Our client’s organisation operates in a complex, highly regulated, high-volume, global contracting environment. The team manages a steady flow of deals across regions, stakeholders, and categories - the kind of environment where small differences in process and documentation can naturally emerge over time.

During an initial three-month secondment placement, our client asked us to support BAU contracting while also taking a practical look at how work moved through the contracting system, with a view to identifying opportunities to simplify, align, and scale.

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As part of that work, a few recurring themes emerged that are common in global contracting organisations that benefit from strengthening:

• Intake and triage approaches varied depending on request type and local practice, which sometimes made it harder to apply a consistent pathway. 
• Risk decisions weren’t always anchored to shared decision points, creating avoidable uncertainty for stakeholders. 
• Escalation routes weren’t always obvious, particularly for fast-moving matters or cross-regional requests. 
• Templates and playbooks had evolved over time, with some regional variations and older versions still in circulation. 
• Volume peaks increased pressure on internal teams, which can lead to more escalations simply to keep matters moving. 

Outside counsel was sometimes used for routine work when speed and capacity were the priority, contributing to variable spend and less repeatable internal learning.

At this scale, contracting is about both quality, consistency, throughput, and confidence for the business. Improving alignment around intake, triage, escalation and contracting assets helps:

• reduce avoidable back-and-forth and rework 
• support clearer, faster decision-making 
• make outcomes more predictable across regions 
• build reusable capability internally over time

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We supported the organisation through a combination of hands-on BAU delivery and structured observation of the contracting workflow.

Radiant seconded a highly experienced commercial lawyer on a part-time basis to provide overflow support and continuity, while also identifying practical opportunities to streamline ways of working.

Building on the secondment insights, Radiant proposed an approach for support in 2026 that combines:

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1) Flexible secondments (ongoing, as needed)

To provide experienced capacity that flexes with demand, particularly during volume peaks.

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2) A sprint-based transformation programme

To implement best-practice process design and refresh key contracting assets in a manageable, step-by-step way.

The programme included:

• RACIs to clarify ownership and handoffs 
• Standard decision points to support consistent triage and risk assessment 
• Clear escalation rules and routes so stakeholders know when and how to escalate 
• Refreshed contracting assets, including globally aligned templates and playbooks 
• A single source of truth to support consistent use and reduce version confusion over time

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Integration into existing work

The improvements are intended to be embedded into a bespoke (procure-to-pay) matter management project, so the process and assets sit directly within the operational workflow.

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From the initial secondment, our client gained:

• Additional BAU capacity to help manage contracting demand 
• A clear, practical view of where alignment and standardisation would have the biggest payoff 
• A roadmap for a scalable approach that supports innovation, risk management, and strategic deal execution at global volume