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Contract Request/Intake
Contract Request or Intake Definition:
The contract request or intake stage is the formal starting point of the contract lifecycle. It’s where a business unit identifies the need for a new agreement and submits essential details—such as contract type, parties, and objectives—for review and approval. In mature CLM systems, this process is often standardized through intake forms or digital workflows.
Why contract requests/intakes matter:
A well-defined intake process ensures every contract begins with clear ownership, purpose, and oversight. It minimizes delays, avoids unauthorized agreements, and creates a consistent foundation for contract management.
An HR manager submits a new employment contract request through the company’s intake form, triggering automatic routing to the legal team for review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should intake requests route differently by contract type or value?
Yes. A standard NDA under a set threshold can go straight to a template and a quick review, while a multi-year agreement with data obligations should pull in security, finance, and outside counsel. Routing rules based on type, value, and risk flags mean small requests move fast and the ones that deserve scrutiny actually get it.
How long should a contract intake form take to complete?
Aim for under five minutes for routine requests. If a form takes longer, people start emailing legal directly and the process breaks down. Keep required fields to what genuinely changes the outcome, use dropdowns instead of free text where you can, and hide advanced questions unless an earlier answer makes them relevant.
Who owns the intake process, legal or procurement?
It depends on what flows through it, and often it’s shared. Legal typically owns the review standards and templates, while procurement owns vendor onboarding, spend thresholds, and sourcing. What matters more than the org chart is that there’s one front door and one named owner for each request, so nothing sits unclaimed in a queue.
