🗣️ This article is intended for Buyers. If you are a Supplier, please refer to our Supplier hub content.
Creating a new Contract
To create a new Contract, log in to DeepStream and navigate to the Contracts module.
On the top right, click the '+ New contract’ button and select ‘Blank contract’.
Select a type for the first version of your contract, that can be either a Full workflow or a Legacy contract.
Full workflow: Includes new contract documents for signature and optional supporting content like line items. Once issued, content is negotiated, approved, and signed within DeepStream.
Legacy contract: Includes only externally-agreed contract documents. Once issued, content becomes active immediately and skips negotiation, approval, and signature steps.
Select ‘Legacy’ and click ‘Create contract’.
Once created, the Version actions dropdown will appear, giving you the opportunity to either ‘Review & issue’ or ‘Delete contract’.
✏️ Important to note: This article covers creating a Legacy type of Contract. To learn more about the creation of Full workflow contracts, refer to the Creating a new - Full workflow type - Contract article [link].
Summary tab
When creating a new Contract, the first tab to complete is the Summary tab, which contains sections such as Version type, Basic details, Linked requests, Counterparty, Spend data, Products and Services and Reference numbers.
To update any section, click 'Edit' on the right.
Once you've filled in the required information, click 'Save' to confirm your changes.
After all sections are completed, click 'Continue' at the bottom to proceed to the next tab.
Version type
On the Summary tab, the first section you'll see is Version type, that can be either Full workflow or Legacy.
✏️ Important to note: Once the version is created, this field cannot be edited. In case you would like to change the type, delete the Draft and create a new Contract.
Basic details
In the Basic details section, you are first prompted to provide a Contract name, an Overview and then a Time zone.
Contract name
This field is used to define the title of the contract record in DeepStream. The contract name will appear on the contract dashboard and can be used to search for and locate the contract within the system.
Overview
This field is used to provide a brief overview of the contract to help the counterparty to understand the scope of this contract.
Time zone
This field allows you to select the time zone that will be used for all milestone dates and reminders associated with the contract. Users and counterparties with access to the contract will see these times automatically adjusted to their own local time zone.
(No) linked requests
This section allows you to link a Request to the Contract you are creating.
Once linked, the Contract will display the name of the associated Request along with a clickable link, making it easy to navigate directly to the request for reference or further action.
Counterparty
In the Counterparty section, you are requested to choose a Supplier (the counterparty) for the Contract from your existing Network.
Once a company is selected, you’ll be required to assign at least one user from that company to the contract.
✏️ Important to note: If the contract is linked to a request, the counterparty information will be automatically populated based on the awarded Supplier of that request.
Spend data
The Spend data section is used to specify the Total value of the Contract.
Select the appropriate currency from the dropdown menu.
Enter the contract amount and click ‘Save’.
✏️ Important to note: This field is for internal use only and is never visible to the counterparty.
Product and services
Moving forward, it is not mandatory, but you have the option to tag the Products and services your contract is about, based on the United Nations Standard Products and Services Codes (UNSPSC). Using this field will give you the opportunity later on to perform analytics and track savings and spends within each category in your reports.
How to add Product and services tags
Scroll through the list of available categories, or use the search bar to find specific options by keyword or UNSPSC code.
Hover over your preferred category and click 'Open' on the right to view its details.
To add a whole category to your contract, click the ‘+’ button on the right.
If the category contains subcategories, you can click Open again to drill down and select only specific options. Click the ‘+’ button next to any subcategory you'd like to include.
Repeat this process to add as many categories or subcategories as needed to your contract.
Reference numbers
Within Reference numbers, the two fields are Automated reference and Additional reference.
Automated reference
Automated reference refers to the number of contracts created within the system, hence is generated automatically and can't be edited.
Additional reference
The Additional reference number field can be used to add your own internal reference numbers to track contracts.
Milestones tab
The Milestones tab shows key events in the lifecycle of a contract and allows optional add-on notifications to be configured to ensure users are kept up-to-date as a contract progresses. Milestones, which trigger key workflow events (such as "Signature", "Start" and "End") are added by default and can only be edited in limited ways. Custom milestones can also be added to represent any time-based event, but contrary to default ones, they do not affect the status of the contract.
Version 1 signature (default)
The Version 1 signature milestone, which cannot be renamed or deleted, represents when contract documents added in the current version have been signed. This milestone cannot be hidden from the counterparty, that is, users on both sender and counterparty team can see it.
This milestone can only occur on a fixed date and time. To set the signature date:
In the Occurrence section, click the calendar icon.
Select the date the contract was signed. (For legacy contracts, only past dates can be selected.)
✏️ Important to note: This field is only available for Legacy contracts. For Full workflow type of contracts, the signature date will be automatically populated once the contract is signed through DeepStream.
Version 1 start (default)
The Version 1 start milestone, which cannot be renamed or deleted, represents when the obligations of this contract version begin. This milestone cannot be hidden from the counterparty, that is, users on both sender and counterparty team can see it.
To define the occurrence of this milestone, which transitions the version status to ‘Active’, select one of the following options from the drop-down:
Fixed date: Occurs on the selected date and time.
On signature milestone: Occurs on the exact day of the signature milestone. You can specify the time for the milestone to occur - either at the same time as the signature, or end of the day.
After signature milestone: Occurs a specified number of days, months, or years after the signature milestone. You can also choose the time of day for this milestone to occur - either at the same time as the signature, at the start or end of the day, or at a custom time.
Manually triggered: Occurs when triggered from the action menu once the version is issued and agreed.
Contract end (default)
The Contract end milestone, which cannot be renamed or deleted, represents when the obligations of the contract will end. This milestone cannot be hidden from the counterparty, that is, users on both sender and counterparty team can see it.
This milestone’s occurrence, which transitions the contract status to ‘Ended’ is unspecified, that is, it occurs relative to how the contract ends. Add an “expiry” milestone during drafting, or use the “end contract” action once the version is agreed to add milestones for “fulfilment” or “termination”.
Expiry milestone
The Expiry milestone is, which cannot be renamed but deleted, represents when the contract expires. This milestone cannot be hidden from the counterparty, that is, users on both sender and counterparty team can see it.
The occurrence of the “Contract end” milestone will be set relative to this milestone. To define the occurrence of this milestone, select one of the following options from the drop-down:
Fixed date: Occurs on the selected date and time.
After signature milestone: Occurs a specified number of days, months, or years after the signature milestone. You can also choose the time of day for this milestone to occur - either at the same time as the signature, at the start or end of the day, or at a custom time.
To add the Expiry milestone, do not forget to click the ‘Create milestone’ button at the bottom of the page. If you wish to delete this milestone, return to the Milestones tab of your Contract and click the ‘...’ button on the right side of the Expiry box.
New milestone
A custom milestone can be created to represent any event relevant to your contract that is not covered by the default milestones. Unlike default milestones, a custom milestone can be named, deleted, and configured flexibly.
💡 Example: You may create a custom milestone named “First Payment Due” to mark when an initial payment should be received. Set it to occur 7 days after the Version 1 signature milestone and make it visible only to your internal team.
Custom milestones support the following occurrence options, which determine when the milestone takes place:
Fixed date: Occurs on the selected date and time.
Before milestone: Occurs a specified number of days, months, or years before a selected milestone (e.g., Version 1 signature). You can also choose the time of day for this milestone to occur - either at the same time as the signature, at the start or end of the day, or at a custom time.
On milestone: Occurs on the exact day of a selected milestone, with the option to trigger at the same time as the milestone, start of day, end of day or at a specific time.
After milestone: Occurs a specified number of days, months, or years after the signature milestone. You can also choose the time of day for this milestone to occur - either at the same time as the signature, at the start or end of the day, or at a custom time.
Additionally, custom milestones can be repeated, meaning they can recur every set number of days, months, or years after the initial occurrence.
You can also control the Visibility of a custom milestone:
Visible to counterparty: Users on both sender and counterparty team can see the milestone
Hidden from counterparty: Only users on the sender team can see the milestone
To add a custom milestone, enter a name, configure the occurrence and visibility, and click ‘Create milestone’. If you wish to delete this milestone, return to the Milestones tab of your Contract and click the ‘...’ button on the right side of the Expiry box.
Milestones notifications
You can set up automated notifications for any milestone to ensure key dates are not missed.
To set up a milestone notification, click ‘+ New notification’.
In the first column, When to send, select an option from the dropdown menu: On occurrence, Before, or After.
If you choose Before or After, specify the number of days, months, or years relative to the milestone.
In the second column, Sender recipients, choose who should be notified: None, All users, or Specific users.
None: No users will receive the notification.
All users: All team members at the time the notification is sent will receive it.
Specific users: Only the users you select will receive the notification.
In the third column, Counterparty recipients, choose the same notification options: None, All users, or Specific users.
None: No users will receive the notification.
All users: All counterparty team members at the time the notification is sent will receive it.
Specific users: Select a counterparty on the Summary tab to use this option.
Optionally, add notes to the milestone, then click ‘Save changes and exit’.
Content tab
The Content tab contains the main body of your contract. By default, it includes a Contract Document page. For legacy contracts it is no possible to add more pages.
Populating the Content tab
The Contract Document page is preconfigured within the system by default. This section consolidates all essential documents that require signatures from all involved counterparties, ensuring a streamlined and compliant contract execution process.
Any documents added here will be automatically transferred to the Agreement tab for review and finalisation.
In addition to the main document that your suppliers are required to sign, you can also attach supporting documents. These can provide additional context or information to help clarify the agreement and ensure a smoother review process.
💡 Example:
Agreement tab
The Agreement tab directly reflects the content you’ve added or created in the Contract Document page within the Content tab. Any sections or documents you've set up there will automatically appear here for review, finalisation, and signature.
Review & issue tab
The Review & issue tab provides an opportunity to carefully review everything you’ve set up within the contract. It allows you to check for accuracy, completeness, and consistency before officially issuing the contract to stakeholders.
If there are any issues to address or outstanding requirements to complete, you’ll see a notification panel within the Review & issue tab. The system will prevent you from issuing the contract until all issues are resolved and all necessary requirements are fulfilled. This ensures that everything is in order before the contract is finalised and shared.
💡 Example of a notification panel displaying outstanding requirements that need to be completed before issuing the contract.
Once all requirements are fulfilled and everything is in place, you can begin issuing the contract by clicking the 'Issue version' button, located at the bottom right corner of the page.
This action will move the contract to the next stage of the process, changing its status from Draft to Under Negotiation, and making it ready for review and signature by all relevant parties.
Team tab
The final tab in a Contract is the Team tab, which applies to all versions of the Contract.
Here, you can add colleagues by clicking ‘+ Add user’. The colleague must already be an existing user in the system to appear in the dropdown. Super users can add new users by selecting ‘Manage team’ from the Main menu.
Super and Full users - who automatically become Owners when added to a Contract - have full access to all contract content. In contrast, Authorised stakeholders at your company can be assigned limited permissions for each tab of the Contract. The available permission levels for Contracts are as follows:
No access: The user is unable to read, respond, or edit any content associated with the specific Tab.
✏️ Important to note: This permission is only applicable for the Milestones, Content and Agreement tabs. The visibility of the Summary tab cannot be limited regardless of the type of user looking at it.
Can read: The user has access to read the specific Tab content and download those, but is unable to respond or edit them.
Can comment: The user can leave comments in the Activity & Comments section after extending any document, question or line item element in the Content and Agreement tabs.
Can respond: The user can perform actions, such as responding to a document by Accepting or Rejecting it in the Content and Agreement tabs.
Can edit: The user has complete access to respond, edit, revise and add new exchanges.
✏️ Important to note: Authorised stakeholders are unable to ever be given the Can edit permission.
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