As a founder, you know that getting those documents right matters. A poorly worded contract or a missed clause in a procurement agreement can cost you time, money, and potential business. So, what if technology could make that process faster, cheaper, and a little less painful?
That’s where AI comes in.
AI tools are now genuinely useful for proofreading contracts and procurement documents. They can scan lengthy agreements for inconsistencies, flag unusual clauses, highlight missing standard terms, and catch the kind of errors that tired eyes miss at 10pm on a Friday.
And I think it’s worth small business owners paying attention to this one. For years, I have championed getting more SMEs into the room where government contracts are awarded. But – as many of you readers will know – this involves a lot of documentation. AI can help you check your responses for consistency, clarity and completeness before you hit submit, improving your chances of success.
The goal of everything we do at the Office of the Small Business Commissioner is simple: to free up your time and cash so you can focus on what you built your business to do. AI and automation, used wisely, are powerful allies in that mission.
So, here are my top tips for using AI to help you take the pain out of paperwork:
- Pick wisely: There are a variety of tools out there offering contract review and generation services, and how they treat your documents will differ. Always check the privacy policy and the terms & conditions before uploading any information.
- Context is key: When generating something like a contract template, give the AI tool you’re using as much detail as possible about your project scope and your specific delivery model. The more initial context given, the better the results will be.
- Keep a human in the loop: Using AI tools will save you lots of time, but their outputs shouldn’t be taken as gospel. While they can quickly – and helpfully – pull out clauses from contracts that demand closer consideration, for example, a human still needs to read through them and make the right call.
