What Is Contract Performance and Why Does It Matter?

Contracts are the backbone of modern business. They outline expectations, define responsibilities, and protect the interests of all parties involved. But a contract is only as good as its execution. That's where contract performance comes in.

What is Contract Performance?

Contract performance is the degree to which parties fulfill their contractual obligations, including meeting deadlines, delivering on promises, and realizing the expected value of the agreement.

Think of this way: signing a contract is just the beginning. Contract performance is what happens after and it answers a pretty important question: Is this contract actually the promised value.

When performance is strong, everyone gets what they bargained for. When it's not, you're looking at missed deadlines, frustrated partners, and potentially expensive disputes.

Effective contract performance management can mean the difference between a profitable venture and a costly mistake. It involves tracking key metrics, mitigating risks, fostering communication, and continuously optimizing processes. And contract management software can make it easier than ever to stay on top of your contracts.

In this post, we’ll discuss the benefits of monitoring contract performance, the metrics you need to know, and how you can use contract management software to simplify your processes.

Why Does Contract Performance Matters

Whether you’re scaling your enterprise or you’re a small business with a stack of signed contracts, it’s important to know how your contracts are performing.

Think of it like this: Your contracts are the blueprints for your business relationships. But even the best blueprint won't build a house on its own.

You need skilled workers, quality materials, and constant supervision to ensure the project stays on track. That's exactly what contract performance management does for your agreements.

Measuring contract performance will unlock a whole world of benefits:

Mitigate risk: Contracts are at risk of missed deadlines, misunderstandings, and unforeseen circumstances. But by proactively tracking performance, you can spot potential problems early on and take corrective action before they escalate into costly disputes or legal battles.
Maximize value: By optimizing contract performance, you can squeeze every drop of value out of those agreements. Whether it's negotiating better terms, identifying cost-saving opportunities, improving efficiency, increasing productivity, or ensuring timely delivery of goods and services, effective contract performance management can boost your bottom line.
Build trust: When you consistently deliver on your contractual promises, you build a reputation for reliability and integrity. This not only strengthens your existing relationships but also opens doors to new opportunities and partnerships.
Improve decision-making: Contract performance data is a gold mine of insights. By analyzing this data, you can identify trends, spot inefficiencies, and make informed decisions about future agreements.

When your contracts are performing how they’re designed to perform, you can focus on growing your business instead of micromanaging your documents, and that makes for a great business case when you’re trying to pitch the idea of contract performance management to your team.

Types of Contract Performance

Now that we've established why contract performance matters, let's break down the different ways a contract can play out.

types-of-contract-performance

Actual Performance

This is how you want all of your contracts to perform. It means that every single obligation outlined in the contract has been met completely and on time.

Think of it as a perfect score on a test — you got all the answers right and turned in all your work on time.

While actual performance is the ideal outcome, it's not always realistic. And it’s not always possible.

Substantial Performance

Substantial performance is like getting a B+ on that test. You nailed most of the questions but maybe missed a few minor details.

In contract terms, it means that the majority of the obligations have been met, with only minor deviations or breaches.

These breaches might be so minor that they don't significantly impact the overall purpose of the contract. For instance, a construction project might be completed a few days late but still meet the client's needs.

In cases of substantial performance, the party who has substantially performed may still be entitled to payment, but the other party might be able to claim some form of compensation for the minor breaches.

Partial Performance

Partial performance is like getting a C on that test. You put in some effort, but there's a lot of room for improvement. It means that only some of the contract's obligations have been met, and the other party is likely unsatisfied.

This situation can lead to a variety of outcomes, including:

Renegotiation: The parties might try to renegotiate the contract terms to salvage the agreement.
Termination: If the partial performance is deemed insufficient, the contract could be terminated.
Legal disputes: If the parties can't reach an agreement, they may end up in court.

Non-performance (aka Breach of Contract)

Non-performance, also known as a breach of contract, is like failing that test entirely.

It's a serious situation where one or both parties fail to fulfill their essential obligations.

The consequences of non-performance can be severe, including:

Financial penalties: The breaching party may be required to pay damages to the other party.
Lawsuits: The non-breaching party may sue for breach of contract.
Damaged relationships: Breaches can erode trust and damage business relationships.

Understanding the different types of contract performance is crucial for assessing the health of your agreements and taking appropriate action when problems arise.

Key Metrics To Measure Contract Performance

Alright, now let's get down to brass tacks. How do you actually measure contract performance?

You can bridge the gap between contract administration and contract management by identifying and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) that give you a holistic view of each agreement's health and impact.

kpis-to-help-measure-contract-peformance

Value

A contract’s value is often the most tangible way to assess contract performance.

Are you getting your money's worth?

Are you maximizing the return on your investment?

These metrics shed light on the financial impact of each contract:

Annual contract value (ACV): This tells you the average annual revenue generated by a particular contract. It's a good way to normalize contracts with different lengths for easy comparison.

annual-contract-value-equation

Total contract value (TCV): This is the total value of the contract over its entire lifespan. It helps you understand the full financial potential of the agreement.

total-contract-value-equation

Terminated contract remaining value (TCRV): This metric is relevant when a contract is terminated early. It calculates the value that could have been realized if the contract had continued as planned. It's a way to assess the opportunity cost of early termination.
Order value variance: This measures the difference between the expected value of a contract and its actual value. A high variance could signal problems with pricing, delivery, or other factors.

Compliance

Compliance is about following the rules. Contracts are full of them, and ensuring both parties adhere to the terms and conditions is crucial.

But here's the thing; compliance isn't just about avoiding trouble. It's about building trust. When both parties consistently do what they said they'd do, relationships strengthen and renewals become easier conversations.

Metrics to track include:

Delivery dates met: Are deliverables being provided on time as specified in the contract? Track both the percentage of on-time deliverables and the average delay when deadlines are missed.
Payment timeliness: Are payments being made on schedule according to the agreed-upon terms? Late payments, whether you're making them or receiving them, create friction and can trigger penalty clauses.
Milestone achievement: Are key milestones in the project or service being reached on time? This is especially important for longer contracts where the relationship unfolds over months or years.
Documentation: Are all required reports, certifications, insurance renewals, or other documents being submitted as per the contract? Missing paperwork might seem minor until it becomes the reason a claim gets denied or an audit goes sideways.

Service Legal agreement (SLA) performance: If your contract includes SLAs, are the agreed-upon standard actually being met? Track metrics like response times, uptime percentages, or quality thresholds.

Regulatory and policy adherence: Is the contract being performed in a way that meets industry regulations, internal policies or legal requirements? Key metrics include audit pass/fail rates, number of compliance violations or exceptions, time to remediate flagged issues, and percentage of required certifications kept current.

Non-compliance can lead to disputes, penalties, and even contract termination, so staying on top of this metric is essential. But there's a bigger picture. Compliance data helps you spot patterns: Which vendors consistently miss deadlines? Which contract types generate the most disputes?

Over time, this data becomes a powerful tool for negotiating better terms, choosing better partners, and writing tighter contracts in the first place.

Contract Cycle Times

Time is a valuable commodity in business.

Every day a contract sits waiting for review, approval, or signature is a day you're not realizing its value. Measuring cycle times helps you identify bottlenecks, streamline processes and answer a questions every legal team gets asked. Why is taking so long?

Key metrics to track include:

Contract creation cycle time: This measures the time from the initial request for a contract to the final signature. A long cycle time could indicate inefficiencies in your drafting and negotiation processes. Break this down further by tracking time spent in each stage. Are contracts stalling during negotiation, or is internal review the holdup?
Approval cycle time: Once a contract is drafted, how long does it take to get the necessary approvals? Delays here can slow down projects and create frustration. Track both the total approval time and the time per approver to identify who or what is creating bottlenecks.
Execution cycle time: After approvals are complete, how long does it take to get all signatures and fully execute the contract? If you're using e-signature integrations, this contract stage should be fast. if it's not, you may have a follow-up or routing problem.

Stage-to-stage velocity: How long do contracts spend in each phase of the lifecycle? Tracking time in stages like Contract Received, In-Progress, Approving, Signing, and Managing gives you granular visibility into where things slow down. For example, if contracts stall in the Approving stage, you know exactly where to focus your process improvements.

Time to value: How long from the initial contract request until the agreement is fully executed and actively managed? This end-to-end metric is what the business really cares about. It tells you how quickly contracts go from "we need this" to "it's done and working.".

Tracking cycle times can help you identify roadblocks and accelerate project timelines.

Risk

Risk is inherent in any contract, but proactive risk management can minimize potential losses. By tracking risk metrics, you can identify potential threats and take preventive measures:

Risk probability: What is the likelihood that a specific risk event will occur?
Risk impact: If the risk event occurs, how severe will the consequences be?
Overall risk exposure: This is a combination of probability and impact, giving you a holistic view of the risk associated with a contract.

Risk metrics can help you make informed decisions about contract terms, negotiate stronger protections, and develop contingency plans.

Effectiveness

Effectiveness is the ultimate test of a contract's value. It measures whether the agreement is delivering on its promises and helping you achieve your business goals. Metrics to consider include:

Goal achievement: Are the contract's specific objectives being met?
Financial performance: Is the contract generating the expected financial returns?
Customer satisfaction: If the contract involves a customer or client, are they satisfied with the results?
Overall impact: How has the contract contributed to your broader business objectives?

By tracking effectiveness, you can determine if a contract is a success, needs adjustments, or should be terminated.

5 Tips for Managing Contract Performance Effectively

Managing contract performance doesn't have to be a juggling act. With the right strategies and tools, you can streamline the process, reduce risks, and unlock the full potential of your agreements.

Let's walk through five actionable tips to elevate your contract performance management game.

how-to-manage-contract-performance

1. Centralize Your Contract Repository

Picture this: Your contracts are scattered across multiple folders, shared drives, and even someone's desk drawer. Sounds like a recipe for chaos, right? Centralizing your contract repository is the first step toward effective management.