Which of the following is a typical CLM lifecycle stage set?

• A. Draft, Negotiation, Active, Signed, Archived
• B. Created, Approved, Published, Archived
• C. Initiated, In Review, Completed
• D. Queued, Processed, Finalized

Answer: (A)

Contract lifecycle management centers on the stages a contract goes through from creation to archival. A typical five-stage flow is Draft, Negotiation, Active, Signed, Archived. Draft is where the terms are prepared and refined. Negotiation covers the back-and-forth with redlines and edits between parties. Active means the contract is in effect and obligations can be tracked. Signed indicates execution by the parties, making the agreement legally binding. Archived is the retention stage, where the contract is stored for records and compliance after it’s no longer actively in force.

The other sets don’t fit the usual contract flow because they omit essential steps or imply a different workflow. The second set lacks a true negotiation and signing phase and uses “Published,” which isn’t a typical CLM contract state. The third set is too generic for contracts, using Initiated, In Review, Completed without a clear drafting, negotiating, or signing stage. The fourth set describes a generic processing sequence rather than a contract’s lifecycle from creation through archival.