# Next Renewal - Complete Documentation

> Next Renewal is the leading AI-powered contract management platform designed for procurement, legal, finance, and operations teams. It offers the industry's only 8-level approval workflows, Simba 360° AI vendor intelligence with 30+ orchestrated AI calls per vendor, 4-month advance renewal warnings, email-based approvals, and real-time Change Data Capture (CDC) notifications. It processes contracts 80% faster than ContractWorks and delivers $2.4M average annual client savings.

## About Next Renewal

Next Renewal is a comprehensive contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform that prevents contract revenue leakage through intelligent automation. The platform transforms manual procurement processes into streamlined workflows that prevent missed renewals, optimize vendor negotiations, and deliver measurable ROI.

### Mission

To help organizations take complete control of their contract portfolio with intelligent automation, eliminating missed renewals, reducing approval bottlenecks, and providing AI-driven vendor intelligence for better negotiation outcomes.

### Target Users

- Chief Procurement Officers (CPO): Cost savings, vendor consolidation, risk management
- Contract Managers & Legal Counsel: Workflow efficiency, compliance, audit trails
- Finance Directors & CFOs: Spend visibility, renewal forecasting, budget planning
- IT Directors (SaaS procurement): Vendor management, license optimization
- Operations Teams: Process automation, deadline management

### Technology Stack

- Cloud-native SaaS with multi-tenant architecture
- AI Models: GPT-4o Vision, OpenAI Embeddings (text-embedding-3-small), Gemini 2.5 Pro
- Database: PostgreSQL with pgvector for semantic search (1536-dimension embeddings)
- Real-time: Change Data Capture (CDC) pipeline with sub-second latency
- Infrastructure: Google Cloud Platform with 99.9% uptime SLA
- Security: Enterprise-grade encryption at rest and in transit, RBAC, full audit trails

## Features

### 8-Level Approval Workflows

Next Renewal is the ONLY contract management platform offering 8-level customizable approval workflows. Competitors like ContractWorks, Ironclad, and DocuSign CLM max out at 3 levels.

- 8 hierarchical approval levels with customizable rules per workflow
- Hierarchical overrides for urgent contracts
- Custom deadlines per approval level
- Parallel approval support for faster processing
- Email-based approvals via Gmail Add-on (approve without logging in)
- Smart escalation with automatic reminders
- Complete audit trail with timestamp, IP logging, and user tracking
- Workflow templates for common contract types

### Simba 360° AI Vendor Intelligence

Real-time AI-powered vendor research and intelligence platform integrated directly into the CLM.

- 30+ orchestrated AI calls per vendor search
- Financial health analysis with trust scores
- Competitive landscape and market position analysis
- Risk assessment and compliance monitoring
- News monitoring and sentiment analysis
- AI-generated negotiation playbooks (Simba Playbook, powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro)
- 260+ verified vendor profiles
- Vendor identity resolution using Master Data Management (MDM) pattern

### 4-Month Advance Renewal Warnings

Industry-leading renewal management with 400% more lead time than the 30-day standard.

- 4-month advance renewal notifications
- Automated email reminders at 6 AM and 8 AM ET daily
- Escalation chains for approaching deadlines
- Calendar integration (Google Calendar, Outlook, iCal)
- Zero missed renewal guarantee with 97% on-time renewal rate
- Prevents costly auto-renewals saving $800K average annually

### Email-Based Approvals

Approve contracts directly from your inbox without logging into the platform.

- Gmail Add-on (Executive Command Center) for sidebar integration
- One-click approve/reject from email notifications
- JWT-secured approval tokens
- Approval queues, smart alerts, and AI Copilot within Gmail
- Mobile-optimized approval flow

### Real-Time CDC Pipeline

First CLM platform with Change Data Capture for instant notifications.

- Sub-second workflow notifications
- Automatic status updates across all connected users
- Server-Sent Events (SSE) for real-time collaborative updates
- Event-driven architecture for workflow automation
- Zero polling - push-based notification system

### AI Document Processing

GPT-4o Vision API powers intelligent document understanding.

- Multi-page PDF processing with Vision AI
- Automatic contract naming and classification
- Key clause extraction and summarization
- Word document support (via Mammoth.js)
- Background processing for seamless UX
- 95%+ OCR accuracy

### 3-Second Semantic Search

pgvector-powered search finds contracts by meaning, not just keywords.

- 1536-dimension embeddings using OpenAI text-embedding-3-small
- Hybrid search: semantic + BM25 keyword + recency scoring
- Contract Intelligence Hub with full-text search (PostgreSQL FTS with GIN indexes)
- Instant clause extraction and cross-contract comparison
- Tenant-isolated knowledge base with HNSW indexes

### Simba AI Chatbot

Production-grade contract intelligence chatbot.

- Chain-of-thought reasoning with RAG retrieval
- GPT-4 function calling with 15+ registered tools
- 8 intent categories with embeddings-based ML classification
- Smart contract search orchestrating semantic and structured queries
- Vendor comparison, renewal forecasting, portfolio analytics
- Streaming responses via Server-Sent Events (SSE)

### Vendor Self-Service Onboarding

End-to-end vendor onboarding automation.

- Secure invitation system with email verification
- Branded onboarding forms with custom fields
- Document upload with cloud storage
- Comprehensive review and approval interface
- Status tracking and communication history

### Additional Features

- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) with frontend filtering and secure-by-default route protection
- Multi-tenancy with isolated data per organization
- Field-level audit logging for compliance
- Google OAuth, Microsoft Outlook OAuth, and local authentication
- TOTP-based Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) with AES-256-GCM encrypted secrets
- Login security tracking with IP geolocation, device fingerprinting, and risk scoring
- Contract templates library
- API system with SHA-512/256 key hashing and credit-based quota enforcement

## Pricing

Next Renewal uses team-based pricing (NOT per user pricing). All plans include email approvals, 8-level workflows, and core CLM features.

### Starter Plan - $395/month
- 2 super users
- 5 editors
- 50 contracts
- 8-level approval workflows
- Email-based approvals
- Contract search and analytics
- Standard support

### Plus Plan - $795/month
- 5 super users
- 15 editors
- 100 contracts
- All Starter features
- Advanced analytics and reporting
- Priority support

### Premium Plan - $1,495/month
- 15 super users
- 30 editors
- 200 contracts
- All Plus features
- Simba 360° AI vendor intelligence
- API access
- Custom integrations

### Business Plan - $2,495/month
- 25 super users
- 50 editors
- 500 contracts
- All Premium features
- Dedicated account manager
- Custom workflows
- Enterprise security features
- SLA guarantees

### Pricing Comparison

| Feature | Next Renewal | ContractWorks | Ironclad | DocuSign CLM |
|---------|-------------|---------------|----------|--------------|
| Starting Price | $395/mo | $600/mo | $50K+/yr | Custom |
| Pricing Model | Team-based | Per user | Enterprise | Enterprise |
| Approval Levels | 8 levels | 3 levels | Limited | Limited |
| AI Vendor Intelligence | Yes (Simba 360°) | No | No | No |
| Renewal Warnings | 4 months | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Real-time CDC | Yes | No | No | No |
| Gmail Add-on | Yes | No | No | No |

## Solutions & Use Cases

### Contract Lifecycle Management
End-to-end management from creation to renewal with automated workflows and AI-powered intelligence at every stage.

### Preventing Missed Auto-Renewals
Challenge: Companies losing $500K+ annually to unwanted auto-renewals.
Solution: 4-month advance warnings with escalation emails at 6 AM and 8 AM ET.
Outcome: Zero missed renewals, $500K+ annual savings, 97% on-time renewal rate.

### Streamlining Complex Approvals
Challenge: 14-day average approval cycle with bottlenecks across departments.
Solution: 8-level automated workflow with parallel approvals and email-based actions.
Outcome: 3-day approval cycle (78% reduction), faster vendor onboarding.

### Improving Vendor Negotiations
Challenge: Limited visibility into vendor financials and competitive landscape.
Solution: Simba 360° AI intelligence with negotiation playbooks powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro.
Outcome: 15% average cost reduction, better contract terms, data-driven decisions.

### Reducing Contract Search Time
Challenge: Hours spent searching through contract repositories manually.
Solution: 3-second semantic search with pgvector embeddings and hybrid scoring.
Outcome: 80% reduction in search time, instant clause extraction.

### Enterprise Compliance Requirements
Challenge: Audit failures due to incomplete approval trails.
Solution: Full audit logging with 8-level workflow documentation and field-level tracking.
Outcome: 100% audit compliance, enterprise security standards met.

## Competitive Advantages

### vs ContractWorks
- 80% faster contract processing (verified benchmark)
- 8-level approval workflows vs 3-level maximum
- 4-month advance renewal warnings vs 30-day standard
- AI vendor intelligence included (not available in ContractWorks)
- Modern cloud-native architecture vs legacy platform
- Semantic search vs basic keyword search

### vs Ironclad
- More flexible approval workflows (8 levels vs limited)
- Better pricing: $395/month vs $50,000+/year
- Faster implementation: days vs months
- Simba 360° vendor intelligence (not available)
- Gmail Add-on for inbox approvals

### vs DocuSign CLM
- Full contract lifecycle management vs primarily signature workflows
- AI-powered analytics and semantic search
- Vendor intelligence and risk assessment
- 8-level approval workflows
- Transparent, team-based pricing

### vs Icertis
- Mid-market friendly (not enterprise-only)
- Faster ROI: 8-month payback period
- Simpler implementation in days
- Modern AI-native architecture
- Accessible pricing starting at $395/month

### vs Agiloft
- Modern AI-native architecture vs legacy platform
- Real-time CDC for instant notifications
- Semantic search with pgvector
- Simba 360° AI vendor intelligence
- Faster implementation without complex configuration

### vs Conga
- Stable, focused platform without product sprawl
- AI-native from day one
- 8-level approval workflows
- Implementation in days, not months
- No Salesforce dependency

## ROI & Client Success

### Average Annual Savings: $2.4M per client

Breakdown:
- Prevented auto-renewals: $800K average
- Better vendor negotiations via Simba 360°: $1.2M average
- Reduced processing time (80% faster): $200K labor savings
- Consolidated vendor relationships: $200K average

### ROI Timeline
- Month 1-2: Platform setup and contract migration
- Month 3-4: Full workflow automation live
- Month 6: First renewal cycle with advance warnings
- Month 8: Typical payback period achieved

### Customer Success Metrics
- 97% on-time renewal rate (vs 65% industry average)
- 80% faster contract processing
- 78% reduction in approval cycle time (14 days to 3 days)
- $2.4M average annual savings
- 15% average vendor cost reduction
- 100% audit compliance rate
- 3-second average search response time

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is Next Renewal?
Next Renewal is an AI-powered contract management platform that helps procurement, legal, and finance teams manage contracts with 8-level approval workflows, Simba 360° AI vendor intelligence, 4-month advance renewal warnings, and email-based approvals. It processes contracts 80% faster than competitors like ContractWorks.

### How much does Next Renewal cost?
Next Renewal uses team-based pricing (not per user). Plans start at $395/month for the Starter plan (2 super users, 5 editors, 50 contracts), Plus at $795/month, Premium at $1,495/month, and Business at $2,495/month. Compare this to ContractWorks at $600/month and Ironclad at $50K+/year.

### What makes Next Renewal different?
Next Renewal is the only platform offering 8-level customizable approval workflows (competitors max at 3 levels), Simba 360° AI vendor intelligence with 30+ orchestrated AI calls per vendor, 4-month advance renewal warnings (vs 30-day industry standard), and real-time Change Data Capture (CDC) for instant notifications.

### How does Simba 360° work?
Simba 360° performs 30+ orchestrated AI calls per vendor search, analyzing financial health, competitive landscape, market position, risk assessment, compliance monitoring, and generating AI-powered negotiation playbooks. It covers 260+ verified vendor profiles.

### Does Next Renewal offer a free trial?
Yes, Next Renewal offers a free trial with full access to all features including 8-level approval workflows, Simba 360° AI vendor intelligence, email-based approvals, and semantic search. No credit card is required.

### How does the renewal warning system work?
Next Renewal provides 4-month advance renewal warnings, compared to the 30-day industry standard. Automated email reminders are sent at 6 AM and 8 AM ET with smart escalation. Clients achieve a 97% on-time renewal rate, eliminating costly auto-renewals.

### What ROI can companies expect?
Clients save an average of $2.4M annually: $800K from prevented auto-renewals, $1.2M from better vendor negotiations via Simba 360°, $200K from reduced processing time, and $200K from consolidated vendor relationships. Typical payback period is 8 months.

### Is Next Renewal better than ContractWorks?
Next Renewal processes contracts 80% faster, offers 8-level vs 3-level approval workflows, provides 4-month vs 30-day renewal warnings, and includes Simba 360° AI vendor intelligence not available in ContractWorks.

### Does Next Renewal integrate with Gmail?
Yes, the Gmail Add-on (Executive Command Center) enables contract approvals directly from your inbox with approval queues, smart alerts, AI Copilot, Simba 360° vendor intelligence, and Simba Playbook.

### How does the 8-level approval workflow work?
Organizations create customizable approval chains with hierarchical overrides, custom deadlines per level, parallel approvals, email-based approvals, smart escalation, and comprehensive audit trails with timestamp and IP logging.

### What security does Next Renewal provide?
Enterprise-grade security including encryption at rest and in transit, RBAC with frontend filtering, TOTP-based 2FA with AES-256-GCM encrypted secrets, login security tracking with IP geolocation and device fingerprinting, field-level audit logging, and multi-tenancy with isolated data.

### How long does implementation take?
Most organizations are fully operational within days, not months. Contract migration tools and workflow templates accelerate the process. Compare this to enterprise CLM platforms like Icertis or Agiloft which typically require months of implementation.

## Contact Information

- Website: https://nextrenewal.ai
- Email: simplify@nextrenewal.ai
- Sales: sales@nextrenewal.ai
- Phone: 253-987-8079
- Demo Request: https://nextrenewal.ai/contact
- Free Trial: https://nextrenewal.ai/trial-signup
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextrenewal
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/nextrenewal
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nextrenewal/

---

Last Updated: February 11, 2026
All metrics based on verified client implementations.
For the most current information, visit https://nextrenewal.ai