Create a contract

Access : Contracts → Customer contract → + or Contracts → Supplier contract → +

You can create a contract in 2 different ways:

1. Template: create a contract using a template that has already been set up to make it easier to enter the data. In the box at the top right, you can select your template, then click on the 'Contact template to use’ button. All the information and settings will be applied automatically.

2. Manually: create a contract by configuring it manually, in the same way as a template.

3. Fill in the required fields: the type (customer or supplier), the company and the currency (which may be different from the company currency) used to generate the invoice, if applicable. You can link a contract to a project.

4. Supposed activation date/supposed end date : define the estimated start and end dates for the contract, and set the end date for the first invoicing period. If the pro rata calculation for the first period is activated, you will need to specify the end date of the first invoicing period.

Configuration tab

Here you can configure all the options relating to billing, payments, renewal and commitment.

Invoicing settings (Configuration tab)

You can choose whether or not to manage invoicing on contracts. If there is no invoicing, you can create a contract, attach the signed contract and track the versions of this contract (for example, you can track the history of signed documents).

• Invoicing management: when this option is activated, the invoicing content table appears on the contract. These items are what you will invoice (either periodically or all at once). You can add contract lines by clicking on ‘new’. Select the product, quantity and tax. Invoice content cannot be modified while the contract is in progress.

• Additional benefit management: these are items that you can add to a contract over a period of time (the current month, for example). Each added line is invoiced only once.

tip

Price and quantity are not contractual, so the user can specify any price and any quantity.

• Consumption management: when you activate consumption management, add the line in the invoicing content, then add the consumption line just below it. It must be exactly the same product/service already indicated in the invoicing content (i.e. all products must be declared). If another product/service is indicated, there will be an error during invoicing. Select the payment method. The payment terms will appear on the invoice.

• Automatic invoicing: there is a possibility to activate automatic invoicing. This means that the system can generate invoices automatically in bulk via a pre-configured batch. If bulk invoicing is activated, the system will generate a single invoice for all the contracts of the same customer/supplier with the same invoice dates. You can select when you wish to invoice.

• Periodic invoicing: you can choose to invoice for the entire contract period or activate periodic invoicing, which will generate invoices at a pre-defined frequency. When periodic invoicing is activated, you can activate Prorata temporis. You can either activate the Prorate temporally option, or you can activate the Prorate according to versions option. The prorata is calculated on the basis of the first invoicing period.

• Payment terms: used to set the due date. Example: if you start a contract during the month (on the 10th), the first invoice will only take into account the concerned period, i.e. from the 10th to the end of the month. You also need to specify the end date of the invoicing period.

Renewal configurations

Tacit renewal: in the Configuration tab, apply a tacit renewal to the contract. If the tacit renewal option is activated, the contract will renew automatically for a specific period.

Auto enable version on renew: ticking the ‘Activate version automatically on renewal’ option enables a new version to be activated at each renewal.

Engagement configurations

With engagement: in the Configuration tab, you can choose to activate the commitment and define a duration. As long as the contract is under commitment, you cannot terminate it.

With prior notice: you can also choose to activate a notice period for which you define the duration. The contract cannot be terminated before the end of the notice period.

Content tab

In this tab, there might be several panels, depending on the current configurations:

1. Invoicing content panel (what has been billed to the customer or what the supplier should bill you for, periodically or all at once).

2. Consumption table for the next invoice (this table can be modified even if the contract is in progress).

3. Additional services table (this table can still be modified even if the contract is in progress).

Contract workflow

Contract status

• Draft: when you create a contract, it is automatically in draft status. At this stage, the entire contract can still be modified. Put the contract on hold by clicking on the button 'Put on hold' at the top right.

• Waiting: when the contract is on hold, it remains on hold and can be modified until its activation date. You can either activate it manually, or automatically via an activation batch that will activate the contracts on the scheduled date.

• Ongoing: the contract's status changes to 'Ongoing' when it is activated, either manually or automatically via the contract batch. If invoicing is activated, an invoicing tab will appear on the contract. In this tab you will find the invoicing dates for the next invoicing period. You will also find the current invoicing date, which is calculated at the time of invoicing.

For example, if you have a contract that is invoiced monthly and started on 1 January, the start date will be 1 January of the first invoiced period and 31 January will be the end date of the first invoiced period.

If you have an invoice without a period, the invoice date will also be 31/01.

• Invoicing: the ‘Invoicing’ button just below allows you to generate the invoice manually. When you validate the invoice, the invoice will be created and will appear in the table.

• Batch: if you need to, use the batch function to create the invoice automatically.

• Terminated: when the contract is closed, it changes to ‘Completed’ status.

Version management / amendments

If you want to change the invoicing content while the contract is still in progress, you need to create a new version of the contract. This means that the contract cannot be modified as long as it is in ‘Ongoing’ status. All versions of a contract and the invoicing content for each version must be logged.

1. New version: click on the ‘New version’ button (an addendum to your contract).

2. Indicate the new start dates. The new version will be activated from this date.

3. Modify the invoicing content (e.g. change the quantity).

4. You can also modify the configurations. For example, you can change the ‘Invoicing time’ field - Start of period.

5. Save the changes you have made.

6. Put on hold: click on the ‘Put on hold’ button.

7. Activate Contract: Click on the ‘Activate Contract’ button to activate the contract. This button allows you to activate the contract manually.

tip

You can also schedule a batch to activate this version automatically.

Functional example

Creating a customer contract

Once you have filled in the information in the Configuration tab and the content lines in the Content tab on a contract template sheet, you can move on to creating a customer contract.

Access : Contracts → Customer contract → +

1. Fill in the essential information (company; partner ; invoiced partner).

2. Contract template to use: select the contract template you created earlier. Here, it is "IT hosting all options".

3. Use this template: click this button to use the selected template. All the settings in the contract template will be copied.

4. Dates: enter the estimated activation date and the estimated end date. In the example, the forecast activation date is 15/01/2024.

caution

If you have activated the Prorata temporis option, the system will use the end date of the first invoicing period as the required date. In the example, the end of month date has been indicated. In the example, the first prorata period will be invoiced from 15/01 to 31/01.

5. Put on hold: the contract is put on hold and will be activated automatically on the scheduled activation date with the batch.

tip

Activate contract: if you do not wish to activate the contract automatically via a batch, you can activate it manually using the ‘Activate contract’ button. When the contract is activated, it changes its status to ‘Ongoing’.

6. Invoicing tab: the Invoicing tab appears once the contract has been activated. In this tab, you will find the start date of the next invoicing period and the end date of the next invoicing period, as well as the invoicing date.

7. Invoicing: the ‘Invoicing’ button on the Invoicing tab allows you to invoice the contract manually. Alternatively, you can do this automatically via the batch by waiting for the specific invoicing date. When you click on the ‘Invoicing’ button, the system will generate a proforma invoice.