Contract Management Process Template for Marketing Agencies: Key to escape Operational Quicksand

"I feel like our team is being dragged down by the chaotic workflow. Six unpaid invoices, three client disputes, and my team spends more time chasing paperwork than creating campaigns."

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many mid-sized marketing agencies face the same struggles. You’ve built a talented team, landed great clients, and your business is growing. But behind the scenes, you’re drowning in a sea of administrative chaos: scattered documents, delayed approvals, missed payments, and frustrated team members.

In this guide, we will assist you in one of the most complex paperwork processes - Contract Management. Let’s transform it into a streamlined, automated workflow. 

An overview of Contract Management Process

Contract Management is an important process of any agency. The process involves multiple departments working together seamlessly—from contract initiation to execution and payment tracking. 

First of all, a successful contract management process might come with goals as listed below:

• Ensure Accurate and Efficient Contract Processing:
  The primary objective is to facilitate a smooth, error-free contract workflow—from initiation to execution. By ensuring that all necessary steps are completed promptly and accurately, your agency can avoid costly delays and maintain operational efficiency.
• Maintain Compliance and Reduce Risks:
  Another critical goal is to ensure all contracts are legally compliant and adhere to company policies. By doing so, you minimize potential legal and financial risks, protecting your agency from unexpected liabilities.

• Streamline Communication and Collaboration:
  Effective contract management also relies on seamless coordination between departments. Enhancing communication ensures that each team—whether it’s Accounts, Legal, or Administration—knows their role and responsibilities. This helps avoid bottlenecks, ensuring contracts are approved and executed in a timely manner.

By focusing on these goals, you can clearly imagine what is needed to build an effective process for your organization. To achieve this, it’s essential to define the key inputs and outputs of the contract management process:

Inputs:

• Contract Initiation Data:
  Complete contract details provided by the Account staff, including client information, payment terms, and scope of work. This ensures all the necessary information is captured accurately from the very beginning.

Outputs:

• Approved and Executed Contracts:
  Finalized contracts that are approved, signed, and securely stored for future reference. These documents provide a solid foundation for executing client projects without ambiguity or risk.
• Documented Payment Records:
  Clear records of first and second payments, including confirmations and related invoices. This transparency helps maintain financial accountability and keeps your cash flow healthy.

Next, there will be a reference for a step-by-step contract management process. It can differ based on business contexts. 

Streamlined Contract Management with Rework

Here is a basic example for Contract Management process in a Marketing Agency

The contract management process can be divided into key stages:

1. Contract Creation and Approval (step 1-2): Initiating and validating the contract to ensure it contains accurate and complete information.
2. Internal Review and Compliance Checks (step 3): This phase involves detailed reviews by various departments to ensure the contract is compliant, reducing legal and financial risk.
3. Contract Execution (step 4-5): To formalize the agreement, making it legally binding
4. Payment and Project Execution (step 6-8): Maintain a healthy cash flow and ensure projects are executed efficiently after payments are secured.

With Rework, you can turn this process into a standardized, automated workflow that every staff member must follow. Let’s dig into how Rework can save your company’s time and effort in each step.

1. Create new contract

• Description: Create the contract with all necessary information as required by the company. This includes details like duration, scope of work, payment terms, budgeting, termination clauses, intellectual property, and NDA.
• To Do: Create the contract. 
• SLA: 2 hours
• Stage Owner: Account Manager
• Stage Workers: Account Staff
  

2. Manager review the contract

• Description: Ensure all contract details are accurate and complete before moving forward. This initial review minimizes errors and sets the stage for a smooth workflow.
• To Do: Review and approve the contract 
• SLA: 2-4 hours
• Stage Owner: Account Manager
• Stage Workers: Account Manager
• How Rework Helps:
  Rework’s required fields and clear guidance ensure that every contract is initiated with complete information. Your staff can’t move forward until all required fields are filled out, which means you eliminate the risk of missing details that could delay the process.
• Output: Contract with clear information about duration of agreement, scope of work, payment terms, budgeting, termination, intellectual property, NDA,...

3.1. Accounting review the Contract

• Description: Ensure the payment terms are aligned with the company’s policies and financial procedures.
• To Do: Review the payment terms
• SLA: 4 hours
• Stage Owner: Accounting Manager
• Stage Workers: Accounting Staff
• Output: Payment terms Reviewed Contract

3.2. Legal review the Contract

• Description:
  Ensures the contract adheres to company policies, reducing potential legal risks.
• To Do:
  
  • • Conduct a detailed legal review of the contract
    • Approve the contract or request additional information.
• SLA: 1-2 business days
• Stage Owner: Legal Manager
• Stage Workers: Legal Staff
• How Rework Helps: 
  Rework allows you to build a standardized review process by a to-do list feature and clear workflow for contract reviews. Even new legal staff can follow the exact procedure without confusion. It ensures compliance, reduces legal risks, and guarantees that no errors slip through the cracks.
• Output: Legally Reviewed Contract

4. Print and Submit for Signature

• Description: Finalize the contract for execution. By generating accurate, error-free documents, this step ensures contracts are ready for signing without delays.
  
• To Do:
  • Prepare the finalized contract for printing
  • Submit the contract for approval
• Stage Owner: Operation Manager
• Stage Workers: Legal Staff
• How Rework Helps: Rework simplifies this step with automated templates that generate and print contracts with just one click. Additionally, conditional branching ensures the approval process follows predefined paths based on payment terms or contract value. This means fewer delays, faster decision-making, and a smoother submission process.
  
• Output: Partially signed contract

5.1. Deliver the Contract to Get Client’s Signature

• Description: Facilitate timely contract execution. Ensuring the client receives and signs the contract promptly prevents unnecessary bottlenecks.
  
• To Do:
  • Admin team
    • Deliver the paper contract to the client
  • Account team
    • Confirm if the client has received the contract
    • Follow up with the client to ensure timely signing.
• SLA: 2-4 days (depends on location & logistics)
• Stage Owner: Operation Manager
• Stage Workers: Admin Staff
• How Rework Helps:
  Rework automates task assignments and offers real-time tracking, so you always know the status of contract delivery. This transparency ensures the Account staff can confirm client receipt promptly, keeping everything moving smoothly without confusion.
• Output: Delivery confirmation from the client

5.2 Get Back the Contract for Document Storage

• Description: Maintain organized and accessible records. Proper storage ensures compliance and allows quick retrieval for future reference.
  
• To Do:
  • Account team:
    • Receive the signed contract from the client
    • Forward the contract to the Accounting team
  • Accounting team:
    • Store the signed contract securely in the document management system.
    • Ensure the contract is accessible to relevant teams.

• SLA: 2-4 days (depends on location & logistics)
• Stage Owner: Account Manager
• Stage Workers: Account + Accounting Staff
• How Rework Helps:

Rework’s centralized document management system stores signed contracts securely and makes them accessible to relevant team members. You no longer have to worry about misfiled documents—everything is neatly organized and easy to find.

• Output: Executed Contract

6. Follow First Payment

• Description: Secure initial payment to maintain cash flow. Ensures your agency is financially ready to begin the project.
• To Do:
  • Account/ Accounting Team:
    • Send payment reminder to the client.
  • Accounting Team:
    • Track the payment status and confirm receipt.
    • Notify the Account Team once the payment is received.
• Stage Owner: Account/ Accounting Manager
• Stage Workers: Account/ Accounting Staff
• How Rework Helps: 
  Rework’s payment tracking and follow-up reminders ensure that no payment deadline is missed. You can set automated rules, such as emails or messages to clients before the payment date, keeping collections on track without manual effort. No more missed deadline, this streamlined approach improves your organization’s cash flow.
  
• Output: Invoice, Payment confirmation record (receipt, etc.)

7. Implement Project

• Description: Enable smooth project execution. Clear task assignments and seamless collaboration ensure the project starts on time and stays on track.
  
• To Do:
  
  • • Review the project brief and confirm all details.
    • Assign tasks to the internal team.
• Stage Owner: Account Manager
• Stage Workers: Account Staff
• How Rework Helps:
  With Rework Project, task assignments are clear, and collaboration is seamless. Real-time updates keep everyone informed, ensuring your team knows exactly what to do and when to do it. 
  
• Output: Handover Report, Acceptance Certificate

8. Follow Second Payment

• Description: Complete the financial cycle efficiently, ensures the contract is closed without delays.
  
• To Do:
  • Accounting Team:
    • Send a payment reminder to the client.
    • Track the payment status and confirm receipt.
    • Issue the final invoice upon payment.
  • Account Staff:
    • Ensure all project deliverables are completed.
    • Close the contract once payment is received.
• Stage Owner: Account/ Accounting Manager
• Stage Workers: Account/ Accounting Staff
• How Rework Helps:
  Rework helps your team keep track of various payment deadlines and automates follow-up reminders to clients. Accounting team also can save their time from manually creating invoices by using auto-generated invoice features.
  
• Output: Invoice, Payment confirmation record (receipt, etc.)

Spot Bottlenecks Before They Derail Your Agency

Bottlenecks can appear at any stage of the process. With Rework, you can identify and resolve them quickly:

• Clear Workflows: Define which teams handle each step, reducing confusion about responsibilities.
• Real-Time Progress Tracking: See where contacts get stuck and take action immediately.

Detect bottlenecks at a glance

• Workload Balancing: You can use Rework’s automation to assign tasks to team members with the lightest workload, ensuring no one is overwhelmed and tasks are completed on time.

Different assignment method

Rework transforms your contract management process into a streamlined, automated workflow that eliminates errors, reduces delays, and keeps your agency running smoothly. From contract initiation to final payment, every step is optimized for efficiency, saving you time, effort, and money.

Ready to Transform Your Agency’s Workflow?

Your agency’s success depends on more than just creative talent. Smooth, efficient operations are the backbone of sustainable growth. Don’t let administrative chaos and cash flow issues hold you back.

Book a demo today, and let our business consultants help you design customized SOPs and integrate them seamlessly into Rework.