Contract repository software only becomes “real” when you can answer questions without rebuilding the logic every time.

That is the dividing line between a storage system and an operational system. ARMA makes the broader point in records management terms: modern systems unlock automation and governance because metadata fields exist and can drive rules and triggers in software, not because documents are stored in a folder tree, as described in its piece Re-Envisioning the Retention Schedule, on building “software-ready” programs with metadata-driven retention and automation .

In Concord Horizon, that same idea shows up in reporting. AI Reporting operates on structured data, including standard fields and custom properties, which is why it can produce complete lists, accurate counts, and repeatable outputs you can use in operating reviews.

So if you want a minimum viable schema for a contract repository, the goal is simple.

Standardize the smallest set of fields that makes reporting and automation feel inevitable.

Minimum viable schema in 15 fields

Concord already gives you core fields in the Contract Summary panel, including third party name and Life Cycle dates like signature date, effective date, termination notice, and renewal terms. Then you add the rest as Custom Document Properties, using dropdowns, dates, monetary amounts, and internal user pickers that can show up as columns in Inbox and Reports, filter views, and export to Excel or CSV.

Here is the 15-field blueprint.

A note on where fields live: the Contract Summary panel explicitly covers General Information and Life Cycle, and it is also where Concord generates deadline alerts tied to renewal and termination information.

A note on custom properties: Concord supports eleven property types, and those properties can be shown as columns in Inbox and Reports, used as filters, and exported to Excel or CSV, as Custom Document Properties.

Naming conventions that keep reporting clean

A schema fails when two teams mean different things by the same field. The fix is boring but powerful.

Use these conventions from day one.

• Use singular nouns for field names
  “Contract Type” not “Contract Types”

• Put dates in fields that end with “Date”
  “Effective Date”, “Term End Date”, “Signed Date”

• Put numbers in fields that end with the unit
  “Termination Notice Days” not “Termination Notice”

• Avoid free text when you plan to report
  Use dropdowns for Contract Type, Department, Renewal Structure

• Separate ownership from participation
  “Business Owner” is one person. Use sharing or collaborators for everyone else.

• Keep values stable over time
  If you rename “IT” to “Information Technology”, keep the stored value stable and handle display naming separately.

This is the difference between a contract repository that looks organized and a contract repository that behaves like data.

Why these 15 fields matter for AI Reporting

AI Reporting is only as complete as the structured fields it can filter and group on.

That is not a marketing statement. It is the design. AI Reporting runs on structured data including standard fields and custom properties, and that foundation is what allows complete lists, accurate totals, and deterministic outputs you can reuse.

If your repository only has titles and PDFs, you still have a repository. You just do not have reporting.

Automation that falls out of the schema

Two Concord capabilities become dramatically easier once those fields exist.

1. Deadline automation
   Concord generates alerts for future deadlines based on Life Cycle fields like renewal and termination notice

2. Workflow automation
   Concord workflows let you define criteria and actions that manage document properties, user permissions, and folder organization

A workflow does not need to be complicated to be valuable. Most teams start with routing and classification, then build up.

Three report templates these fields unlock

Each of these templates is designed to work as a repeatable report, not a one-off export. You can build classic Reports in Concord and export them by Creating a Report, or run them as conversational reports in AI Reporting.

Report template 1 Renewal and notice calendar

Purpose
Run renewals as an operating rhythm, not as a scramble.

Filters

• Term End Date in next 120 days

• Renewal Structure is Auto-renew or Fixed-term

Columns

• Counterparty legal name

• Contract title

• Business owner

• Term End Date

• Termination Notice Days

• Contract value

Example AI Reporting question
"Show contracts ending in the next 120 days with their notice periods, renewal structure, owner, and value."

Report template 2 Spend concentration and exposure

Purpose
Give finance a view they can act on.

Filters

• Contract type is Vendor Agreement, MSA, or SOW

• Contract value is present

Columns

• Counterparty legal name

• Department or cost center

• Internal legal entity

• Contract value

• Term End Date

• Renewal structure

Example AI Reporting question
"List vendors by total contract value, grouped by department, and show the contracts that drive the total."

Report template 3 Schema coverage and cleanup queue

Purpose
Turn metadata completeness into a managed backlog.

Filters

• Any of these fields is blank: Contract type, Business owner, Term End Date, Renewal structure, Contract value

Columns

• Contract title

• Counterparty legal name

• Missing fields indicator

• Contract manager

• Folder

• Signed date

Example AI Reporting question
"Show agreements missing key metadata fields, grouped by contract manager, so we can close gaps this month."

Implementation checklist

If you want this schema to stick, treat it like configuration, not data entry.

• Define the 15 fields and lock dropdown values.

• Assign one owner per field definition.

• Add fields to the Contract Summary and Custom Properties library.

• Make the report templates visible to stakeholders.

• Use workflows to auto-classify where possible.

• Export to Excel or CSV when a stakeholder needs it.