Shortening contract approval time by 67% in a marketing agency
We created a set of 4 ready-made contract templates with subcontractors, which eliminated the need for consultation with a lawyer each time.
The management of Vivid Media Group wasted a lot of time reading the same provisions over and over. Every new graphic designer or copywriter meant another round of emails with a lawyer and corrections in Word. At Krakow Advisory Market, we turned this mess into an efficient system in 5 weeks.
The challenge
The agency works permanently with 14 people but picks 3-5 new people for projects every month. Each new contract circulated between the office inbox and an external law firm for an average of 6 business days. This blocked campaign starts for clients and built tension in the team. In the last quarter of 2023, the head of the agency spent as many as 43 hours just on reading and correcting documents. No unnecessary talk — it was a pure cost that brought the company not a single zloty of profit.
Our approach
We started by screening the 27 most recent contracts the agency signed. We caught 4 flashpoints that most often raised subcontractor doubts: revision deadlines, late penalties, transfer of copyrights to sketches, and confidentiality rules. The result matters, not the process, so instead of writing boring analyses, we sat down with the owner for a 3-hour workshop. We determined where the company could give in and where it must stick to hard rules.
The solution
We prepared 4 specific document templates: for graphic designers, developers, copywriters, and project managers. Each contract now has 3 pages instead of the previous 9. We moved key data, such as rate and deadline, to a legible table on the first page. We also attached instructions for the assistant, which says clearly: if the subcontractor accepts these terms, we sign right away. We speak with a human voice, so the legal provisions are understandable for anyone who finished elementary school.
Results
The agency stopped calling us with every trifle because the templates cover 93% of their daily needs. The board regained time to look for new orders, and freelancers get contracts to sign in a few hours, not days.
Timeline
-
January 15, 2024Audit of 27 historical contracts and error detection
-
January 22, 2024Decision workshop with the head of Vivid Media Group
-
February 5, 2024Delivery of 4 ready-made templates and instructions
-
February 12, 2024Training for 3 managers on handling new documents
"I thought that templates wouldn't work with such different projects. I was wrong. Now we sign 9 out of 10 contracts without involving a lawyer. Facts on the table and peace of mind."