The vocabulary of contract management
CLM, repository, clause library, auto-renewal: ten notions explained simply, with what they change in practice and how Docform handles them.
CLM (Contract Lifecycle Management)
CLM, or contract lifecycle management, covers every stage of a contract, from drafting to the end of its effects, and by extension the software that brings those stages together in one place.
Read the definitionContract repository (contrathèque)
The contract repository, “contrathèque” in French, is a company’s central reference for contracts: every signed contract, its applicable version, its amendments and key data, accessible under defined rights.
Read the definitionLegal Ops (Legal Operations)
Legal Ops, or legal operations, is the function that organizes the work of a legal department: processes, tools, data, budget and relations with other teams, so that lawyers focus on the law.
Read the definitionClause library (clausier)
The clause library, “clausier” in French, is the library of clauses approved by the legal department: for each subject, the standard wording, its authorized variants and the conditions for using them.
Read the definitioneIDAS electronic signature (simple, advanced, qualified)
An electronic signature, under the European eIDAS regulation, is electronic data attached to a document to sign it; the regulation distinguishes three levels, simple, advanced and qualified, according to the link with the signatory and the technical guarantees. The qualified level, based on a qualified certificate and a qualified signature creation device, has the legal equivalent of a handwritten signature across the Union.
Read the definitionAuto-renewal (tacite reconduction)
Auto-renewal, “tacite reconduction” in French, is the mechanism by which a fixed-term contract renews automatically at its term, for a new period, if neither party terminates it within the notice period provided.
Read the definitionTermination notice period
The termination notice period is the delay, set by the contract or by law, between the notification of the end of the contract and its taking effect. It protects the other party by giving it time to adjust.
Read the definitionAmendment (avenant)
An amendment, “avenant” in French, is a written agreement by which the parties modify a contract in force: price, term, scope, parties, without replacing it. It forms part of the contract and is read with it.
Read the definitionContract playbook
The contract playbook is a company’s negotiation guide: for each sensitive clause, the standard position, the acceptable fallback positions, the red lines, and who has the authority to concede what.
Read the definitionContract manager
The contract manager is the person who steers a contract during its performance: each party’s obligations, milestones, penalties, amendments, deadlines and the relationship with the counterparty, working with legal, finance and operations.
Read the definitionSee these notions on your own contracts
A 30-minute demo: we import one of your contracts and walk through the full lifecycle on it.