Abstract

A consistent theme amongst Research Offices is the challenge of balancing efficiency,
quality and volumes with limited resources. AI and automation are ever increasingly
being considered a valuable tool that may be leveraged to build efficiency in process
and limit the costly overhead of contracting and other research management activities.
The use of technology, specifically AI, can be a mechanism of saving time without
compromising on quality, a tool to improve triage and manage compliance risks and
method of improving contract visibility. Here, we report on learnings surrounding the
development and use of contract automation tools in the landscape of research
management and consider their benefits with a goal to reduce compliance risk, increase
contracting efficiency, and improve contract visibility for the organisation.