The approval stage should be fast, structured, and predictable.

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Review & Approval - From Delays to Efficient Workflows

In our previous blog, we explored the most interactive and collaborative stage of the contract lifecycle - Negotiation & Collaboration, where multiple teams refine and finalize the terms that shape a contracts.

Now, we move into the next critical stage: Review & Approval - the point where all your hard work must pass through compliance, legal checks, financial scrutiny, and stakeholder sign-off.

And this is where most organizations get stuck.

Review & Approval becomes a bottleneck not because contracts are complex, but because processes are unclear, routing is manual, reminders are inconsistent, and visibility is limited. In this blog, we’ll explore why approval workflows slow down, what organizations can do to automate them, and how PACT turns this bottleneck into a streamlined, transparent, audit-ready process inside Jira.

Why Review & Approval Becomes a Bottleneck

The approval stage should be fast, structured, and predictable.

The approval stage should be fast, structured, and predictable. Instead, most teams experience confusion, delays, and back-and-forth because:

1. Too Many Approvers, No Defined Path

Finance, legal, procurement, security, and leadership all need to review different components. When routing isn’t automated, approvals get stuck simply because the contracts sits in someone’s inbox.

2. Manual Follow-ups Slow Everything Down

Teams depend on:

  • Email reminders
  • Slack messages
  • “Just checking in…” pings

Without automated reminders or deadlines, approvals become inconsistent and unpredictable.

3. Confusing Version Histories

If changes from the negotiation stage aren’t clearly visible during review, approvers may:

  • Miss context
  • Request already-applied updates
  • Trigger unnecessary rework

This pushes the contracts back into negotiation - causing delays and frustration.

4. Compliance and Risk Reviews Are Not Standardized

Every organization has mandatory checkpoints, but without defined workflows, these reviews are often:

  • Missed
  • Delayed
  • Done using outdated documents

This creates serious legal and audit risks.

What Makes Approval Workflows Slow

Most delays occur due to:

1. No Rule-Based Routing

Approvals depend on someone manually forwarding the document - a guaranteed source of bottlenecks.

2. Poor Visibility

Teams constantly ask:

  • “Who needs to approve this now?”
  • “Where is the contracts stuck?”
  • “Has the Legal team reviewed this yet?”

Without a status tracker, approval stages become black boxes.

3. No Escalation Paths

When an approver is unavailable, the process freezes entirely unless there is:

  • An escalation
  • A fallback approver
  • A timeline-based reminder

Few organizations implement this - resulting in days or weeks of delays.

Best Practices for Streamlined Approvals

Just like negotiation benefits from structure, approval workflows need automation and clarity.

Just like negotiation benefits from structure, approval workflows need automation and clarity. Here are proven ways to remove bottlenecks:

1. Define Rule-Based Routing

Automatically route contracts to the right stakeholder based on:

  • Type (MSA, NDA, SOW, Vendor)
  • Value (e.g., >$50k → Finance + Legal)
  • Geography (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC2 needs)
  • Category (procurement, vendor management, sales)

2. Implement Timed Escalations

Avoid unnecessary waiting with:

  • Automated reminders
  • Notifications for pending approvals
  • Escalations to managers or backup approvers

3. Centralize All Contract Information

Approvers should see:

  • Latest version
  • Redlines
  • negotiation history
  • Linked requirements

All in one place, without searching through emails or folders.

4. Maintain Complete Visibility

A clear dashboard showing:

  • Current approver
  • Pending actions
  • Completed steps
  • Overall approval timeline

This prevents confusion and enables accountability.

5. Keep Everything Audit-Ready

Every action should be:

  • Timestamped
  • Logged
  • Traceable

This protects the business and ensures compliance.

How PACT Streamlines Review & Approval in Jira

PACT doesn’t replace Jira workflows - it uses them. This means your approval logic, conditions, transitions, and automation rules stay exactly where your teams expect them.

PACT enhances the process with:

1. Jira-Powered Approval Workflows

You can configure approvals using:

  • Jira transitions
  • Custom statuses
  • Conditions and validators
  • Approvers added as watchers or assignees

Every approval step becomes a clear stage in the Jira workflow.

2. Clear Visibility Into Approval Status

From the PACT UI, users can easily see:

  • Where the contracts is in the workflow
  • The current approver
  • Pending steps
  • Any blockers

No more confusion, no more guessing “Who has this now?”

3. Organized Review Data in One Place

Approvers see all contracts details without leaving Jira:

  • Contract summary
  • Requirements
  • Linked negotiation issues
  • Comments and updates
  • Timeline tags (expiring soon, overdue, etc.)

Everything they need is already within the contract's context.

4. Easy Collaboration With Jira Issue Linking

PACT enables:

  • Linking requirements to contracts
  • Adding negotiation issues
  • Commenting directly on Jira items
  • Using Jira’s native mentions and notifications

Approvals stay connected to real work, not scattered across emails.

5. Complete Audit Trail Through Jira History

Every approval action is automatically logged by Jira:

  • Status changes
  • Comments
  • Approver decisions

Audit readiness becomes a natural part of the workflow - no extra effort needed.

Conclusion: Faster Approvals, Zero Extra Tools

PACT doesn’t introduce a new approval system. It simply leverages Jira’s workflow power and adds contract intelligence, visibility, and structure.

With PACT , your approval process becomes:

  • Clear
  • Trackable
  • Centralized
  • Easy for every team

This sets the foundation for the next stage of the contract lifecycle, where approvals turn into finalized agreements.

Stay connected for the next blog in the series!

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