Best Practices for Reminders
Planning Your Reminders
Strategic Timing:
Set reminders well in advance of critical dates (30, 60, or 90 days before expiration)
For contracts with multiple milestones, use all three reminders for different stages
Consider business processes: How much time do you need to complete renewal negotiations?
Example Reminder Schedule:
Reminder 1: 90 days before expiration – Initial awareness, begin preliminary discussions
Reminder 2: 60 days before expiration – Formal renewal process initiation
Reminder 3: 30 days before expiration – Final urgent alert if renewal is incomplete
Selecting Recipients
Who Should Receive Reminders:
Contract Manager: Always include as primary responsible party
Business Owner: Include for budget approval and strategic decisions
Procurement Team: For renewal negotiations
Legal/Compliance: For regulatory or approval requirements
Access Considerations:
Ensure all recipients have at least reader access to the contract
Recipients need to see contract details to take appropriate action
Test notifications with a small group before broad deployment
Writing Effective Notifications
Clear and Actionable:
State the purpose immediately ("Contract expiring soon")
Include specific dates and deadlines
Specify what action is required or recommended
Provide context about why the reminder matters
Professional and Concise:
Use a professional tone appropriate for business communication
Avoid jargon or overly technical language
Keep the message brief but informative
Include all necessary information without overwhelming recipients
Include Contact Information:
Always reference the contract administrator for questions
Consider adding links to relevant documentation or processes
Provide escalation paths if needed
Ongoing Management
Regular Review:
Periodically review all contract reminders to ensure they're still relevant
Update reminder dates if contract end dates change
Remove or modify reminders for contracts that are no longer active
Post-Delivery Follow-Up:
After a reminder is sent, verify that recipients took appropriate action
Use the Sent status as a trigger to check in with stakeholders
Document actions taken in the contract's Comments on Activity section
Continuous Improvement:
Gather feedback from recipients about reminder timing and content
Adjust templates based on what works best for your organization
Share successful reminder strategies with other administrators