Problem Statement

Contracts are scattered. They live across inboxes, e-signature platforms, shared drives, laptops, and even buried in threads from ex-employees. This fragmentation makes it nearly impossible for legal, finance, and operations teams to answer critical questions like:

• When does this agreement renew?

• Are we auto-renewing into unfavorable terms?

• Do we have a signed version of that NDA?

Worse yet, missing a renewal deadline or overlooking an unfavorable term hidden in a forgotten contract can cost the business real money.

Business Goal

The goal is simple but essential: Create a centralized repository of all signed contracts across your business—complete, searchable, and current.

Doing this allows your team to:

• Track obligations and renewal dates

• Respond quickly during audits, disputes, or financings

• Avoid costly mistakes and missed opportunities

Whether you’re preparing for due diligence or just trying to get your house in order, here’s how to manually collect all your contracts and centralize them into one place.

Step 1: Map Out Your Contract Sources

Start by identifying all the places contracts may live:

• Email (e.g., Gmail, Outlook)

• E-signature tools (e.g., DocuSign, HelloSign, Adobe Sign)

• Cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, SharePoint)

• Shared inboxes and Slack channels

• Contract management spreadsheets or local folders

You’ll be surprised how many “final_final_v3_signed” PDFs are scattered across your org.

[Start]
   |
   v
[Identify Systems]
   |
   +--> [Email]
   |
   +--> [E-signature Tools]
   |
   +--> [Cloud Storage]
   |
   +--> [Local Folders / Desktops]
   |
   +--> [Shared Inboxes / Slack]

Step 2: Search for Signed Contracts

In each system, use keywords and filters to narrow down documents:

• Search terms: signed, fully executed, agreement, NDA, MSA, SOW, contract, .pdf

• In Gmail/Outlook: use search like filename:pdf AND signed

• In Drive/Dropbox: sort by file type and search agreement OR contract OR signed

Don’t forget to check shared drives, archived folders, or personal drives of former employees.

[Each Source]
   |
   v
[Apply Search Terms]
   |
   +--> "signed"
   |
   +--> "fully executed"
   |
   +--> "contract", "agreement", "MSA", etc.
   |
   v
[Filter by File Type (.pdf)]
   |
   v
[Download / Flag Candidates]

Step 3: Validate What’s Actually Signed

Having a document isn’t enough. You’ll want to:

• Open each file

• Confirm both parties have signed (check signature blocks and dates)

• Rename the file for clarity (e.g., Acme_MSA_2023-02-12_Signed.pdf)

Keep a checklist or spreadsheet tracking:

• Contract name

• Type (NDA, MSA, SOW)

• Counterparty

• Effective date

• Expiration/renewal

• Location (where you found it)

[Candidate Contract]
   |
   v
[Open and Review]
   |
   +--> Is it signed by both parties? -- Yes --> [Keep]
   |                                    |
   |                                    +--> No --> [Discard or Follow Up]
   |
   v
[Rename Clearly]
   |
   v
[Log Key Metadata in Spreadsheet]

Step 4: Centralize Everything

Choose a place to store and organize:

• A shared folder in Drive/Dropbox

• A dedicated contract inbox (contracts@company.com)

• A spreadsheet with links to files

• Or best: a contract repository like Docsum

Create a simple folder structure:

[Validated Contracts]
   |
   v
[Choose a Central Location]
   |
   +--> Shared Drive
   |
   +--> Email Inbox (e.g., contracts@)
   |
   +--> Spreadsheet with Links
   |
   +--> Contract Management Tool (e.g., Docsum)
   |
   v
[Organize Folders by Type]
   |
   v
[Make Contracts Searchable with Tags or Metadata]

Step 5: Set Up a Maintenance Workflow

Even if you’ve centralized everything once, contracts will keep coming in. So:

• Train teams to BCC contracts@company.com when a contract is signed

• Monitor e-signature tools weekly

• Set reminders to review shared drives and email every quarter

[New Contracts Going Forward]
   |
   v
[Train Teams to Forward to Central Inbox]
   |
   v
[Monitor E-signature Platforms Weekly]
   |
   v
[Review Shared Drives Quarterly]
   |
   v
[Update Spreadsheet or Repository]

Why This Manual Process Breaks Down

Doing this once is already a heavy lift. But doing it consistently, across multiple teams, with dozens or hundreds of contracts? That’s where it falls apart.

You’ll run into:

• Missed contracts from old email accounts

• Multiple versions with no way to tell what’s final

• No alerts for auto-renewals or expirations

• No searchable clause data (e.g., payment terms, termination rights)

Manual Process]
   |
   +--> Time-consuming
   |
   +--> Prone to Human Error
   |
   +--> Easy to Miss Contracts
   |
   v
[No Alerts or Term Tracking]
   |
   v
[Increased Risk + Hidden Costs]

This is where Docsum comes in.

Why You Need Docsum

Docsum automatically connects to the tools you already use—email, Drive, Dropbox, DocuSign—and pulls in only signed contracts. It organizes them in one place, extracts the key dates and terms, and alerts you when something needs attention.

You don’t need a contract problem to start building a contract repository. You just need a business that runs on agreements—and a smarter way to manage them. If you’re tired of the spreadsheet-and-scavenger-hunt approach, we can help.