A Flow Template Admin can create a flow template that includes several steps, which are linked together to identify the stages a contract, company, or project undergoes during a process or procedure. The Admin then defines the properties for each step, which include naming the step, assigning the step to one or more users, and providing users with instructions for completing the step.

Flow Template steps are grouped into four major categories: Action, Approval, Logic, and System.

Action Steps

Communication - allows users to send an email message from a flow step in a Profile by clicking the Send button, which displays a Messaging window. 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 a user.

  • Complete Workflow - inserts an existing workflow into any Stage of a contract flow template so that the steps that need to be taken by a user are already defined.
  • Creation Template - uses a creation template so that a user is prompted to create the type of contract specified by the template. Administrators can then grant the permission to create this type of contract to a specific user, any user, or a user who holds a specific function or responsibility in Conga Contracts. An Administrator can set this step to automatically run when the Contract Profile is first created, or when the flow is manually run on the profile.
  • Generic - adds an Administrator-defined action to any stage in a contract flow template. Several generic steps can be added to a single stage. Administrators can assign a generic step to a specific user, any user, or a user who holds a specific function or responsibility in the Conga Contracts system.
  • eSignature - uses the eSignature Package Wizard to obtain an electronic signatures.

    Approval Step

  • Approval - used to create alternate pathways for a step that can either be approved or declined. Administrators must connect both pathways (Approve and Decline) to either a new step or an existing step.

    Customized Approval Step

The Approve and Decline options for an Approval step can be customized by clicking on the Approve or Decline text to display a Change Label prompt. Enter the substitute approve/decline language in the blank field, and click the OK button.

Logic Steps

  • End Flow - used to signal the end of the flow in the contract flow template.
  • End stage - used to signal the end of a stage in a multi-stage contract flow template.
  • Or - identifies all those that can complete a step, and allows any of the persons identified to complete the step. For example, during the Legal review of a negotiated contract, both the lawyer in your corporate office and the lawyer in your branch office can be assigned the responsibility of completing the Or step by assigning the step to the "Attorney" responsibility. Either attorney can accept the responsibility of reviewing the document and complete the step.
  • Query Binary Branch - used to create alternative pathways for a step, depending on whether the action defined in the step proves to be true or false. For example, if you send a contract for eSignature and the contract is not signed within a specified time frame, you can link the False option to a Generic step that requires a user to contact the counter-party via telephone. Alternatively, you can link the False option back to the eSignature Package Wizard step, which will cause the wizard to be rerun so that a second email request is sent to the counter-party. However, if the contract is signed in the time frame specified, the True option is fulfilled, and the flow simply moves to the next step.

System Steps

Automatic Notification - allows a notification email message to be provided by an Administrator, as well as the recipients for the message. When the previous step is completed, Conga Contracts automatically sends the email message to each recipient, providing them with information on updates to a flow without logging in to Conga Contracts.

  • Query Matching - defines an action or event that must occur before the Conga Contracts system moves the contract flow to the next step. In effect, the flow is stalled at this step until a user completes the required action. For example, during the contract creation process, you can set up a stipulation that a document with a document type of Contract Template must be generated by the Creation Wizard before the flow can move to the next step. Once the wizard is run and the contract is generated, the Conga Contracts system automatically moves the flow to the next step.
  • Update - identifies the action that the Conga Contracts system will take when the task in the previous step is completed. For example, the Update step is configured to set the Contract Status field in the Contract Profile to "Active" when the previous step (e.g., Obtain Counter-Party Signature) is completed. The Conga Contracts system will automatically update the Contract Status field to Active when a user "completes" the generic Obtain Counter-Party Signature step.