Contracting Analytics is the station where legal teams turn contract data into strategic insight. It’s the process of analysing how contracts are negotiated, executed, and managed - and using that data to improve speed, reduce risk, and increase commercial value.

Most legal teams are drowning in contracts but starved of visibility. Without analytics, they can’t see how long deals take, where bottlenecks occur, or which clauses trigger disputes. They can’t benchmark performance, identify negotiation patterns, or quantify risk exposure. In short, they’re flying blind.

This station brings clarity. It enables legal to track contract cycle times, clause usage, negotiation outcomes, and compliance rates. It reveals which templates work, which teams delay execution, and which terms create friction. It also supports automation, playbook refinement, and smarter resourcing.

Contracting Analytics is not just about operational efficiency - it’s about strategic enablement. It gives legal the data to improve deal velocity, reduce leakage, and align contracting with business goals. It’s how legal turns contracts from static documents into dynamic performance assets.

The Contracting Analytics station typically includes:

◼️Cycle Time Tracking – Measuring time from request to execution across contract types.

◼️Clause Usage Analysis – Identifying frequently negotiated or problematic terms.

◼️Negotiation Pattern Recognition – Understanding how deals evolve and where delays occur.

◼️Risk Exposure Mapping – Highlighting terms that increase legal or commercial risk.

◼️Template Performance Benchmarking – Comparing outcomes across different contract formats.

◼️Portfolio Insights – Analysing contract volumes, types, and business unit usage.

◼️Compliance Monitoring – Tracking adherence to approved terms and playbooks.

◼️Integration with CLM Systems – Feeding analytics into contract lifecycle platforms.

In GLS legal ops, the Contracting Analytics is considered a "Repeater" resource within legal operations.

A Repeater Resource: Supports multiple legal functions, ensuring that structured legal requests improve contracting, dispute resolution, compliance, and advisory services.

A well-structured Contracting Analytics enhances legal team productivity, reduces wasted time, and improves service delivery across the organization.

The best practice features of the GLP are as follows:

◼️A centralised analytics platform integrated with contract lifecycle tools.

◼️Real-time dashboards showing cycle times, negotiation trends, and risk hotspots.

◼️Clause-level tracking to identify friction points and standardisation opportunities.

◼️Automated alerts for non-compliant terms or delayed approvals.

◼️Benchmarking tools to compare performance across teams, templates, and jurisdictions.

◼️Portfolio views that support strategic planning and resource allocation.

◼️Feedback loops to refine playbooks and improve stakeholder experience.

◼️Data governance protocols to ensure accuracy and confidentiality.

The Contracting Analytics station delivers the following value to the Business:

◼️Cost Savings – Identifies inefficiencies, reduces negotiation time, and prevents value leakage.

◼️Time Savings – Accelerates deal execution through data-driven process optimisation.

◼️Faster Deal Making – Improves stakeholder responsiveness and removes bottlenecks.

◼️Risk Reduction – Highlights exposure and supports proactive mitigation.

◼️Strategic Enablement – Aligns contracting processes with business priorities and outcomes.

Legal teams benefit from Contracting Analytics through:

◼️Enhanced visibility into contract performance and process efficiency.

◼️Data to support playbook refinement and clause standardisation.

◼️Improved collaboration with business units through transparency.

◼️Stronger influence in strategic planning and deal structuring.

◼️Evidence to support technology investment and process redesign.

◼️A foundation for automation and continuous improvement.

The Contracting Analytics station is essential for:

◼️General Counsel

◼️Heads of Legal Operations

◼️Legal Transformation Leads

◼️CFOs and Finance Business Partners

◼️Procurement and Vendor Managers

◼️Business Unit Leaders seeking legal support

A legal team operating without a Contracting Analytics capability will face a wide range of inefficiencies including:

◼️Inability to track or improve contract cycle times.

◼️Missed opportunities to standardise and automate.

◼️Poor visibility into negotiation patterns and risk exposure.

◼️Reactive contract management and delayed deal execution.

◼️Difficulty demonstrating legal’s impact on commercial outcomes.

◼️Weak alignment with business priorities and planning cycles.

Contracting Analytics is a technology-leveraged station. It benefits from:

◼️Contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms with analytics modules.

◼️Clause libraries and negotiation tracking tools.

◼️Dashboards for performance visualisation and reporting.

◼️Integration with matter management and legal ops platforms.

◼️AI-powered tools for clause comparison and risk scoring.