🗣️ This article is intended for Buyers. If you are a Supplier, please refer to our Supplier hub content.
Issuing a - Full workflow type - Contract
As outlined in the Creating a new – Full workflow type – Contract article, once all required information has been completed across the various tabs of a Contract draft, the contract can be issued by clicking the 'Issue version' button located in the bottom-right corner of the page. This action moves the Contract to the next stage of the process, changing its status from 'Draft' to 'Under negotiation', and making it available for review and signature by all relevant parties.
Under negotiation status
The 'Under negotiation' status means that the version is issued to the counterparty and 1 or more "Content" exchanges are unresolved, that is, all "Content" exchanges must be resolved for the contract to progress to the next status.
While after the Contract has entered the 'Under negotiation' status, the Summary and Team tabs remain the same, the following happens to the remaining tabs.
As stated on the Milestones tab, all milestones will become active once the current version is agreed.
The Content tab becomes the central place for reviewing, collaborating on, and finalising the documents within the contract. Here’s what you’ll see and what’s expected.
At the top of the Content tab, a visual progress bar, the Page workflow tracker appears and shows the document’s approval stage, which is 'Under negotiation'. All parties must review all files within contract documents and either approve or negotiate to make changes.
Under the Page workflow tracker, you will see a section titled New contract documents for signature. This section shows the current version of all files related to the contract, including one File for signature (the primary contract file requiring signature) and Attachments (supporting documents included with the contract). Each file displays the Type, Version number, the Latest file available for download, the Status (usually 'Waiting for counterparty' during negotiation) and the Comments, if any.
While in the 'Under negotiation' stage and waiting for the counterparty to review and approve, you can perform the following activities by hovering your mouse over each File and Attachment.Download and review all documents
Add comments where you propose edits or need clarification
Upload a new version to negotiate any content directly within the platform until both parties agree
✏️ Important to note: If, when drafting your Contract, you choose not to upload a document yourself and instead request that the Supplier provides it, the Contract will remain in the 'Under negotiation' status even after the Supplier completes all 'Action required' fields. The status will only change once you approve Version X as final - either after uploading a new version or requesting and reviewing changes. Next to the name of the Content tab, there will appear a red dot with a number in it, indicating how many actions are waiting for your completion.
As for the Agreement tab of a Contract during the 'Under negotiation' status, its workflow will only become enabled and begin once the pages of the Content tab have been negotiated and approved.
Pending approval status
After the Counterparty has reviewed and approved the File for signature along with all Attachments (if any), and both you and the Counterparty have completed all 'Action required' fields - confirming that all documents are finalised and no further changes are required - the Contract's status changes from 'Under negotiation' to 'Pending approval'.
The 'Pending approval' status means that all "Content" exchanges are resolved but 1 or more pages have not been approved, that is, all "Content" pages must be approved by the sender to progress to the next status.
While after the Contract has entered the 'Pending approval' status, the Summary and Team tabs remain the same, along with the Milestones and Agreement tabs, the following happens to the Content tab.
The Page workflow tracker moves to 'Pending approval' stage, in which an owner on your team must approve this page before the contract can progress to signature.
Pending agreement status
As soon as the 'Approve page' action has been completed, the the Contract's status changes from 'Pending approval' to 'Pending agreement'.
The 'Pending agreement ' status means that all "Content" is negotiated and approved but the contract is not yet signed, that is, a signature request (on the Agreement tab) must be issued and completed to progress to the next status.
The Contract can proceed to signature on the Agreement tab once all pages are approved. Hence, in case you have created more than one Page when drafting your Contract, each page needs to be approved individually. Besides, if further changes are required, an owner on your team can revoke the approval.
As the Contract's status changes to 'Pending agreement', its Agreement tab along with its agreement workflow, also begins, indicating 'Pending signature request', that is, your company must create and issue a signature request to begin the signing process.
To create a signature request, complete the following steps.
Click on the '+ New signature request' button.
Select the signing method either E-signature with Verified or Upload signed file.
Choose Signers.
Click the 'Issue signature request' button.
The method E-signature with Verified means that users will e-sign with Verified and completed files are stored in DeepStream.
After selecting the signing method E-signature with Verified, choose Signers.
Counterparty will assign
Assign counterparty users
If you select 'Counterparty will assign':You must assign at least one user from the counterparty as a signer.
You must assign at least one signer from your own company.
If you select 'Assign counterparty users':You must assign at least one user from the counterparty as a signer.
Optionally, you can allow the counterparty to change the assigned signers.
Additionally, you must assign at least one signer from your own company.
The method Upload signed file means that a user from both parties must upload or approve a signed file in DeepStream.
After selecting the signing method 'Upload signed file', there is no need to choose Signers, any user with “Can respond” permission or higher can upload signed files.
Once the signature request has been issued, the workflow on the Agreement tab moves from 'Pending signature request' to 'Pending signature' status, in which assigned counterparty users, followed by your company’s assigned users, must sign all contract documents.
Simultaneously, also on the Agreement tab, there appear two sections: Signature requests and Contract documents. While the Signature requests section shows the Method, Status, Responses, Signers from the Counterparty and Signers from Your company, the Contract documents section contains files that have been negotiated and approved as part of the current contract version over the Content tab.
✏️ Important to note: Each signature request represents an attempt to sign all contract documents in the current version. You cannot issue a signature request while one is already pending.
Depending on the signature request setup you previously selected, the counterparty may need to complete certain actions. Regardless of these specific requirements, once they have fulfilled all necessary steps and signed the requested documents, your Agreement tab will display 'Actions required', prompting you to Review & e-sign.
In case you required to sign with Verified, you’ll be automatically redirected to its own webpage to review and e-sign the related documents. Once completed, you will be automatically redirected back to DeepStream.
Agreed pending start status
In case the version is signed but the 'Version start' milestone has not yet occurred, the Contract will enter a status 'Agreed pending start'.
Once the 'Version start' milestone occurs the version will become Active'.
✏️ Important to note: In cases where the Contract start is 'Manually triggered', a 'Start contract' button under the Version actions menu becomes available once the contract is agreed. Clicking the 'Start contract' button takes you to a simple, multi-step workflow which is how you configure the milestone or Version start to manually start the Contract by adding notes, deciding on notifications and confirming that the status can change from 'Agreed pending start' to 'Active'.
Active status
As soon as the 'Version start' milestone has occurred and all documents have been signed by both counterparties, the Contract moves to the 'Active' status, along with the agreement workflow moving to its final stage, 'Contract agreed'.
Revising a - Full workflow type - Contract
Once a Full workflow type contract reaches the 'Active' status, it becomes locked for major changes. That is, negotiation and contract documents are considered finalised - meaning the Contract cannot be reversed or significantly altered. However, you can revise your Contract by creating a draft revision, which allows you to update metadata only, such as editing the milestone summary or changing the contract name.
Click the 'Version actions' dropdown and select 'Create draft revision'.
After creating a draft revision, an additional dropdown appears, allowing you to toggle between Version 1 (Issued) in Active state and Version 1 (Revision) – in Draft state.
✏️ Important to note: While metadata can be updated in a revision, contract documents themselves cannot be changed. If changes to the contract documents are required, a new version must be created instead.
Once you've made the necessary changes to your Contract, you can either navigate to the Review & issue tab and click the green 'Issue revision' button in the bottom-right corner, or open the Version actions dropdown and choose one of the following options:
Review and issue
Delete revision
Open issued version
Creating a new version of a - Full workflow type - Contract
If you need to make changes beyond metadata - such as updating documents or attachments - you’ll need to create a new version of the Contract.
To do this, click the Version actions dropdown and select '+ Create new version'.
Just like when creating a contract from scratch, you'll need to choose whether the new version should follow the Full workflow or Legacy process.
After creating the new version, an additional dropdown will appear, allowing you to switch between Version 1 – in Active state and Version 1 – in Draft state.
On the Milestones tab, you’ll need to define the occurrence for the new version’s start date.
In the Content tab, a new section appears above the previously agreed documents, allowing you to add new contract documents for signature. These documents will go through the negotiation process.
If your intention is not to add an additional document (e.g., an addendum), but rather to completely replace the previously agreed contract, you must mark the original document as obsolete.
The Agreement tab remains read-only, and no action is required there.
Once you've made the necessary changes to your contract, you can either navigate to the Review & issue tab and click the green 'Issue revision' button in the bottom-right corner or open the Version actions dropdown and select one of the following options:
Review and issue
Delete revision
Open issued version
If your new version is also a Full workflow type (as opposed to a Legacy version), the contract’s status will change back to 'Under negotiation' instead of remaining 'Active'.
✏️ Important to note: You can create as many versions as needed.
Got a question or need clarification? Send us a message by clicking the Help chat button in the bottom right - our AI assistant, FIN, will help you right away, and connect you to our team if needed.