Conga Contracts is a solution that streamlines and automates the contract lifecycle management throughout the entire process—creating contracts, sending and receiving approvals, making and tracking changes, and reporting. 

As an administrator, you can manage the user interface of Conga Contracts for your users through the use of portlets and global features. With Conga Contracts you can also manage user profiles by assigning permissions and role security and add additional protection to documents with document locking. Administrators can configure templates, workflows, lists, contract request types, and supplier request types for users. You can integrate with eSignature Solutions like Conga Sign. You can track additional data through the setup of scorecards, tasks, and analytics.

As a user, you can set up user preferences, and conduct searches with the ability to customize results with filters. Using wizards and templates, you can create companies, contracts, and projects. Document storage allows you to browse all uploaded documents and document packages. You can set up event alerts and tasks to keep track of important dates and tasks during the contract lifecycle management process, and create email messaging to send notification to your contacts. You can create Workflows and Flows to manage your contracts from creation to close. 

The following table lists the tasks that administrators and users can perform using Conga Contracts:

AdministratorAdministrator/User
  • Manage Roles and Permissions
    • Create Users and Assign Permissions
    • Manage Role Security
    • Setup Document Locking 
  • Configure the Home page
    • Create Portlets
  • Manage Global Features
    • Setup System Settings
    • Create Global Messages
    • Setup Advanced Edit
    • Setup Bulk Uploading 
  • Configure Contract Lifecycle Management
    • Create Profile Rules 
    • Setup Contract Request Types
    • Create Workflow Templates and Teams
    • Create Additional Forms and Fields
    • Create Email Distributions Lists
    • Setup Creation Templates
    • Setup Supplier Registration Types
    • Create Scorecards
    • Create Lists
    • Setup Clause Identification and Management 
  • Setup Integrations
    • Integrate Conga Contracts with eSignature applications
    • Setup SalesConnect integration 
  • Setup Analytics and Reporting 
    • Create and assign Analytics roles to users
  • Conga Contracts API
  • Setup API for Conga Contracts

For end-user functionality, see Conga Contracts User Guide.

Conga Contracts allows a user to perform the following administrative tasks:

  • Manage User Preferences
    • Manage Name, Title, and Address
    • Change Password
    • Manage System Settings and Theme
    • Manage Linked Applications and Notifications
  • Configure Contract Lifecycle Management
    • Create Companies, Contacts, and Profiles
    • Create Workflows
    • Create Flows
    • Add Additional Forms and Fields
    • Create Email Distributions Lists
    • Setup Supplier Registrations
    • Setup Scorecards
    • Setup Tasks
    • Setup Events
    • Setup Messaging
  • Use Search
    • Search and utilize filters
  • Setup Analytics and Reporting 
    • Setup Reporting, including the Business Intelligence Toolbox

For administrator functionality, see Conga Contracts Administrator Guide.


Key Terminology

TermDefinition 
Acquisition WizardA system-generated tool that steps a user through the process of having one company acquire another company. The wizard will assign all selected information to the acquiring company (e.g., contracts, events, people, etc.).
Active (Contract)One of the statuses that can be assigned to the contract(s) stored in a Contract Profile. Generally, an Active status means that the contract has been executed and is enforceable, as opposed to being Inactive, Expired, or In Process.
Active (Company)One of the statuses that can be assigned to the company represented by a Company Profile. Generally, an Active status means that the company is engaged in active business with one or more legal entities, as opposed to being Inactive, or not currently conducting business.
Additional FieldsAdministrator-defined fields that can be added to the default Company, Contract, or Project profile screen.
Additional FormsAdministrator-defined forms used to capture additional information for a company, contract, or project using two or more fields or lists.  An additional form  is captured (added) and stored in a Company, Contract, or Project Profile.
People Defines the "form" of the contract (e.g., Master, Individual, Schedule, Purchase Order, Statement of Work, Amendment). Master and Individual agreements are standalone documents since they are enforceable on their own and do not require any supporting documents. Standalone agreements usually start with the words "This Agreement . . . " and do not include any incorporated agreements, such as Schedules, Purchase Orders, or Statements of Work. Incorporated agreements are ones that cannot stand on their own and must be attached to a Master or Individual agreement. For example, an incorporated agreement might start with the words "This Schedule is incorporated into and is a part of Master Agreement."
ArchiveProcess by which Administrators can archive Company Profiles and Contract Profiles into a secure storage area
Agreement TypeIdentifies a contract as a root (parent) contract, which can stand on its own as a legal document, or an incorporated (child) contract, which must be attached to another document to be legally binding.  Root agreements are displayed in bold text, such as Master or Individual, and incorporated agreements, such as Schedules and Statements of Work are displayed in regular text.
Auto Renewal, Auto AdvanceAn automatically-renewing contract where the Conga Contracts system advances the current contract expiration date to the next renewal date and sets up new event alerts.
Auto Renewal, Manual AdvanceAn automatically-renewing contract where a user must change the current contract expiration date to the next renewal date and set up new event alerts.
Audit TrailA recorded history of changes made to the basic information in a Contract, Company, or Project Profile screen, as well as changes made to the data stored in the profile (e.g., people, addresses, and additional forms).
Automated TriggersChanges in the system data that trigger action/notices from Conga Contracts (e.g., volume triggers send a notice when a dollar threshold has been reached).
Browse ScreenProgram screen that displays a list of data records, such as a list of the companies or contracts stored in Conga Contracts. Users can control the number of records that display by filtering the records by status or some other criteria. Users can also filter the display by adding/removing columns of data so that only relevant fields are displayed in the browse screen.
Bulk Data Upload ToolProgram feature that allows you to bulk upload company, contract, and additional form data to Conga Contracts using an Excel template.
Clause LibraryRepository for alternative contract language clauses, which is available to all users from their My Place menu.
CompanyTypically, a company is the "other party" in your company's contractual agreements in Conga Contracts. The other party to a contract can be a vendor (buy-side contract) or a customer (sell-side contract). A company also refers to your company's legal entities for organizations that enter into inter-company contracts (i.e., legal entities sign contracts with or among internal divisions or subsidiaries).
Company LocationsLinked section in a Company Profile used to add additional company locations. Location information includes not only the address, but the location type, such as a Regional Office or Storage Facility.
Company GroupField in a Company Profile that is used to limit access to all companies in that group for security reasons. Company groups are defined first, and then users are given permissions to the data and documents in specific company groups. If a user does not have access to a company group, they will not be able to access any Company Profiles in that group or any of the company's contracts. Access to company groups is assigned to individual users via their role(s) in Conga Contracts.
Company ProfilePrimary data screen used to capture key company information, which includes both default fields and Administrator-defined additional fields. The Profile also contains links to additional company information, including Contracts, People, Additional Names, Relationships, Locations, Tasks, Documents, Events, Messaging, Scorecards, Projects, Additional Forms, and History.
ContractA document that legally binds at least two legal entities. A contract can include purchase orders, schedules, exhibits, attachments, and other documents.
Contract AddressesLinked section in a Contract Profile that allows users to add additional address for a contract and specify them by type. Address types can include a notice address, billing address, and shipping address.
Contract FamilyA group of incorporated and/or related contracts stored in a Company Profile.
Contract Family TreeAn expandable/collapsible hierarchy of a contract family viewable in a Contract Profile.
Contract GroupField in a Contract Profile that is used to limit access to all contracts in that group for security reasons. Contract groups are defined first, and then users are given permissions to the data and documents in specific contract groups. If a user does not have access to a contract group, they will not be able to view any of the contracts in that group from the Company Profile. Access to contract groups is assigned to individual users via their role(s) in Conga Contracts.
Contract ProfilePrimary data screen used to capture key contract information, which includes both default fields and Administrator-defined additional fields. The Profile also contains links to additional information for the contract, including Contract Family, Documents, Events, Messaging, Tasks, Document Packages, Payments, People, Addresses, Products, Scorecards, Projects, Additional Forms, and History.
Contract ResponsibilitiesContract feature that allows people to be assigned to duties relating to the negotiation, management, or enforcement of a contract. A contract responsibility can be associated with one or more user functions, as well as one or more user types (i.e., Program User, Company Contact, External Participant, or Legal Entity Person). The functions that people are able to perform in Conga Contracts are defined in their User Profile.
Contract Creation TemplatesThe MS Word documents that Administrators format and then map to Conga Contracts program fields in order to create the templates that are used to create contracts in Conga Contracts.
Contract Term TypeA category that identifies both the timeframe during which a contract is active and enforceable, and the method used to renew or inactivate the contract in Conga Contracts. See Auto Renewal - Auto Advance, Auto Renewal - Manual Advance, Fixed - Auto Inactivate, Fixed - Manual Inactivate, Perpetual, and Coterminous.
Contract TypeField in a Contract Profile that defines the type of deal being transacted (e.g., License). Frequently, the agreement will identify the contract type in the body of the document (e.g., "This Master Software License Agreement" where "Master" is the Agreement Type and “Software License” is the Contract Type). Conga Contracts supports a five-level hierarchy, so a Software License Agreement might be divided into Level 1 - Software, and Level 2 could be Desktop, Server, Mainframe, etc.
CoterminousA term type used exclusively for the incorporated (child) contract of a root (parent) contract. When this term type is selected in an Incorporated Contract Profile, the Conga Contracts system automatically populates all the fields in the Term & Renewal section with the data captured for the root contract, including contract status.
Home PageHome Page of Conga Contracts, which can be used to display linked data via portlets.
Direct EditingFeature that allows a MS Word document to be edited in Conga Contracts and automatically saved as the next document revision.
Document AssemblyProgram feature that allows you to run the Conga Contracts Clause Library inside MS Word so that clauses can be dragged and dropped from the Library directly into an open Word document.
Document PackageOne or more documents that are shared and edited by the members of a document package team, which is formed for the express purpose of performing a specific contract-related task, such as negotiating a contract.
DocumentsElectronic files that are uploaded and stored in the Documents section of a Company, Contract, or Project Profile. Documents can include files of any document type, including MS Word documents, PDF files, and Excel spreadsheets.
DocuSignAn external application that works in conjunction with Conga Contracts to facilitate the electronic signing of documents. Documents are prepared for electronic signature using the eSignature Package Wizard in Conga Contracts, electronically signed in the DocuSign cloud, and then managed in Conga Contracts.
Dynamic FormsSee Additional Forms.
EnvelopeThe email message that is sent to signatories and recipients when the eSignature Package Wizard is run.  The email contains the contract document(s) that must be signed electronically in the body of the message, as well as any instructions provided by the user who initiated the eSignature process using the Wizard.
Event A happening that occurs during the course of a business relationship, which is usually tied to an event alert (email message) notifying interested parties about the upcoming event. Events mark keys dates in the life of a contract, such as its expiration date, renewal date, and notice date. Events can also be important dates for a company, such as the renewal of certifications or a merger with another company.
Event Alert

Email reminder that is sent to all interested parties, notifying them of an upcoming date for a contract or company event. An event alert can also be created for a contract's original expiration date.  Event alerts are sent out prior to the event, and the number of days prior to the alert is defined by the user.

  • Notification Date = Event Date – Number of Warn Days
  • Warn Days (user-defined) = number of days prior to the event date that email notification is sent.
  • Reminder Date = Notification Date + Number of Reminder Days
  • Reminder Days (user-defined) = number of days after the Notification Date that a reminder email alert is sent if the event has not been completed.
Event Alert DateDate on which Conga Contracts schedules delivery of an event alert (email message), notifying recipients of a contract or company event that was created by a program user.  Event Alert Date = Notification Date - Event Creation Date.
Event Alert Status

The status of an event alert is determined by Conga Contracts; it is completely automated and controlled on the back end. The possible statuses of an event alert are:

  • Scheduled - Event Alert Date has not yet reached the Notification Date (Event Date – Number of Warn Days); therefore the event alert (email message) for the event has not yet been sent out.
  • Due - Event Alert Date has reached the Notification Date, and therefore, the event alert (email message) for the event has been sent out. However, the Event Date has not yet been reached.
  • Escalated - Both the Event Alert Date and the Reminder Date (Event Date – Number of Reminder Days) have passed, but the Event Date has not been reached.
  • Past Due - Event Date has passed without any action having been taken on the Event Alert.
  • Closed - Event has been completed (individual event) or closed (event series) by the Event Owner, and it is no longer active.
Event DateDate by which action must be taken for an event, such as the expiration date of a contract or the date on which notice must be given to renew or terminate a contract. Users are notified about event dates via email messages (event alerts) sent from Conga Contracts.
Event SeriesA happening that occurs during the course of a business relationship and is repeated on a regular basis (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly). Every event in the series is usually tied to an alert and a reminder for the recurring event.
External Participant Individuals that access Conga Contracts through the Portal or a third-party application. A list of external participants can be viewed from in the Address Book.
Fixed Term ContractA contract that is in effect for a specified length of time. A fixed-term contract is set in advance and ends when a specific task is completed or a specific event takes place.
Fixed, Auto InactiveA fixed term contract that the Conga Contracts system automatically inactivates when the contract reaches its expiration date (i.e., the contract's status is changed from "Active" to "Inactive").
Fixed, Manual InactivateA fixed term contract whose status must be manually changed from "Active" to "Inactive" by a user once the contract reaches its expiration date.
FlowsAdministrator-defined templates that guide users in performing the steps that must be accomplished to complete a task for a company, contract, or project. Flows include color-coded stages, as well as steps with action buttons, and are displayed at the top of a Company, Contract, or Project Profile.
Forms Library The additional forms that appear in the Additional Forms screen, which is linked to a Company, Contract, or Project Profile. Administrators create additional forms and then link them to specific Company, Contract, and Project Profile types so that users can capture the information required by the form.
FunctionsUser designations that reflect the titles the user holds, or the jobs they can perform in Conga Contracts.
Gateway StepA step in a workflow that requires the approval of more than one person. Those who can approve a workflow step must hold one or more user functions, as defined in a Routing Table. 
Help SystemInformation about Conga Contracts fields, functions, and usage.
Help Tips (Quick Tips)Superscript windows that pop-up with definitions or instructions when a user hovers over a field in a program screen.
History FileA system-captured audit trail of all changes made to data fields in a Company, Contract, or Project Profile.
Inactive Status
  • One of the values in the Status field in a Contract Profile. This generally means that the contract is no longer in force, as opposed to "Active" or "In Process." The contract has either expired or been canceled.
  • One of the values in the Status field in a Company Profile. This generally means that the company is no longer "Active" or "On Hold," either having gone out of business or been acquired. Acquired companies are automatically given this status when the Acquisition Wizard is run.
Incorporated ContractContract that is integrated with other documents into a single legal document. Incorporated contracts have a parent/child relationship, which Conga Contracts displays as a tree structure.
In Process Status 
  • One of the values in the Status field in a Contract Profile. This generally means that the contract is in draft form and has not yet been executed.
  • One of the values in the Status field in a Company Profile. This generally means that the company is in the process of being accepted as a supplier or customer.
Legal Entity Any entity that will be separately named during the contracting process. In Conga Contracts, companies that are separately named in a contract are marked as legal entities from their Company Profile. Individual contracts stored in Company Profiles are then associated with legal entities so reports can be run to locate contracts for a legal entity.
Location NameAdministrator-defined name for a specific type of company location, such as Regional Office.
Manual Advance For an auto-renewing contract, one of the options for moving the contract forward to the next expiration date. Manual advance is used to move the contract to an "expired" status, which requires a user to manually process the renewal info and review the event alerts.
Messaging Email feature that stores all communications sent and received from both Contract and Company Profiles.
Mobile Notifications Automated notices that are sent from Conga Contracts to users who have hand-held devices, enabling them to take action.
Mobile Slim InterfaceA language and message format offered by Conga Contracts that allows users to access the application via a mobile device.
Multi-Party Contracts that have more than two (2) parties bound to the terms, and all parties have signed the contract.
My CalendarCalendar for individual users, which is launched from the My Place menu, displays on the user's Dashboard, and shows event and/or notice dates.
Notice DateFor Fixed - Auto Inactivate and Fixed - Manual Inactivate contract term types, it is the date by which action must be taken so that a contract does not expire. For Auto Renewal - Auto Advance and Auto Renewal - Manual Advance term types, it is the new expiration (i.e., old expiration date has been extended). A Notice Date can exist even if an event alert is not created.
Notice PeriodNumber of days prior to the end of a contract's current term that your company is required to provide notice of intent to renew or terminate the contract.
Notification Date Date on which Conga Contracts send an event alert (email notification) to selected recipients, notifying them about an upcoming contract or company event.  In the Event Profile, the Notification Date = Event Date - Number of Warn Days.
Notifications/NoticeA notice, reminder, or communication that is sent out from Conga Contracts via email and is tied to an event or standalone action.
One Click ReportA Comprehensive Contract or Company Summary Report that includes key data for a company or contract.
One Step SearchSearch across Conga Contracts for user-defined company, contract, and project data. Users can search for a single keyword or a phrase.
Parent ContractA contract that is integrated with other contracts into a single legal document. A parent (or root) contract has a parent/child relationship with incorporated contracts, and this relationship is displayed as a tree structure in the Contract Profile.
Payment StreamIncoming or outgoing payments recorded in the Payments section of a Contract Profile to reflect the amounts received/paid in accordance with the terms of a contract. Forecasts can also be run to calculate future amounts paid/received for a payment stream.
People ProfileData input screen used to capture personal/contact information for program users, company contacts, and external participants who use Conga Contracts.
Perpetual Contract TermA contract with an effective date, but no expiration date. Perpetual contracts are often Master agreements that contain legal terms, as well as schedules with term and renewal information.
Portlet Window that can be added to the Dashboard to provide a user with quick access to the companies, contracts, and projects they recently visited. Portlets can also be added to quickly access a user's saved search queries, their recent messages, assigned events, tasks, workflow and flow steps, document package tasks, contract requests, contract approvals, and supplier registrations. A charting portlet can be added to display a graphic representation of data using a pie chart, bar chart, or time line.
Person FunctionA designation that a person holds in relation to a company or contract (e.g., Contract Manager, Attorney, Sales Rep, etc.).
Profile The "main page" that houses basic information for a company, contract, or project. A profile page also exists for most of the linked company, contact, and project data, including a Person, Document, Task, Event, Product, Document Package, Location, and Additional Form Profile.
Project A feature that allows new data, documents, tasks, additional forms, and workflows to be captured and stored to accomplish a goal or provide reference data. A project can also include legacy data by incorporating existing Company and Contract Profiles.
Reminder Date Date on which another event alert (email message) is sent by Conga Contracts, reminding recipients that an open event is still not completed/closed. The Reminder Event Alert Date = Event Date – Number of Reminder Days (number of days entered into the Reminder Days field for the event).
Renewal WizardA system-generated tool that steps a user through the process of renewing a contract by requiring a new expiration date, renewal interval, notice date, and notice interval. In the wizard, users can also update the warn date, which is the number of days prior to the new expiration date that an email notification (event alert) is sent out.
ReportsData extracts configured using the Report Wizard or the Advanced Reporting feature. Reports can be viewed in the Conga Contracts Report Viewer, downloaded as a PDF file, or exported as an Excel spreadsheet.
RolesA security measure that controls individual user access to program features and stored data.
Routing TableAn Administrator-defined list that identifies the user function(s) that can approve a Gateway (approval) step in a company, contract, or project workflow.
SalesforceAn external application that works in conjunction with Conga Contracts to facilitate the creation of contracts. Contract requests are sent from Salesforce, reviewed and processed in Conga Contracts, and information is shared throughout the contract creation process.
ScorecardsFeature that allows users to rate companies, contracts, and projects based on criteria established by Administrators.
Security GroupA field in a Company or Contract Profile that is used to control access to the profiles in this group. Each user role grants access to one or more company and contract groups, and individual users are then granted access to one or more user roles, which can allow access to several different security groups.
Self-Service ContractA contract request that does not have to be approved.
Simple Gateway StepA step in a workflow that requires the approval of a single person who holds one or more user functions, as defined in a Routing Table. 
Single Use FormAn Additional Form that can only be captured once.  When the form is added to a Company, Contract, or Project Profile, it cannot be captured again and it cannot be copied.
Sub-ContractAn incorporated contract.
System FieldsStandard Conga Contracts fields that cannot be modified or re-named.
TemplatesAdministrator-defined forms that can be used to create contracts and events alerts, run flows and workflows, and capture additional information for Company, Contract, and Project Profiles.
WizardA system-generated tool that walks a user through the steps needed to perform a company-related or a contract-related task.
WorkflowsAdministrator-defined set of steps for a process or procedure (workflow template) that is accomplished by a specific group of users (workflow team), and linked to individual Company, Contract, or Project Profile types and groups. If approval is needed for a workflow step, Administrators also create a routing table to identify the user functions that can approve the step.

For more information about terms used with Conga products, see Conga Product Glossary.