In our previous blog, we explored the Administration & Execution stage - the point where a signed contract becomes an active business asset, complete with obligations, metadata, access rules, and activation workflows.
Now, we move into the next pivotal phase of the CLM lifecycle: Ongoing Management - the stage where contracts are actively monitored, executed, and maintained throughout their lifespan.
While creation, negotiation, and approval define what the contract should achieve, ongoing management determines whether those commitments actually happen.
This is the phase where:
Without structured day-to-day management, organizations risk missed deadlines, compliance failures, financial loss, and strained relationships - even if the contract was perfectly drafted and approved.
Despite its importance, ongoing contract management is often the least formalized stage. Common challenges include:
Teams rely on spreadsheets, notes, or email reminders - leading to overlooked:
Different departments (legal, procurement, finance, operations) track contracts differently, creating blind spots.
obligations may be buried inside PDFs or handed over verbally during meetings - not captured in a structured system.
Amendments and addendums often happen outside formal workflows, causing version confusion.
Teams can’t see which obligations are completed, pending, overdue, or at risk - making proactive decision-making difficult.
Ongoing management starts with making all obligations visible and actionable.
Teams should treat obligations like operational tasks, not static contract clauses.
Automation is essential for staying ahead of deadlines.
Automation reduces dependency on memory and ensures operational discipline.
Contracts evolve over time - scope, pricing, rights, or timelines can change.
This ensures accountability and prevents misalignment across teams.
Dashboards convert operational data into real-time intelligence.
A strong contract operations dashboard includes:
Dashboards keep teams aligned and enable proactive decision-making.
PACT enhances day-to-day contract operations by transforming Jira into a centralized hub for obligation tracking, timeline visibility, and operational automation.
Here’s how PACT strengthens this stage of the lifecycle:
Contract Timeline View- view contract duration along with badges such as Expiring Soon, Expiring Today, and Overdue to identify upcoming deadlines at a glance.
Requirement & Negotiation Tracking - monitor ongoing obligations, changes, and discussions through linked requirements and negotiation issues.
Contract Workspace & Linked Items - keep all contract-related information (documents, issues, requirements) in one place.
Dashboards for Real-Time Visibility - see contract progress, upcoming dates, open items, and linked activity through Jira-powered dashboards.
The Ongoing Management stage ensures that a contract doesn’t just exist - it performs.
With structured obligation tracking, automated alerts, controlled change management, and real-time dashboards - supported by PACT inside Jira - organizations maintain compliance, prevent financial risk, and ensure the contract delivers the value it was created for.
In the next blog of this series, we’ll explore how contracts transition into renewal, long-term performance analysis, and strategic optimization. Stay connected for the next chapter in your CLM journey.