Creating a Contract Workspace
A Contract Workspace is a container for all information and documents pertaining to a contract. The basic process begins when the user clicks on a 'Contract Workspace (Procurement)' link. By default, the user who initiates the Contract Workspace becomes the Project Owner. Once a Contract Workspace has been initiated, the user populates the Contract Attributes fields, which directs the user to select a Template. This Template guides the remainder of the user’s steps in the contract creation and management process based on the organization’s Contract Lifecycle.
For more detailed step-by-step information regarding this topic in a printable format, see the following job aid.
The first step in creating a Contract Workspace is to click on a 'Contract Workspace (Procurement)' link and fill in all the Contract Attributes. These attributes act as the framework for the contract.
Note that there are 9 required fields when entering the Contract Attributes including:
- Name
- Description
- Test Project (Should be "NO")
- Hierarchical Type (Leave as "Stand-alone")
- Commodity
- Contract Type
- Term Type (Leave as "Fixed")
- Effective Date
- Expiration Date
The next step is to select a Template for the Contract Workspace. Selecting the appropriate Template and answering the subsequent questions informs the NC eProcurement Contracts tool to include the correct documents and steps in the Contract Workspace.
After clicking ‘Create’ on the Contracts Attributes page, the Contract Workspace (CW) is saved, and the Overview screen is displayed. From this screen, users can access five other tabs for the management of the CW:
- Documents
- Tasks
- Team
- Message Board
- History
The Documents tab is the central repository for managing all documents relevant to a contract, including the Solicitation Document, the Contractual Services Agreement, and any modification documents.
Once the contract documents have been approved and signed, the final step in the process is to 'Publish' the Contract Workspace.