Signature workflow for a contract request

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 4 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of Signature Workflow for a Contract Request

    This document outlines the signature workflow for contract requests in ServiceNow's Contract Management Pro. Customers can choose between electronic signatures, which streamline the signing process, and wet signatures, which involve manual signing and uploading of documents.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Electronic Signature: Signatories can sign documents electronically, generating a certificate of completion if selected. An email notification is sent to the first signatory with a link to sign via integrated providers like Docusign or Adobe Acrobat Sign.
    • Wet Signature: Contract requesters send documents to signatories who print, sign, and return them. The signed document is then uploaded to the contract request.
    • Tracking and Status Updates: The workflow updates signatory statuses, contract states, and sends notifications for both accepted and declined signatures.
    • Access Control: Different user roles dictate access to contract documents, ensuring only authorized personnel can view or modify them.

    Key Outcomes

    Upon completion of the signing process, the signed document is stored in the contract repository, and the contract request status updates to "Contract Signed." For declined signatures, notifications are sent to requesters, and they can regenerate and resend documents as needed. Proper validation checks ensure data integrity before finalizing contract repository records.

    You can request an electronic signature or a wet (manual) signature for a contract request.

    • Electronic Signature: Enables signatories to sign the contract document electronically. For more information, see Configure an e-signature provider.

      If you want to generate a certificate of completion, you must select the Electronic Signature as signature type in the contract request. For more information, see Activate a system property to generate a certificate of completion.

    • Wet Signature: Enables signatories to sign the contract document manually. You can then upload the signed document to a contract request. For more information, see .

    Electronic signature workflow

    • Send the finalized document to the signatories for signing.
      • The state and contract status updates to Awaiting Signature and the electronic signature flow is triggered as configured in Configure an e-signature provider.
      • An email notification that the contract document is available for signature is sent to the first signatory. The email contains a link to the contract document that the signatory can open and sign the document through the Docusign or Adobe Acrobat Sign electronic signature provider as configured in the electronic signature integration.

        The first signatory is the one whose Order value in the list of signatories is set the lowest in the contract template rule. For more information, see Configure contract template rules.

        An email is sent to the next signatory in order after the first has signed the contract to request their signature.

    • Signatories can accept or decline the signature request.

      • The document is signed by a signatory.
        • If there are more signatories to sign the contract document, it’s sent to the next signatory in the order.

          The status of the current signatory in the request updates from Pending Signature to Signed. The status of the next signatory updates from Not Started to Pending Signature.

        • After the last signatory has signed the document, the contract repository record is automatically created and the signed document is attached to it.

          For contract requests containing multiple contract documents, the signed contract document is split into individual documents and attached to the contract repository record for the respective contract type.

          The state of the requests updates to Contract Signed.

        • If the system property sn_cm_core.enable_executed_contract_audit_certificate is set to true, the certificate of completion is generated and attached to the contract repository record.
      • The document is declined by the signatory.
        • An email notification that the signer has declined to sign the document is sent to the requester.
          • For contract request fulfilled by the contract user: The contract user will create a new document revision by using the regenerate option after editing the contract request and resend it for signature.
          • For contract request fulfilled by contract fulfiller: The contract fulfiller creates a new document revision manually or by using regenerate option and resend the document for signature.

          The Signatory status in the request updates to Declined.

        • The State changes to Work in progress and the Contract status changes to Signing Declined.

    Wet signature workflow

    • Contract requester sends the document to the signatories.
      • The state and contract status are updated to Awaiting signature.
      • An email notification is sent to the signatories and the contract documents are attached as PDFs in the email.

        The signatory with the lowest Order value in the list of signatories is the first signatory and is placed in the Tofield of the email. The other signatories are placed in the CC field.

    • Signatories accept or decline the document.
      • To accept the contract document, the signatory prints the contract document, signs it, and then returns it to the contract requester.

        If there are multiple signatories for the contract, the first signatory signs the contract and sends it to the next signatory for signature. The last signatory signs the contract and returns it to the contract requester.

      • To decline the contract document, the signatory sends the document back to the requester for necessary correction.
    • Contract fulfiller uploads the signed contract.
      • The signed contract document is uploaded in PDF format to the contract request.
      • The contract document is added to the repository after the contract document is uploaded.

      • For self-served contracts, the state of the request updates to Closed complete and the contract status updates to Contract signed.

        For non-self-served contracts, the state of the request and the contract status updates to Contract signed. To close the contract request, select Close complete.
        Note:
        You can’t make any changes to the contract request after the contract request is closed.

      For more information, see .

    Access to a contract document is based on the following user roles and conditions:
    • A contract fulfiller can view and update contract documents
    • Only a contract administrator can delete contract documents.
    • Requesters can view only the contract documents for which they submitted the contract request.
    • Users added to the watch list can view only contract documents for contract requests they have added.

    While generating the contract repository record, mapped fields and their values are validated for data type and correctness. If validation errors are found, an email notification is sent to the contract fulfiller. The email also displays the list of fields that haven’t been copied into the final contract document and the link to the contract repository record. The fulfiller then opens the record using the link and corrects the values to resolve the validation errors.