A contract register is only as useful as your ability to find what you need. Traditionally that means filter dialogs: pick the field, pick the operator, type the value, combine conditions. Power users love it, occasional users give up. With Shareflex Forms AI users simply type what they are looking for – and the same applies to entering new contracts.
AI-assisted filtering: ask in plain language
Instead of combining filter dialogs, users type their question freely, for example:
- “All framework contracts that expire in the next 90 days”
- “Supplier contracts above 50,000 euro without an approved risk assessment”
- “Quality documents of the Production area that are due for review this quarter”
The AI translates the question into a valid filter on the fields and metadata of the list. The result appears in the familiar list view, so it stays transparent: users see which filter was applied and can adjust it. No black box, no separate chat window – just faster access to the right records, without having to know field names or filter logic.
AI-assisted form filling: describe instead of type
Entering a new contract or document often means copying information from an e-mail or PDF into a form, field by field. With AI-assisted form filling users describe the case in their own words in a text box – or attach a document – and the AI distributes the information over the right form fields: counterparty, start date, term, notice period, value, contract type.
Important: the proposals are suggestions. Users check and correct them before saving. That means less typing and fewer transfer errors, while people stay responsible for the data.
Secure by design
Forms AI runs under the identity of the signed-in user. Shareflex requests a token from Microsoft Entra ID on behalf of that user and calls the Azure OpenAI resource in your own Azure environment. Access is managed with an Entra ID group that gets the “Cognitive Services OpenAI User” role – so you decide exactly who can use the AI functions.
What is next
AI-assisted form validation – checking whether the entered data is complete and consistent – has been announced as the next step on the roadmap, alongside comparing and translating documents.
Why this matters for contract management and document control
- Adoption – occasional users find contracts and documents without training in filter logic.
- Data quality – more complete metadata at creation means better reports, notifications and AI answers later.
- Speed – entering a contract from a signed PDF takes a minute instead of ten.
Beyond the standard: AI built around your contracts
Natural-language filtering and form filling make the standard Shareflex forms easier. When you need more – AI that knows your contract types, your master data and your risk rules – Lialis builds it for you on top of Shareflex. For example our AI PDF scan, which reads a signed contract, matches the counterparty and owner to your own data and prepares the record for review, or our contract AI with Azure AI Search, which answers questions by meaning across all contracts and links to the source.
Frequently asked questions
Can I search contracts in SharePoint with natural language?
Yes. With Shareflex Forms AI you type a question such as “all framework contracts expiring in the next 90 days”; the AI turns it into a filter on the contract metadata and shows the result in the normal list view.
Does the AI change data automatically?
No. When filling in a form the AI proposes values; the user reviews and saves them. Filters are visible and can be adjusted.
Which AI service is used?
Azure OpenAI in your own Azure environment, called with the identity of the signed-in user via Microsoft Entra ID.
Can Lialis build AI tailored to our own contracts or documents?
Yes. Next to the standard Shareflex AI functions we build AI solutions on top of Shareflex in your own Azure environment – such as AI PDF scanning, contract analysis and AI search – tuned to your document types, master data and rules.
See it with your own contracts
Discover contract management software for SharePoint or document control software for SharePoint, and read how AI and good document management reinforce each other.
