What should I know about HighQ Doc Auto?
For customers familiar with standalone Contract Express and embarking on the journey of exploring HighQ Doc Auto, this guide outlines some information to help you successfully navigate the module. While some features may work differently or remain on our enhancement roadmap, we aim to empower your team with the tools and support needed to fully leverage HighQ Doc Auto's potential.
The focus of this article is to highlight some key functionality differences between the two platforms, so you can feel ready for the transition. For a more general introduction to HighQ Doc Auto features, check out this collection on the HighQ Knowledge Centre.
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Each platform uses a distinct technical architecture and may use alternative means to achieve the same goal.
Why should I consider using HighQ Doc Auto?
Each company will have their own specific use cases but here are some typical ones that we would recommend considering.
- Enhance the efficiency of legal operations by establishing a centralised data storage approach, promoting uniform data collection from various clients, teams, or locations, and facilitating the storage of automatically generated documents.
- Automate the routing of incoming intake data required to get to the appropriate teams for swift assignment and action.
- Gain insights into contract or matter status and performance with data visualisation to allow for management to track progress.
- Capture expansive data sets and strategically transform them into optimised output documents with customised workflows to improve operational efficiencies and productivity.
- Establish a secure and user-friendly online platform for all information in one place that grants external clients access to specific resources such as the ability to generate required contracts in a consistent way without the need to contact the lawyer whilst ensuring data privacy and security e.g. self-service contract portals or client portals.
- Streamline legal workflows by implementing a centralised matter intake portal that standardises data collection, grants clients self-service access to securely initiate new matters generate required contracts in a consistent way.
- Streamline interactions and document generation across multiple locations or business groups by implementing a legal front door portal integrated with document automation to provide a seamless self-service experience for securely initiating new matters, answering intake questions, uploading relevant files, and automatically producing required contracts or other legal documents.
Document automation presents an opportunity to greatly optimise your organisation's efficiency. By leveraging HighQ Doc Auto's capabilities and tailoring them to your unique workflows, your team can work smarter.
What features do not work the same in HighQ Doc Auto?
Remember that this is a fast-changing landscape with new features released on HighQ and Contract Express every month. We will be updating this article as things change, and you can also follow the release announcements in the What's New section in this Knowledge Base and on HighQ's What's new page.
Area | Contract Express standalone | HighQ Doc Auto |
|---|---|---|
Adding files | File upload variables can be used in CE templates with attach document and include document fields. The uploaded file is retained during Edit Questionnaire sessions and can be changed or removed via the questionnaire. | File upload variables are supported, and uploaded files are recorded in the Output iSheet. Users can return and edit the questionnaire with updated information. |
Repeats | Repeat answers can be displayed and downloaded using Datasheet functionality and reused for new document generation. | Repeats are supported for document generation, but repeated answers are stored as an XML file when using iSheets, which may limit downstream processes. To address this, use computation variables or create separate variables for each repeat when repetition is low. |
Compulsory Warnings | Compulsory warnings can flag serious issues in responses and prevent document generation. | For complex questionnaires, avoiding mandatory warnings is recommended to ensure responses are still captured even if documents are not generated. Instead, use workflow rules to handle risks more effectively. |
Expertise Automation | Expertise automation (flowchart templates) can be used to support decision-making. Generating a document containing the Final Guidance is optional. | Use an Expertise Automation profile with the EA template set as the Answer file to ensure that both documents and guidance are generated as part of the process. |
Access to templates | Templates can be accessed via the UI, direct links, or embedded questionnaires. | Direct links to questionnaires are available for sharing templates. Users can also launch questionnaires from the dashboard, files module, or iSheet row, with enhancements such as the Doc Auto templates panel and automatic HighQ Doc Auto site. |
eSignature data | eSignature recipients and anchors can be prepopulated for manual and automatic sending using DocuSign and Adobe Sign. | Provides a user-friendly interface for adding eSignature recipients during manual sending. Contract Express eSignature fields support automatic population of recipients and tags (DocuSign only), with planned enhancements to improve manual review and information transfer. |
Public and guest access | When guest access is enabled, questionnaires can be made available to non-registered users in two ways:
| All full DocAuto subscriptions include public access feature. For collaboration with known partners, HighQ offers several different user categories to choose from. For example, law firms can grant access to external users and corporate legal teams can add basic users. |
Analytics | Analytics on template usage can be run by CE admins across all templates in the licence space. | Doc Auto templates report can be used for reporting on the template use across the whole HighQ instance. Additionally, Doc auto analytics capabilities are accessible at the site level, providing valuable insights for your needs. |
Copy documents | Clone document option creates a new contract which is a copy of another one. | The Download/Upload Answers option in the questionnaire kebab menu empowers users to effortlessly generate a new document with the identical answers. |
API solutions | API calls are available for almost all actions possible via UI. | HighQ offers support for two API endpoints for Contract Express (CE) document generation based on iSheet records: one for individual record generation and another for bulk generation. You can seamlessly connect the CE document generation via API scenario to an iSheet. Furthermore, HighQ provides a variety of APIs for various actions within the platform, catering to a wide range of workflow scenarios. |
Drafting Assistant | CE questionnaires can be launched and edited from Drafting Assistant. | Drafting Assistant is not integrated with HighQ Doc Auto. |
Collaboration and negotiation | Negotiator add-in can be used to merge changes from updated questionnaire answers into manually edited document. | HighQ serves as a platform for collaboration among internal and external stakeholders. The Negotiator add-in is not integrated with HighQ Doc Auto. |