone in Legal pulled into contracts
No formal policies or intake process
Contracts scattered across emails and Excel files
No defined SLAs or visibility into turnaround time
Manual, chaotic, or non-existent processes
Stage 2: Functional
Stage 2: Functional
“We’ve made progress, but we’re stretched and still reactive.”
Early structure emerges. Templates, e-signatures, and intake forms exist, but adoption is inconsistent.
Defining Features
Legal still reviews all contracts by default
E-signature adopted but no automated workflow
Early-stage policies exist but cause confusion
Only half of contract types have defined flows
Templates exist but lack self-serve instructions
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Stage 3: Efficient
Stage 3: Efficient
"We're operating well. Now we want to drive results with data."
Systems and processes are more consistent. Automation is in place. Business teams begin handling low-risk contracts.
Defining Features
Business users still rely on legal despite templates
No feedback loop to optimize based on data
Legal bypass rules exist but not aligned cross-functionally
The CLM is in place but has limited adoption
Reporting is manual or surface-level
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Stage 4: Integrated & Scalable
Stage 4: Integrated & Scalable
"We're finally out of the weeds. Now let's drive visibility and value."
Your CLM is the system of record. Workflows are automated end-to-end & aligned with CRM, procurement, and finance.
Defining Features
Legal is out of the weeds but pulled into edge cases
Fast execution but no system to improve upstream
Ownership rules defined but no structured strategy
CLM widely used but integrations not fully leveraged
Dashboards exist but not tied to decisions
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Pitfall: Over Extended
Pitfall: Over Extended
Caution: You’re running on fumes!
This isn’t a stage of maturity, it’s a danger zone. Your system might appear functional or even efficient, but the pace is unsustainable and your people are at risk of burnout.
Defining Features
Legal constantly pulled into unclear edge cases
Teams operating at a frantic, unsustainable pace
Tools overused without proper governance
Legal is still catching exceptions instead of scaling with the business
No time to pause, reflect, or improve
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Stage 1: Survival
Stage 2: Functional
Stage 3: Efficient
Stage 4: Integrated & Scalable
Pitfall: Over Extended
Stage 1: Survival
“We’re drowning in email chains and last-minute escalations.”
Everything is reactive. Legal is the bottleneck, and processes are manual, chaotic, or nonexistent.
Defining Features
Everyone in Legal pulled into contracts
No formal policies or intake process
Contracts scattered across emails and Excel files
No defined SLAs or visibility into turnaround time
Manual, chaotic, or non-existent processes
Stage 2: Functional
“We’ve made progress, but we’re stretched and still reactive.”
Early structure emerges. Templates, e-signatures, and intake forms exist, but adoption is inconsistent.
Defining Features
Legal still reviews all contracts by default
E-signature adopted but no automated workflow
Early-stage policies exist but cause confusion
Only half of contract types have defined flows
Templates exist but lack self-serve instructions
Stage 3: Efficient
"We're operating well. Now we want to drive results with data."
Systems and processes are more consistent. Automation is in place. Business teams begin handling low-risk contracts.
Defining Features
Business users still rely on legal despite templates
No feedback loop to optimize based on data
Legal bypass rules exist but not aligned cross-functionally
The CLM is in place but has limited adoption
Reporting is manual or surface-level
Stage 4: Integrated & Scalable
"We're finally out of the weeds. Now let's drive visibility and value."
Your CLM is the system of record. Workflows are automated end-to-end & aligned with CRM, procurement, and finance.
Defining Features
Legal is out of the weeds but pulled into edge cases
Fast execution but no system to improve upstream
Ownership rules defined but no structured strategy
CLM widely used but integrations not fully leveraged
Dashboards exist but not tied to decisions
Pitfall: Over Extended
Caution: You’re running on fumes!
This isn’t a stage of maturity, it’s a danger zone. Your system might appear functional or even efficient, but the pace is unsustainable and your people are at risk of burnout.
Defining Features
Legal constantly pulled into unclear edge cases
Teams operating at a frantic, unsustainable pace
Tools overused without proper governance
Legal is still catching exceptions instead of scaling with the business
No time to pause, reflect, or improve
Get Your Complete Maturity Assessment
Download the full Contracting Maturity Model with detailed action plans, success metrics, and step-by-step guidance for each stage.
30-60-90 Day Plans
Detailed action items with timelines and priorities
Success Metrics
Clear indicators to track your progress
Expert Insights
From legal ops professionals who've been there
