Yes. For most small-to-midsize organizations, I’d avoid starting with a full procurement/CLM platform. A simple system should answer five questions:
Who are our suppliers/vendors?
What do we buy from them and how much do we spend?
Where is the current contract?
When does it expire/auto-renew, and what notice is required?
Who owns the relationship and the next action?
My recommendation: Airtable + a shared document repository
Airtable is probably the best starting point if you want something simple, flexible, and inexpensive to maintain. Airtable has an actual vendor-management template designed to centralize vendor information, contracts, expenses, and performance.
Put the actual contracts in your existing SharePoint/OneDrive/Google Drive/etc. and link to them from Airtable rather than trying to make the database itself your document repository.
If you want something more turnkey
PandaDoc is worth considering if contract creation, approval, e-signature, and renewal tracking are important. Its current platform can extract contract information, track renewal dates, issue automated renewal alerts, and maintain a searchable agreement repository.
Gatekeeper is the better choice if you're specifically trying to build a proper supplier/vendor management program rather than simply organize contracts. It combines vendor records, contracts, obligations, spend, risk, and renewals.
It's more sophisticated, though, so I wouldn't introduce it just to solve a spreadsheet problem.
A very simple operating process
I'd make the system work like this:
New vendor → Due diligence → Contract → Approval → Active → Quarterly/annual review → Renewal/termination
And give every vendor one accountable owner.
The most important automation is actually the simplest: 90/120/180-day renewal reminders. Missed auto-renewal windows are one of the biggest practical problems in vendor management.
What I'd choose
Situation
Best fit
<100 vendors, want flexibility
Airtable
Mostly need contract creation/signing/tracking
PandaDoc
Lots of vendors, spend, risk & procurement controls
Gatekeeper
Want a DIY/free-ish workflow
Jotform
Enterprise legal/procurement operation
Dedicated CLM/procurement platform
Jotform is another surprisingly capable lightweight option: its Tables, Workflows, and Sign products can combine a contract database, approvals, e-signatures, and automated renewal reminders.
If I were setting this up from scratch, I'd start with Airtable and a 15-column vendor master rather than buying CLM software. You can get 80% of the value with a much smaller administrative burden.
If you tell me roughly how many vendors you have, whether you're a small business/nonprofit/enterprise, and what you currently use (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, etc.), I can recommend a specific setup—including the exact fields, views, renewal workflow, and tools I'd use.
A good, simple system doesn’t require an expensive, enterprise-level software suite out of the gate. You can run an effective Vendor and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) and contract system using a centralized cloud repository, a standardized tracker, and a 4-step operational routine.
Here is a blueprint for a lean, highly effective system you can set up in a week using tools you likely already have (like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Airtable, or Notion).
Phase 1: The Centralized Tech Stack (Keep It Lean)
The Contract Repository (The Source of Truth)
What it is: A single, permission-controlled folder in Google Drive, SharePoint, or Dropbox.
How to structure it: Organize by folder: /Active Contracts, /Archived/Expired , and /Templates & NDAs.
Auto-renewal Notice Date (crucial: set this 60–90 days before the renewal deadline)
Payment Terms (e.g., Net 30)
Link to the contract in your cloud folder
Phase 2: The 4-Step Operational Workflow
Onboarding & Vetting (Standardize Input)
Use a single intake form (a Google Form or Microsoft Form) whenever a team member wants to bring on a new vendor. Require a W-9/tax form, proof of insurance (if applicable), and a copy of the proposed contract before signing.
Contract Signing & Logging
Once signed via an e-signature tool (DocuSign, HelloSign), drop the PDF into the cloud repository immediately and update the Master Tracker on the same day.
Calendar Reminders (Never Miss a Renewal)
Do not rely on memory or the vendor to tell you when a contract is renewing. When logging a contract, immediately create a shared calendar invite set for 60 days prior to the auto-renewal/end date , inviting the internal contract owner to review whether to renew, renegotiate, or cancel.
Lightweight Performance Tracking
Don’t over-engineer KPIs. For critical (Tier 1) vendors, hold a simple bi-annual or annual review. Track three basic questions: Are they meeting delivery/service-level timelines? Is the quality consistent? Is billing accurate?
Why This Simple System Works
Low friction: Internal teams will actually use a shared form and folder structure.
No hidden renewals: Tracking notice dates explicitly prevents accidental auto-renewals for services you no longer need.
Scalable: If you eventually outgrow a spreadsheet, migrating a clean folder-and-tracker system into a dedicated software tool (like Juro, Tropic, or Toroe) is seamless.
To help tailor this, tell me:
Roughly how many active vendors do you manage?
Are these mostly software/SaaS subscriptions, physical suppliers , or service contractors?
I can give you a more specific template structure or recommend tools if you're ready to automate.
