Managing documents

Cloning documents from document details page

It is possible to create a new document that contains the same answers as an existing document using cloning functionality. The new document can be based on the same template as the original document or based on a different template as the answers are based on the names of the variables in the Contract Express template, so if there are consistent variable names in both templates the answers can be cloned into the new Document.
To clone a Document:
  1. Navigate to the document details page of the Document you wish to clone and select Clone.
    Clone option in the document.
  2. If you want to base the new document on the same template as the original document:
    1. click
      Yes
      , if you want to use the same template.
      As a result, Contract Express will launch the questionnaire for the new document with the answers pre-populated.
    2. Click
      No
      , if you want to select another template.
      As a result, you would be able to select a template. Once you have selected the template you Contract Express will launch the questionnaire for the new document with the answers pre-populated for any corresponding answers.
  3. Click
    Save & Close
    to view the new document’s details.
The details section of the new document will contain a clickable link to the document from which it has been cloned.
Document details section from cloned document.

Editing Questionnaires

To edit an existing generated document’s Questionnaire:
  1. Click on the name of the document on the
    Documents
    tab.
  2. In the document details page, the option to
    Edit Questionnaire
    is available which will allow you to alter the answers and produce an updated version of the document.
Edit questionnaire option.

Renaming documents

To rename a document:
  1. Click on the name of the document on the
    Documents
    tab.
  2. In the document details page, hover over the document name and click the pencil icon.
    Renaming document.
  3. Change the name and click the checkmark icon.
    Saving new document name.

Deleting documents

To delete documents:
  1. Go to the
    Documents
    tab and check the required documents.
  2. Click
    Delete
    button.
Deleting documents.
Documents can also be deleted automatically, if document deletion mode is set to ‘Automatic’ (see Managing actions availability based on documents’ statuses for more details). In this case, Contract Express displays the following warning on the Documents tab.
Warning sign if documents are inactive for 5 hours.
The inactivity period mentioned in the warning is configurable for on-premise deployments only (see the
Contract Express Installation Manual
).

Suspending documents

Suspended documents are temporarily inactive documents, which are excluded from analytical reports by default.
To suspend documents:
  1. Go to the
    Documents
    tab and check the required documents.
  2. Click
    Suspend
    .
In addition, you can suspend a single document from its document details page.
Suspending a document from the document details page.
note
If
Suspend
option is not available on the document details page, check whether
Suspend
action is enabled in
Admin > Features
for the required document status (see Managing actions availability based on documents’ statuses).
To reinstate the document, use the option
Continue
on the document details page.
Continue option after the document is been reinstated.

Viewing document history

A history of the document is available in the document details page. This logs such changes as document creation, questionnaire edits, permission updates, negotiations and approvals, eSignature updates, re-naming of the document and uploading of answers.
History section on document details.

Saving document snapshots

Starting from Contract Express version 7.3, Administrators can save the snapshot of a Document for testing (see more details on snapshot testing in Checking a template's health in Contract Express).
Saving a document's snapshot.
Use the
Save Snapshot
option to save a snapshot of the document. The snapshot will be available in
Admin
>
Snapshots
section.
In addition, you can download a Snapshot using the
Download Snapshot
option. This creates a .zip file containing .xml documents pertaining to possible Document issues, answer files, and .docx files of all the templates involved, as well as the generated documents.