You need the Flow Template Admin permission to create flow templates to User Roles and Permission Types ensure the proper procedures are followed for the Contract, Company, and Project Profiles added to Conga Contracts. A flow template provides instructions to users on the actions that need to be taken for individual contracts, companies, and projects. You can create a single flow template containing multiple stages for a complex procedure, or individual templates for a simple process.

Once you create a flow, you must publish it before it is actively applied to the Contract, Company, or Project Profiles that are added to Conga Contracts.
Tip: Before adding a flow template, it is recommended that you review the components of the flow template, the steps that can be used in a template, and the properties for each step. To review a sample contract flow template, see Sample Contract Flow Template below. To use an existing workflow to create a flow template, see Adding a Workflow to a Flow Template.

Creating a Flow Template

Although a contract flow template is shown in the screen shots below, the steps are the same for adding a company flow template and a project flow template. However, the Creation Template and eSignature action steps are only available for contract flow templates.

  1. Click the Gear Icon in the Navigation Toolbar, and click the Contract Flow Templates, Company Flow Templates, or Project Flow Templates link in the menu.
  2. In the Published Flow Templates screen for contracts, companies, or projects, click New Template in the Flow Template Drafts section of the screen.
  3. In the Flow Design Panel screen:
    • Enter a descriptive name for the flow in the Flow Template Name field.
    • (Optional) Provide a concise description of the flow template in the Flow Template Description field.
    • Drag-and-drop steps from the Actions section of the screen into the grid to map out your flow.
    • Connect two steps by clicking in the bottom connector of the first step, dragging the cursor in the direction of the second step, and releasing the cursor on the top connector of the second step.
    • Ensure the START step is connected to the first step you add to the flow, and the arrow at the end of each connection line is moving in the correct direction for the flow.
    • (Optional) Remove a line connecting two steps by clicking on it.
    • Create alternative paths for any Approval and/or Query Binary Branch steps.
    • Connect the Approve and Decline ports of the Approval step, and the True and False ports of the Query Binary Branch, to a new step or an existing step.
  4. (Optional) Define the system actions for any Query Matching and/or Update steps using the Properties window. The Query Branching step must validate the occurrence of an action or event before Conga Contracts moves the flow to the next step. The Update step defines the action that Conga Contracts will take when the task in the previous step is completed.
  5. Set the properties for a step by clicking and selecting Edit Properties in the menu.
  6. In the Properties window:
    • Add general information for the step, which includes changing the default name of the step.
    • Assign the user(s) to complete the step, which can be any user, one or more specific users, or a user who holds one or more functions or contract responsibilities.
    • Define the step's configuration, which is specific to the Communication, Complete Workflow, Creation Template, Query Binary Branch, Automatic Notification, Query Branching, and Update steps.
    • Apply restrictions to control the availability of the flow in a Contract, Company, or Project Profile.
    • Click Save.
  7. (Optional) Add an additional stage to the flow:
    • Click Add Stage in the tool bar.
    • In the Name prompt, enter a name for the stage, and click OK.
    • Add flow steps to the grid, connect the steps in the grid, and set the properties for each step.
    • (Optional) Apply a filter to the flow template.
    • Click Publish Template to save and publish (activate) the flow template.
    • Save Flow Template to add the template to the Flow Template Drafts section of the screen if you are not ready to activate it.
    • In the Template Saved prompt, click Yes to return to the Published Flow Templates screen, or No to remain in the Flow Design Panel screen.
    • Optional) Reorder the template to control the order in which it is applied to a Profile.

Sample Contract Flow Template

A contract flow containing three stages is created to outline the steps that must be followed in creating a new software licensing contract. A description of the steps in each stage of the flow is also provided in terms of what the user sees in the Contract Profile when the flow is running. See Flow Steps and Stages in a Profile to view the flow steps, buttons, and stages, as described below.

Stage 1: Contract Creation

All flow steps in a Profile include a button that allows a user to skip the step, and most steps contain a button that allows the user to provide information on their completion or disposition of a step.

CREATION TEMPLATE step - A Create button displays as the first step in the flow in the Contract Profile screen, and has been assigned to any user. When a user clicks the button, the Creation Wizard is launched and the user accepts the pre-selected template to create the contract, which is generated and then stored in the Contract Profile. When the step is completed, Creation Template displays in gray text, indicating the step is completed.

  • If the Creation Template step was set to auto-run in the contract flow, the Creation Wizard will automatically run whenever a user creates a Contract Profile that matches the conditions for the flow, or when the user manually runs the flow from an existing Contract Profile.

QUERY MATCHING step - The step (Verify Contract Generation) is a system step that is automatically completed by Conga Contracts and does not display in the flow in the Contract Profile screen.

  • In this example, a Contract → Document → Document Type = contract template restriction was set to ensure the document was created using the Creation Wizard. In setting up the template to be used in the Creation Template step, the document type identified in the creation template must match the document type in the restriction. After verifying the document's type, Conga Contracts completes the step and moves the flow to the next step.

GENERIC step - The step was renamed "Verify Contract Terms" and assigned to a specific user. In the Profile screen, the step is only active (displayed in black text) for that user, who has the option of clicking the Complete Step button or the Reassign button reassigning the step to another user. The Verify Contract Terms step appears in gray text for all other users.

APPROVAL step - The step displays as Approval in the Profile screen, contains Approve, Decline, and Notes buttons, and is assigned to a specific user. When any user hovers over the word Approval, the information entered into the Description field in the General tab in the Properties window displays. In this case, Approve Contract displays since the contract terms must be approved internally before it is submitted to the counter-party.

  • If the specified user approves the submission of the contract to the counter-party, he/she clicks the Approve button, and the step is completed. Since it is the last step in the stage, the stage is also completed.
  • If the specified user does not approve the submission of the contract to the counter-party, he/she clicks the Notes button and enters the reasons for declining the contract terms, and then clicks the Decline button. Once the step is declined, the flow moves to a COMMUNICATION step where an email is sent to the CFO and an Attorney in Legal, asking for a meeting to edit the financial and legal terms of the contract before it is submitted to the counter party. The step can be configured so that any reply received from the email message sent from the step will complete it. By default, a response from the email message will not complete the step, and it must be manually completed by either the CFO or the Attorney.

Once all the steps in the stage have been completed, the flow moves to the next stage.

Stage 2: Negotiation and Legal Review

GENERIC step - The step was renamed "Email Contract to CP" and assigned to any user who holds the responsibility of Contract Manager for the contract. Once the Contract Manager sends the document to the counter-party, he/she has completed the task associated with the step, and clicks the Complete Step button.

APPROVAL step - The step displays as Approval in the Profile screen, contains Approve, Decline, and Notes buttons, and is assigned to a specific user. When any user hovers over the word Approval, the information entered into the Description field in the General tab in the Properties window displays. In this case, Updates by Counter-Party displays since any edits to the contract made by the counter-party must be approved for the flow to continue.

  • If the counter-party accepts the contract without making any edits, the specified user user selects the Approve button, and the stage ends.
  • If the counter-party makes edits to the contract, the specified user clicks the Notes button and enters a summary of the changes made by the counter-party, and then selects the Decline button. Once the step is declined, the flow moves to a second GENERIC step that was renamed "Legal Review of CP Updates" and assigned to the user who was assigned the responsibility of Attorney for the contract. Once the Attorney reviews the edits made by the counter-party, the flow moves to an APPROVAL step where the attorney can either approve or decline the revised contract.

    If the Attorney accepts the counter-party edits, he/she clicks the Approve button, which completes both the step and the stage since this is the last step.

    If the Attorney declines the counter-party edits, he/she clicks the Notes button and enters the reasons for declining the edits, and then clicks the Decline button. Once the step is declined, the flow moves to a GENERIC step that was renamed "CEO Evaluation" and assigned to the user who holds the function of CEO. Once the CEO receives the email message, he/she contacts the counter-party and resolves the issue of the counter-party edits, resulting in a final contract that is ready for signature. The CEO must then complete the step by clicking its button in the flow in the Contract Profile screen, which will complete the step and the stage.

Once all the steps in the second stage have been completed, the flow moves to the final stage.

Stage 3: eSignature

GENERIC step - The step was renamed "Prepare Final Contract" and assigned to any user. Once a user has determined that the version of the contract that needs to be sent for electronic signature has been uploaded to the Contract Profile, he/she clicks the Complete Step button.

ESIGNATURE Types of Flow Step - A Launch eSignature button displays in the flow in the Contract Profile screen, and has been assigned to any user. When a user clicks the button, the eSignature Package Wizard is launched and the user selects the document to be sent for eSignature, identifies the email addresses of the signatories, and then tags the document with signature, initial, and other tags to indicate the locations where signatories are required to sign and initial the document, as well as provide other information, such as their title and the date they signed the document. The user completes the step by selecting the Send button in the wizard, which sends an email message to each signatory, requesting their electronic signature on the document contained in the email message. Until the signing process is complete, a message displays for the step. Once all signatories have provided their eSignatures, which completes the electronic signing process, Conga Contracts moves the flow to the next step. However, if any signatory declines providing their eSignature, the button is reactivated in the flow.

APPROVAL step - The step displays as Approval in the Profile screen, contains Approve, Decline, and Notes buttons, and is assigned to any user. When the user hovers over the word Approval, the information entered into the Description field in the General tab in the Properties window displays. In this case, Send for eSignature displays since a user needs to indicate whether or not the counter-party's eSignature was obtained.

  • If the counter-party signs the document electronically, the user clicks the Approve button, completing the step, the stage, and the flow.
  • If the counter-party has not provided their eSignature in a timely manner, the user clicks the Decline button. Once the step is declined, the flow moves to a COMMUNICATION step that was renamed "Email CP Requesting eSignature" and assigned to any user who holds the responsibility of Contract Manager for the contract. Once the Contract Manager receives an email message about the signing issue, he/she contacts the counter-party, and ultimately obtains their eSignature, resulting in a fully executed legal document. The Contract Manager must complete the step by clicking its button in the flow in the Contract Profile screen, which will complete the step, the stage, and the flow.