AODocs Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) is a tool that lets you streamline and automate your processes throughout the entire lifecycle of your contract: creation, approval, negotiation, signature, ongoing management and renewals.

There are four phases in the contract workflow: contract approval, negotiation, signature and post-execution.

If you:

• created your contract from a template, carry out all phases in the workflow
• imported a third party contract from Gmail, you can go straight to the negotiation phase

Note: At each stage of the workflow, the workflow state of the contract is updated. The permissions may also be updated.

Automatically generated table of contents

Contract approval phase

Submit the contract for approval

1. Click the workflow button and select Submit for approval. 

Learn more from AODocs: Perform workflow actions.

2. In the Perform workflow action dialog:

• enter a comment if required
• click Submit

The initial approver receives an email notification.

Validate the contract

As the initial approver:

1. Open the contract in AODocs by following the link at the top of the email.

2. Review the contract.

3. Click the workflow button in the contract and select the required action according to your internal contract approval process:

• Send back to initiator 
• Send to additional approvers: to send the contract to the person defined as Initial approver (additional approver)
• Approve for external sharing
• Send to final approver: to send the contract to the person defined as Final approver, who can then select Send to additional approvers to send the contract defined as Final approver (additional approver)
• Approve for signature

Note: All fields for approvers can contain more than one person.

Alternatively, the initial approver can perform workflow actions directly from the buttons at the bottom of the notification email or from a view. Learn more from AODocs: Perform workflow actions.

Important: Microsoft users can't use the buttons in the email notification. They must open the document and use the workflow button. Learn more from AODocs: Example of an action email.

Approve for external sharing

When the contract has been approved, one of the approvers can decide to approve the contract for external sharing. 

1. Click the workflow button and select Approve for external sharing.

Learn more from AODocs: Perform workflow actions.

2. In the Perform workflow action dialog:

• enter a comment if required
• click Submit

If your contract file is a Google document, it is automatically converted to Microsoft Word format.

The contract initiator (that is, the person who created the contract) receives a notification indicating that the contract was approved for external sharing, with a link at the top of the notification to open the contract.

---

Negotiation phase

Create and send an email with the contract file directly from AODocs

The contract initiator can now send the contract by email directly from AODocs.

1. In the contract, click the Jigsaw puzzle button and select Create email. 

2. Enter the email subject and one or more recipients.

3. Write the body of the email in the Description field.

4. Click Save.

5. To send the email, click the workflow button and select Send via email.

Learn more from AODocs: Perform workflow actions.

6. In the Perform workflow action dialog:

• enter a comment if required
• click Submit

The email is sent to the recipients. The email also appears in your Gmail sent items.

Tip: You can access the email document you used to send the email in the Related Items section of your contract.

Import a revised version of the contract from your email

If an external collaborator makes modifications to the contract during the negotiation phase and sends you the new version by email, you can upload the revised version directly from Gmail to AODocs.

Follow the process to create a new version of an AODocs document from an email message you received.

Important: Make sure you select the 03 Contracts document class. 

Access the previous versions of a contract

If you want to access the previous versions of the contract:

1. Click the Versions button in the bottom left hand corner of the contract.

2. You can:

• click the eye button to view a previous version
• click the the circular arrow button to restore a previous version

Learn more from AODocs: Manage document versions in AODocs libraries.

Compare the revised version with the version you sent

1. Hover over your attached contract file in the left panel.

2. Click the Compare button.

Important: You must activate the Compare feature before you use it for the first time. AODocs provides all CLM customers with the link to activate the Compare feature, so contact your IT administrator.

Note: The Compare button is available only if the current and previous versions are both Microsoft Word documents.

The comparison between the current version and the previous version appears.

Tip: You can save the comparison.

Learn more from AODocs: Use the Compare feature in Word attachments to compare versions.

Signature phase

Once the negotiation phase is complete, approve the contract for signature to create the execution version.

1. Click the workflow button and select Approve for signature.

Learn more from AODocs: Perform workflow actions.

2. In the Perform workflow action dialog:

• enter a comment if required
• click Submit

2. Wait around 45 seconds and refresh the page. Alternatively, you can open the email notification and follow the link to your contract.

Your attached contract file is converted to PDF format and is now in the workflow state Approved - ready for signature.

Send the contract for signature

Important: Make sure the properties Internal company signatory and Contracting party signatory are filled in with one or more email addresses.

1. Click the workflow button and select:

• Send for signature (AS) if you're using Adobe Acrobat Sign 
• Send for signature (DS) if you're using DocuSign
• Manual signature: if you're not using e-signature, upload the signed contract file as a new attachment, then click the workflow button again and select Signed.

Learn more from AODocs: Perform workflow actions.

2. In the Perform workflow action dialog:

• enter a comment if required
• click Submit

3. The signatories receive the an e-signature request by email. Once all signatories have signed, the signed contract and the signature certificate are automatically uploaded into AODocs as the latest version of the contract.

4. The workflow status of the contract is updated to Signed and effective (or Approved - Signed if the contract was signed before its effective date).

5. The contract creator receives an email notification indicating that the contract was signed.

Execution

Once signed, the workflow state of the contract is update to Approved - signed. Once it reaches the effective date it transitions to Signed and effective.

Post-execution

The contract remains effective until it reaches either:

• the automatic renewal date, when it is renewed
• the automatic termination date, when it is terminated

The contract management team receives an email notification in advance about upcoming renewals and terminations and can confirm or prevent auto-renewal or auto-termination.