4 Tasks Remote Contract Teams Should Immediately Tackle During COVID-19

In the midst of COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders, many businesses are turning to remote work — or having employees work from home — to help them remain operational throughout the current crisis. In order to keep your team functioning effectively, there are several steps your remote contract team needs to take to make working from home easier and more effective. Make sure you have these tasks at the top of your to-do list as you manage the shift to remote operations, and keep your team sheltering in place. 

1. Make sure back-up signatories are in place in your DocuSign accounts. 

Authorized signatories throughout your company can handle signing important documents, whether that means signing a new contract, moving it through the approval process, or handling vital purchases for your business. DocuSign can store and control the individuals who have the ability to issue those signatures.

Not only do you need to make sure that DocuSign has all that important information in place, but you may also want to assign back-up signatories who can handle those responsibilities if the primary individuals responsible for handling those tasks are unavailable. 

2. Keep your remote contract team members informed.

Consider all the data your team members need to know in order to keep your business running smoothly. Remote work is a new challenge for many individuals. During the current crisis, many team members aren’t just working remotely. They’re also juggling the responsibility of having kids, elderly loved ones, and spouses at home. Your team members need to know what is expected of them during this crisis, including:

• Expected turnaround times through the crisis
• Details about who to contact with key questions
• Contact information for your HR department and other vital departments within the company
• How your company is altering expectations in the face of COVID-19

You should not only send out immediate emails to the different internal teams within the company. Also maintain communication and remind team members of those expectations throughout the duration of their remote work period.

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3. Create a living standard response playbook for likely contract-related emails over the next month. 

Your remote contract team has a solid idea of what emails to expect with regard to your contracts. Not only will you receive the same communications you ordinarily receive over the course of the month, but you may also receive an increase in emails concerning how your business is handling the current crisis. You may want to institute automatic responses to some queries or provide information to all your clients at once.

 But you also want your remote contract team to know how to respond to customer concerns, especially in the light of COVID-19 shutdowns and changes to your business. Create a living standard playbook that will help your employees respond to any contract-related queries according to your company’s usual practices. A living document can keep employees up-to-date about changes, new information, and the answers they need.

4. Check permissions and make sure employees can access the materials they need.

Check your contract management software and make sure employees have the right permissions to access vital documents. With employees working remotely, it can take much longer to change permissions. They may need to connect with other remote employees or wait for changes to move through the system. Try to anticipate those needs and arrange for the right employee permissions before the challenge arrives. This will keep your employees on track and working as smoothly as possible. 

Your business operations may have changed dramatically in the light of COVID-19. Many businesses are struggling to make the changes needed to make it possible for their teams to work remotely. By taking on these tasks, however, you can better prepare your business. You can also provide your employees with the tools they need to reassure customers throughout the crisis. Talk to us today for a free trial of contract management software that can help you streamline your business online.