Over 200,000 companies rely on Slack for team communication and collaboration.

Yet, when teams collaborate over Slack for contract management tasks, the process is often plagued by disjointed workflows and friction. There’s a constant need to switch between Slack and other apps for various contract-related tasks, coupled with a lack of visibility and version control. This creates inefficiencies and hinders productivity.

Integrating a robust CLM (e.g., SpotDraft) with Slack solves this challenge by doing one crucial thing: bringing all aspects of collaborative contract management into the Slack ecosystem. 

In this guide, you’ll learn about the core features of the SpotDraft-Slack integration, how it is transforming contract management for Slack users, and how you can take advantage of it.

What is Slack?

Slack is a cloud-based platform designed to help teams connect, collaborate, and share information in real time.

Slack is a messaging app at its core, but it offers much more than just sending text messages. Here are some of its key features:

• Channels: Organized spaces for specific projects, teams, or topics to keep conversations focused and relevant.
• Direct messaging: Private one-on-one or group conversations for more personal or focused discussions.
• File sharing: Easily share documents, images, and other files within conversations.
• Integrations: Connect Slack with other tools you already use, such as SpotDraft, Google Drive, or GitHub, to streamline your workflow.
• Bots and automation: Automate tasks, send reminders, or gather information from other systems.
• Video and voice calls: Conduct virtual meetings and quick discussions (Huddles) without leaving Slack.

Slack is used by many organizations, from small startups to large enterprises. Its popularity comes from its ability to streamline communication, improve collaboration, and foster a sense of community within teams, regardless of their location or size.

The role of Slack in traditional contract management workflows

Imagine you're working on a contract. It could be a sales agreement, a vendor contract, or something else entirely. You're going back and forth with the other side, negotiating terms, redlining drafts, and generally trying to get everything buttoned up.

Now, Slack is your go-to for communication. You're using it to message your colleagues, get approvals from legal, and even chat directly with the counterparty through Slack Connect. It's great for keeping everyone in the loop and moving things along quickly.

But here's the rub: Slack isn't built for contract management. The actual drafting, signing, and redlining are happening in Word, Google Docs, or some clunky legacy software. So, you're constantly jumping between Slack and these other tools, trying to keep track of the latest version, who said what, and what still needs to be done.

And let's not forget about the pain of tracking approvals! You message a stakeholder in Slack asking for a sign-off, then you wait... and wait... and wait. Did they see your message? Are they still reviewing the contract? You have no idea.

Slack definitely improved communication and collaboration in traditional contract management workflows. But the bottlenecks and risks never went away.

Also read: Contract Workflow: A Step-By-Step Guide

SpotDraft + Slack integration: Creating a holistic contract management ecosystem

“Leveraging a CLM has been key because it has reduced a lot of friction from handoffs between legal and business. Rather than going back and forth over email, Slack, Word, Zoom, DocuSign, and a whole tech stack, the CLM acts as a single source of truth.”

~Jonathan Franz, Head of Legal, Crunchbase
Navigating Economic Turbulence and Thriving in Chaos

SpotDraft recognizes the importance of working from your comfort zone and how switching between multiple tools can impact productivity in contract management processes.

Its integration with Slack is designed to erase the underlying chaos of working with Slack in a disconnected contract management environment. The integration brings the power of SpotDraft's contract management functionalities directly into your Slack workspace, creating a seamless and efficient workflow that saves time, reduces risk, and improves collaboration.

Also read: Tools & Tips to Automate the Contract Creation Process

How the integration works

Let’s say you're working on a contract in SpotDraft and need a colleague's feedback. Instead of sending an email or switching to another app, you tag them in a Slack message alongside the relevant contract details. 

They can then review the contract, add comments, or request changes without ever leaving Slack. It's seamless, intuitive, and eliminates the friction of context switching.

But it doesn't stop there. SpotDraft's Slack integration also empowers you with real-time notifications and automated workflows. Get notified instantly when a contract is ready for your review, a deadline is approaching, or a signature has been received. You can even set up custom reminders and escalations to ensure contracts stay on track and important milestones aren't missed.

And remember the pain of tracking approvals? With SpotDraft's Slack integration, approvals become a breeze. 

Stakeholders receive notifications directly in Slack, where they can review and approve contracts with a single click. No more chasing down signatures or wondering where the process stands. It's all transparent and accessible, right within your Slack workspace.

When you integrate SpotDraft with Slack, you create a unified ecosystem that brings efficient collaboration and robust contract lifecycle management in one place.

Also read: 6 Must-Have CLM Integrations with Business Tools

Features of the SpotDraft-Slack integration

The SpotDraft-Slack integration offers a range of features that help you effectively manage contracting processes within the familiar walls of your Slack app. 

Here are the major ones:

#1 Real-time notifications and reminders

Receive instant notifications in Slack channels or direct messages whenever

• A stakeholder takes action on a contract—drafting, redlining, signing, commenting, etc.
• Your signature is required
• A deadline is approaching

You can also direct these notifications to specific Slack channels to keep your contract-related activities super organized.

#2 Reporting and analytics

“Insights can help the legal team identify gaps in the system and work toward improving workflows and building solutions that would increase efficiency.”

~Igor Poroger, Director of Legal, EMEA, Vectra AI
How CLMs Empower Legal Teams in B2B SaaS Companies

Leverage the power of SpotDraft’s contract analytics functionality to gain insights into your contract workflow, including the time spent on each stage, bottlenecks, and overall efficiency.

#3 Automated contract approvals

Every time you're required to approve a contract, you'll receive notifications in Slack and can initiate approval directly from Slack. The notification always comes with a link you can follow if you want to read the contract before approval.

#4 Direct uploads

If your counterparty sends you a contract via Slack Connect, you can upload it to SpotDraft as a fresh contract or an updated version, all from your Slack interface.

#5 Instant messaging and collaboration

Stay organized and collaborate efficiently on contract-related activities. Tag relevant stakeholders to draw attention to specific contract sections or questions, resolve issues, and power contracts through their lifecycles without switching apps.

N/B: If you’d like to see this integration in action, we have a premade demo you can check out. Click here to access it.

Benefits of SpotDraft’s Slack integration

If you can relate to the pain of using Slack in traditional contracting processes, then you will appreciate the benefits SpotDraft brings with its Slack integration.

#1 Enhanced efficiency

SpotDraft's Slack integration eliminates the need to switch between different apps for communication, collaboration, and contract management. This reduces friction, allowing contract-facing teams to move contracts through the pipeline more rapidly.

Teams also cut down on redundant admin work, dedicating more time to other valuable contributions.

#2 Better cross-functional alignment

By bringing contract management directly into Slack, SpotDraft's integration fosters smooth communication and collaboration across different teams involved in the contract lifecycle. 

Legal, sales, procurement, and other stakeholders can easily communicate, share information, and provide feedback within the familiar Slack environment. 

This reduces silos, enhances transparency, and ensures all team members are on the same page throughout the contract lifecycle.

#3 Reduced risks of missed deadlines

SpotDraft's real-time notifications and reminders in Slack ensure that no deadlines slip through the cracks. Stakeholders receive timely alerts for upcoming deadlines, contract reviews, and approvals, enabling proactive action and preventing delays.

Staying in the loop ensures you never miss any deadlines that could expose your organization to negative repercussions.

#4 Improved visibility and control

With SpotDraft's Slack integration, you gain real-time visibility into the status and progress of your contracts. 

Additionally, the ability to track approvals directly within Slack eliminates guesswork and provides a clear picture of where each contract stands in the approval process.

#5 Enhanced security and compliance

SpotDraft's Slack integration leverages enterprise-grade security features from both platforms to protect sensitive contract data. The integration also enforces compliance with industry regulations and internal policies by automating approval workflows, maintaining audit trails, and ensuring data integrity.

This minimizes the risk of data breaches, unauthorized access, and legal disputes, giving organizations peace of mind and safeguarding their reputation.

Also read: What is Contract Compliance? The Ultimate Guide

Never miss a beat with the SpotDraft-Slack integration

Slack ranks as a top communication and collaboration platform for teams and organizations across industries. Thanks to its ability to integrate with external applications like SpotDraft, its functionalities can be extended to meet unique requirements in areas like contract management.

By bringing SpotDraft's robust contract management capabilities into your Slack app's environment, you empower your team to take their contract productivity to new heights, ultimately ramping up their contributions to the organization's bottom line.

“I have seen a demo of SpotDraft’s CLM technology and they should be on your short list of vendors to talk to about a contract management system.”

~Sterling Miller, CEO and Senior Counsel at Hilgers Grabens PLLC
Ten Things: “Cool Tech” For In-House Counsel (2022 Edition)

Want to get a personalized demo of this integration? Click here to send a request, and we’ll get you onboard as soon as possible!