This chapter covers the following topics:
A standard clause is the text that describes the legal or business language that is used to author a contract. Clauses are drafted based on both business and statutory requirements.
This section covers the following topics:
You can create standard clauses in the following ways:
Use these steps to create a new clause.
To create a new clause:
Navigate to the Create Clauses page.
Navigation: Library > Clauses tab > Create Clause button
Select an operating unit from the list of values.
The list of values is based on the security profile that was defined for the responsibility that you are using. For more information, see the following sections:
Enter the following attributes:
Number: This value can be manually entered or automatically generated. To automatically generate the number, see the Setting Up AutoNumbering section.
Note: You could have the same clause number assigned to multiple clauses if you choose to manually number clauses. Only the clause title is unique within a given operating unit.
Clause Title: Enter a title for the clause. The clause title is unique within an operating unit.
Display Name: Optionally, enter the display name for the clause. The display name does not have to be a unique name. Your operating unit can have alternate clauses with the same display name. The system uses the display name in a printed contract field. If you leave this field blank, the clause title is used as the display name.
Intent: Select the intent of the contracts that can use the clause: Buy or Sell.
Note: Based on the setup for the OKC: Terms Library Intent profile option, you can create clauses for buy, sell, or both intents. If you set the profile option to either Buy or Sell, the system provides read-only access to the Intent field. This profile option also governs other features in the Contract Terms Library, including contract templates, variables, and Contract Expert rules.
Type: Use the Type field to classify the clause according to the business purpose (for example, General or Payment terms). Select a clause type from the list of values. For more information, see the Setting Up Lookup Codes section.
Default Section: Optionally, select the default section from the list of values. You can use sections as headings to format contracts. For more information, see Managing Sections. The Default Section is used only in Contract Expert. When you run Contract Expert, each clause that the system selects is placed into the default section that is provided for the clause. If a default section is not provided for the clause, the system places it into the default section that is provided for the contract template.
Description: Optionally, enter a description for the clause.
Status: The system controls this field. During the creation process, the clause is in Draft status.
Version: The system generates the version number.
Start date: Accept the default or change the start date.
End date: Optionally, enter an expiration date for the clause. The expiration date cannot be earlier than the current system date.
Provision: Provisions are used in negotiation documents in Oracle Sourcing only. If applicable, select the Provision check box. If the first version of a clause is a provision, all subsequent versions of the clause will retain this attribute. You cannot update this attribute on subsequent versions.
Protect Text: To prevent modification to the clause text in documents, select the Protect Text check box. On subsequent versions, you can update this attribute. This will not impact business documents that already contain these clauses.
Global: To make the clause available to all operating units, select the Global check box. This field is available only in the Global operating unit and cannot be updated on future versions of the clause. For more information, see the Managing Clauses Across Operating Units section.
Text: Enter the necessary text for the clause. Clause texts can include business variables. For more information about embedding variables, see the Managing Variables section. In the Text area, you can choose one of following modes:
Rich Text: The Rich Text editor provides special formatting of the text that is driven by business and legal requirements. The Rich Text editor provides a toolbar and a text area. You can format the text by choosing one of the following icons on the toolbar:
Cut
Copy
Paste
Bold
Italic
Underline
Align Left
Align Center
Align Right
Number Order List
Bulleted List
Decrease Indent
Increase Indent
Text: The Text mode provides a plain text area only. If you use the Rich Text mode to enter the clause text and then toggle to the Text mode, the system displays the HTML source for the text you have entered. However, the system prints the clause using the Rich Text features even if you have toggled to the Text mode.
Add Variables: Click the Add Variables button to search for available variables. The Add Variables page appears. From this page, you can search for available variables, then click the Insert icon to add the variable that you want into your text, at the location of the cursor within the text area. In the clause text, variables are displayed as tags in the format [@Variable Name@].
Instructions: Optionally, enter instructions on how and when to use the clause in a contract template or business document. Users can view these instructions when they add the clause to a contract template or business document.
Allow Include by Reference: Select the check box to replace the clause text with the reference text when the clause is used in a contract. Optionally, enter the following information:
Reference Source: Provide the source of the clause that cannot be printed in full text.
Reference Text: Enter the reference text. The system prints, on a printed contract, the reference text instead of the clause text.
Note: If you select the Allow Include by Reference check box, the Reference Text field becomes mandatory.
If applicable, click one of the following buttons:
Submit: To submit the clause for approval, click this button.
Apply and Add Details: Click this button to save your work and move to the Update Clause page. The Update Clause page includes the following subtabs:
General: Use this subtab to update general information that was discussed in the previous steps.
Related Clauses: For detailed information, see the Defining Related Clauses section.
Clause Folders: For detailed information, see the Assigning Clauses to Folders section.
Version History: Use this subtab to display the history of the clause versions.
Apply: Click the Apply button to save the clause and close the Create Clauses page.
Cancel: Click the Cancel button to close the Create Clauses page without saving the clause.
Consider the following when setting up and using clauses:
Operating units and clauses: After a clause is created, you cannot change its operating unit. During creation of a new clause, you must ensure that you select the correct operating unit.
Copying clauses from external sources: If you are creating clauses in the system by copying from external sources, you should first copy the clauses into a text editor application, such as WordPad, and then paste it in the clause text field. Copying content directly from external sources may cause issues with text formatting and undesirable results with the content that is copied.
Using HTML tables in clause text: Copying text that includes HTML tables is supported. If a clause contains tables, you can copy these tables into the clause text.
Using descriptions and instructions: Providing detailed descriptions and instructions on clauses helps the end users, who use these clauses to author contracts, in making the appropriate selection during authoring.
Using the AutoNumbering option for clauses: If you plan to use the Clause Import feature and in the import files have not provided numbers to these clauses, for a successful import, you must select the AutoNumbering option for the operating unit. Also, when you change the AutoNumbering setup, for the change to take effect, you must bounce the Apache port with a Clear cache. If you do not bounce the port, the changes do not take effect.
To copy directly from an HTML page into the clause text field, first copy the content into a WordPad file. Then copy and paste the content from the WordPad file into the clause text. This causes any extraneous HTML tags that are not supported in the system to be removed and the clause text to retain the remaining format structure.
Using the Rich Text editor: If you use the Rich Text editor to author clause text, the system inserts the variables at the point where the cursor is located in the clause text box. If you do not use the Rich Text editor, the variables are always inserted at the end of the clause text. You can then use the cut and paste operation to move a variable tag within the clause text to the appropriate location.
Also, you can use the Rich Text feature to format variable values. For example, you can format the Payment Terms variable tag to the Bold mode so that on a printed document the Net30 value appears in bold within the clause text.
Also, you can create clauses that contain tables as part of the textual content. For more information, see the Copying Clauses from External Sources section.
You can use the Duplicate feature to create new clauses from existing ones. The Duplicate feature is available from the Search and View Clause pages.
To duplicate an existing clause:
Navigate to the Search Clauses page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Clauses tab
Search and select a clause.
For more information, see the Searching for Clauses section.
Click the Duplicate button.
In the New Clause Title field, enter a unique title.
Optionally, choose to copy folders and related clauses.
Click the Save and Continue button.
Enter or change the information as described in the Defining Clauses section.
Note: After you create a new clause, you cannot change its operating unit. The operating unit from the original clause is retained. To copy a clause into a different operating unit, you must create a new clause in that operating unit and then copy and paste individual details such as clause text, description, and instructions.
For any given clause, you can define alternate and incompatible clauses. You can use alternate clauses as a substitute for the main clause on a contract. You can define clauses as mutually incompatible to prevent them from being used on the same contract.
Note: You can add alternate and incompatible clauses to an approved clause without requiring the creation of a new version. Clause relationships are defined at the clause level and not at the version level. So if the relationship is defined in one version, it will continue to apply to all future versions. The system will use the latest valid versions of these clauses on a business document when establishing the relationships.
Tip: Before defining clauses with alternate relationships, decide whether you want to use Contract Expert in the implementation. The reason is that alternate relationships can be built using Contract Expert rules. Consider using clause alternates in those cases that lend themselves to more standard contracting scenarios that are not driven by rules that can vary from one contract to another.
To define related clauses:
Navigate to the Create Clauses or Update Clauses page.
Navigation: Library > Clauses tab > Create Clause button
Open the Related Clauses subtab.
Click the Add Another Row button.
In the Relationship field, select one of the following options:
Alternate
Incompatible
In the Clause Title field, enter the clause title. You can also use the List of Values icon to search and select the clause.
Click Save.
Click the Compare button to compare related clauses. Select the two clauses that you want to compare and then click the button.
Click the Compare with Current button to compare the related clause with the current clause. Select only one clause from the list and click the button.
Click the Remove button to delete a clause relationship.
You can assign clauses to folders from the Update Clause page.
Define folders.
To assign clauses to folders:
Navigate to the Clauses page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Clauses tab
Open a clause for update.
For more information, see the Updating Clauses section.
Open the Clause Folders subtab.
Click Add Another Row.
In the Name field, enter the folder name. You can also click the List of Values icon to search and select the folder name (see Searching for Folders).
Click Save or Apply.
To make standard clauses available for use in contracts, you must first approve them. You can:
Approve one clause at a time.
Select and submit more than one clause for approval at the same time.
Respond to approval.
Comment on either approval or rejection decision.
Set up an approver. For more information, see the Setting Up Operating Units section.
To approve clauses:
Navigate to the Clauses page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Clauses tab
Create a new clause, or search and open a clause in Draft status.
For more information, see the Creating a New Clause , or Searching for Clauses section.
Click the Submit button to:
Change the clause status from Draft to Pending Approval.
Send a workflow notification to the approver.
The approver opens the notification and reviews the clause.
The approver can approve, reject, or reassign the clause.
As the result:
The clause status is changed to Approved or Rejected.
A workflow notification informs the author of the clause of the decision.
Consider the following when setting up the process for approving clauses:
From the workflow notification, the approver can assign the clause for approval to another user. While assigning, the approver can also delegate the notification while retaining the ownership on the notification or transfer the notification to the assignee.
Use the Comments region in the approval notification to capture any additional information that you want to provide to the users who submitted the clause for approval. The Comments region captures the history of communication through the approval path of the clause.
The default workflow supports one approver per intent (Buy or Sell.) However, you can modify the workflow processes to include more approvers and route approvals based on additional business conditions. For information about setting up workflow for approvals, see the Oracle Workflow Administrator’s Guide.
You can set up the system to receive notifications into an e-mail account instead of the workflow notifications bin in the system. If your approvers are offline or do not use the application, this would help them approve the clauses while offline. For information, see the Oracle Workflow Administrator’s Guide.
This section discusses how companies with global operations can manage clauses across multiple operating units. This feature is useful for companies that contract with customers across the globe with operations in different countries and locations. In this document, we refer to those operating units that have been set up to use the Contract Terms Library as operating units. For information about how to set up operating units, see the Setting Up Operating Units section.
A central entity can define global clauses and make them available for use by local operating units. To define global clauses, you must identify your global operating unit, usually the corporate headquarters. The designated global operating unit is responsible for the creation of clauses for business terms that must be enforced globally. On approval, the clauses are made available to local operating units. A workflow notification is sent to the local operating units that must review the clause.
In the local operating units, library administrators review the clause and decide whether it needs to be modified to meet local requirements. If necessary, the clause can be modified (localized) and routed for internal approvals. If not, the clause can be adopted with no changes or modifications and routed internally for approvals. Alternatively, local operating units can be set up to automatically adopt all global clauses.
After approvals, the localized or adopted clause is available for use in contracts that are created locally.
Before creating global clauses, you must:
Set up the OKC: Global Operating Unit profile option. This is a site-level profile option to determine the operating unit that can create global clauses and templates. A check box to identify global type clauses and templates becomes available after you set up this profile option.
Create global clauses in the global operating unit. For more information, see the Creating Standard Clauses section.
Approve global clauses to make them available in local operating units.
You can set up your local operating units to adopt global clauses automatically or manually.
Auto adoption of global clauses: This feature provides automatic adoption of global clauses to operating units that do not require a manual review and approval process. For example, a company with more than one operating unit can define global clauses and make them available to all operating units. During the workflow approval for a global clause, when the clause is approved, the system verifies the operating units that are set to adopt clauses automatically. The system automatically adopts the global clause for these operating units with no manual intervention
Manually adopting or localizing global clauses: For operating units that require a review and approval process, this feature enables them to make the global clauses available for their use. The operating units can use one of the following options:
Adopt Global Clause as-is: Adopt the global clause without changes. The system records the user name and system date and time of adoption along with the adopting operating unit. The local operating unit can adopt multiple global clauses at the same time. After adoption and approval of global clauses, the local operating unit can use the clauses to author contracts.
Localize Global Clauses: Localize the global clause by making some changes to the clause or translating the clause to the language of the local operating unit. The system creates a copy of the clause in Draft status. During localizations, you can modify the clause text and add or delete variables from the text. You can then submit the local clause for approval. The system records the approver name and date as the adoption details for the clause.
Note: If you are not changing the context or intent of the clause text and only translating it into a local language, you can select the Translation Only check box. This is for informational purposes and can be used to report on why a clause was localized.
This section covers the following topics:
Use these steps to create a global clause.
To create global clauses:
Create a standard clause. For more information, see the Creating Standard Clauses section.
Select the Global check box. This check box is available only in the designated global operating unit.
Note: When a global clause is approved, it remains global on all subsequent versions. However, if an earlier version of a clause is not global, you can make the subsequent versions global.
Set up your library administrators. For more information, see the Setting Up Operating Units section.
When a global clause is approved, the system sends a notification to the library administrators in all local operating units to consider the clause for adoption. In case a local operating unit is set to automatically adopt global clauses, a notification is sent to this operating unit informing the local administrators that a new global clause has been automatically adopted for that operating unit.
As the library administrator in a local operating unit, you can review and adopt Global clauses.
To review global clauses for adoption:
Navigate to the Clauses page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Clauses tab
Search for Global clauses. For more information, see the Searching for Clauses section.
Note that:
A global clause that is approved (in the global operating unit) is available for adoption in local operating units. If a global clause is on hold or expired, although the clause is displayed in the search results, local operating units cannot adopt or localize it.
In a local operating unit, the first version of an adopted global clause must be manually assigned to a folder that is created in that operating unit. However, after adoption, the system assigns the subsequent versions of the global clause to the same folder.
Each time that a new version is created and approved for a global clause, that version becomes available for adoption in the local operating units. Each version of a global clause must be adopted individually.
In the Adoption Type field, select the Available for Adoption option from the list of values.
Click Go to view the list of available clauses.
Review every clause on a case-by-case basis and decide whether to adopt the clause as is or localize it.
Click Review for Adoption to view the full text and clause details. At this point, you can:
Adopt the clause as is. In this case, you only need to submit this clause for local approval.
Localize the clause. When you localize a clause, you can modify the text and check the Translation Only check box to indicate that the changes were for translation purposes. Submit the localized clause for approval upon completing the modifications.
Consider the following points when defining global and local clauses:
You can define only one global operating unit for your Oracle Contracts instance. Changing this value in the profile option after it has been set and used, for example to create clauses, could cause data corruption issues and is not recommended.
For global clauses that are available for adoption, no status is displayed in the local operating units. For example, searching on Status, such as Draft, will not display the global clauses. Do not use the Status search parameter if you are looking for global clauses that are available for adoption.
For performance reasons, you cannot search for clauses by the Adoption Type alone in a local operating unit. In searching for clauses that are available for adoption, you must enter additional search criteria such as Clause Type or Keyword.
If a previous version of a global clause was adopted as is, you must adopt subsequent versions of the clause in the same manner. You cannot change the adoption type on subsequent versions of a clause.
If the first version of a global clause is localized, and the next version is now available for adoption, when you choose to localize the second version, the Localize page displays the text from the localized version. Currently, the system does not provide a comparison of the current localized text and the second version of the global text. To view the text of the second version of the global clause, you must view the clause from the Search page.
You can delete a clause that has been localized and is in the Draft status. This makes the original global clause available again for adoption.
Be cautious when you duplicate a global clause in a local operating unit and your responsibility has access to both global and local units. The choices in the Operating Unit field include the global operating unit, and you must specifically change the operating unit to your own to ensure that you are duplicating the clause in the correct operating unit.
At the time a Global clause is adopted and submitted for local approval, the library administrator receives a Workflow notification requesting approval for adoption of the clause.
The local administrator can approve or reject the clause. After approval, the Global clause (or the modified localized clause) becomes available for use in the local operating unit. If a clause is rejected, the local operating unit can choose to continue modifying the clause, based on the rejection comments, or modify the adoption type. For instance, a clause that was previously adopted as is can now be localized.
When local operating units adopt a Global clause, the system sends a notification to the global operating unit with details on date and type of adoption.
Note: When approving or rejecting a clause or contract template, you can use the Comments section to provide your remarks in the Approval notification. Your comments are visible to the user who has submitted the original approval request.
Also, you can send the approval notifications by e-mail. However, this would require additional configuration. For more information on how to set up the e-mail client to receive all notifications, see the Oracle Applications System Administrator’s Guide.
A global operating unit can monitor when and how global clauses are adopted across local operating units. The Adoption Status report provides an overview of the adoption status across multiple local operating units for a given global clause. This report is available only in the global operating unit and enables the global operating unit to analyze cases in which the global clauses are not adopted in a timely manner.
To view adoption status:
Navigate to the Clauses page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Clauses tab
In the global operating unit, search for Global clauses. For more information, see the Searching for Clauses section.
Click the clause title to view the clause detail.
Select the View Adoption Status option from the list.
Click Go.
The View Adoption Status report provides the following information:
Operating Unit Name
Clause Title
Version
Adoption Type (indicates whether the global clause was adopted as is or localized)
Translation Only (indicates whether the global clause was translated only to the local language)
Adoption Status (indicates whether the clause was approved in the local operating unit)
Adoption Date (indicates the date that the clause was adopted)
For any new operating unit that is set up to adopt global clauses, Oracle Contracts provides a concurrent program to adopt all global clauses that were created before the new operating unit was created.
To adopt the global clauses, you must run the Adopt Global Clauses for a New Operating Unit concurrent program. Select the operating unit for which this program must be run, and provide a value for the Commit Size for the Run parameter.
You do not need to rerun the concurrent program for a given operating unit more than once if all the migrated clauses and new global clauses have been created in the global operating unit at the time of running the concurrent program.
The clause status in the new operating unit can be one of the following:
Adopted: If it is set up to automatically adopt clauses.
Available for Adoption: If it is set to manually adopt clauses.
Note: If the global operating unit contains clauses that have been migrated from 11.5.9 or earlier, these clauses will automatically be adopted in the new operating unit, even if the global operating unit was set to manually adopt clauses.
You can search or browse to find clauses in the Clauses Library. This section covers the following topics:
Use these steps to search for clauses.
To search for clauses:
Navigate to the Clauses page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Clauses tab
In the Search region, search for clauses by:
Operating Unit (mandatory field)
Keyword
Type
Title
Number
To access additional search options, click the Show More Search Options link. The options are:
Intent
Status
Start and end dates
Provisions only
Variables used in the clause
Used in templates
Default section
Show all versions check box
Adoption Type (available only in local operating units)
To perform your search, you must enter information in the Operating Unit field and one of the following fields:
Number
Title
Keyword
Type
Status
Start Date
End Date
Used in Templates
You cannot perform blind searches or start your search criteria with the wildcard character (%).
If you do not select the Show All Versions check box, the system displays only the latest version of the clauses that match the search criteria.
Description does not work with leading searches. Also, the description returns only those clauses for which the description begins with the search criteria that you enter. For instance, if you enter A% in the Description field, only those clauses for which the description begins with the letter A are returned.
Click Go to view the search results.
In the Search Result section, select the check box for any clause and click one of the following buttons:
Submit: Submit the clause for approval.
Duplicate: Create a new clause by copying from an existing clause.
Create New Version: Create a new version.
Review for Adoption: This button is available only to local operating units for adopting global clauses. For more information, see the Approving Global Clauses in Local Operating Units section.
You can search for clauses in the Contract Terms Library using the Keyword Search feature. The system searches for clauses that contain the text that you enter in any of the following fields:
Clause Title
Display Name
Clauses Description
Clause Text
To perform the keyword search, you must run the following concurrent programs periodically:
Synchronize Clauses Text Index
Optimize Clauses Text Index
If you have not run the concurrent programs at regular intervals, the search will not provide accurate results. The frequency for running these programs must be decided on a case-by-case basis. You can schedule the concurrent programs to run together automatically at predefined intervals.
Note: You do not need to run the foregoing concurrent programs for each operating unit. Running the program synchronizes the data across the operating units that use the Contract Terms Library.
In addition to search, you can use the Browse feature to search for clauses using folders.
To browse for a clause:
Navigate to the Clauses page.
Navigation: Library > Clauses tab
Click Browse to search through folders for the clause that you want to retrieve. The system displays the list of available folders.
To view all clauses that are assigned to a folder, select the check box for that folder.
Optionally, click the clause title to view clause details.
If applicable, select the check box for any clause and click one of the following buttons:
Submit: Submit the clause for approval.
Duplicate: Create a new clause by copying from an existing clause.
Create New Version: Create a new version.
Review for Adoption: This button is available only to local operating units for adopting global clauses.
Update: Open the clause for update.
The Contract Clause Analysis report enables you to search for the contracts where a given set of clauses is used. After entering the search criteria for the clauses and the contracts, the system displays a list of all appearances of the clauses in those contracts. For more information on Contract Clause Analysis report, see the online help topics in Oracle Contracts, Oracle Procurement Contracts, or Oracle Sales Contracts.
This section covers the following topics:
You can modify clauses and their versions, subject to certain business rules. When updating a clause, you can:
View and assign alternate clauses.
View and assign incompatible clauses.
Add the clause to folders.
View all versions of the clause.
Choose one version and compare with the one that is being updated.
Change the status to On hold (only if the clause is in Approved status).
Submit the clause for approval.
Delete the clause (only if the clause is in Draft or Rejected status).
Note: A new version is required if:
The clause is inactive
The clause is in Approved status, and the attributes that are controlled at the Clause Version level must be updated
To update clauses:
Navigate to the Clauses page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Clauses tab
Search for the clause that you want to update. For more information, see the Searching for Clauses section.
Verify the clause status:
If the clause is in Draft status, all the fields are available for update.
If the clause is in any other status, certain fields are protected and cannot be updated.
Click the Update icon. The system opens the clause for update.
Make the necessary changes:
Except for the first version of a clause in Draft status, you cannot change the clause number, title, and intent.
For clauses with the Approved status, you cannot make changes to the following fields: Display Name, Start Date, Provision and Global check boxes, Clause Text, and Allow Include by Reference.
You cannot update the intent on a draft clause if the clause text contains an embedded variable tag because variables are based on the intent.
Select one of the following actions:
Create new version (not available for clauses in Draft status)
Submit for approval (available only for clauses in Draft status)
Put on hold (not available for clauses in Draft status)
Delete (available only for clauses in Draft status)
Apply
Save
Cancel
The Versioning feature enables you to make changes to clauses that are already in use on contracts. You can modify clause details, including clause text and description. New versions must be approved before you can use them in contracts.
A new version is required if:
The clause is not in Draft or Rejected status.
The clause is approved, and the attributes are controlled at the Clause Version level that is required to be updated.
To version clauses:
Navigate to the Clauses page.
Navigation: Library > Clauses tab
In the Search region, enter the search criteria for the clause that you want.
Click Go. The system displays the search results.
Select the check box for the clause.
Click Create New Version. Fields from the previous version are copied to the new version. You cannot change clause title, number, and intent when creating a new version.
Select one of the following options:
Apply
Save
Submit
Cancel
You can delete the new version of a clause if it is in Draft status.
Consider the following for versioning clauses:
After the clause is approved, the latest version of the clause is automatically used when a contract template containing the clause is applied to a business document. However, existing business documents that already contain the clause are not impacted. You must manually apply the latest version to the existing business documents.
You do not need to update or revise a contract template in which a clause is required merely because the clause has been versioned. The system automatically updates the template. That is, the view of clauses on a template is not version controlled. The system always displays the most recent approved version of a clause on a template.
You can compare any two versions of a clause. The system provides a redline comparison of the changes that are made to the clause text.
You can choose any two versions of a clause, and then click the Compare button that is available in the Version History subtab of Updating Clause page.
You can place clauses on hold to prevent them from being used in contract templates and contracts. You can also release the hold to make the clause available again.
To place clauses on hold:
Navigate to the Clauses page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Clauses tab
Search for the clause that you want put on hold. For more information, see the Searching for Clauses section.
Verify the clause status.
Click the Update icon or the clause title link.
Click Put on Hold.
Click Yes to confirm.
To release the hold, open the clause for update. For more information, see the Update section.
Click Release Hold. The system confirms the release.
You can delete only clauses that are in Draft or Rejected status.
To delete clauses:
Navigate to the Clauses page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Clauses tab
Search for the clause that you want to delete. For more information, see the Searching for Clauses section.
Verify the clause status.
Click the Update icon or the clause title link.
Click Delete. The system asks you to confirm your request for deletion.
Click Yes.
You use the Clause import feature to import clauses into the Contract Terms Library. In addition to clauses, you can import the following related entities:
User-Defined variables with Manual source type
Value sets that are used in variables
Value set values
Clause relationships that establish a clause to be an alternate or incompatible with one or more clauses
Clause import can also be used on an ongoing basis to update these entities in the library.
You can import clauses and the related entities using the following methods:
Open Interface: For this method, use SQL*Loader, PL/SQL Scripts, or JDBC to load the entities directly into the corresponding interface tables. This process is outside the scope of the Clause import program. The clause import validates the data and imports the content into the library.
XML Data File: Using this method, you import data directly from a source XML file that conforms to the XML schema that is published for import. The clause import validates the XML data and imports the content into the library.
The following tables identify and describe the attributes that are imported for each entity:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Clause Number | Number that identifies the clause. Two alternatives for a clause could have the same number. |
| Description | Description of the clause. |
| Title | Clause title or name. |
| Clause Type | Type of clause. |
| Display Title | Title that is displayed for the clause in the application. |
| Start Date | Date from which the clause can be used. |
| End Date | Date until which the clause can be used. |
| Date Published | Date that uniquely identifies the updates. This date determines whether the update is subsequent to the one already in the clause library and whether a new version of the clause will be created. |
| Clause Text | Legal text of the clause. The variables in the clause text should be enclosed within <Var> and <Var/> tags. |
| Intent | Business intent of the clause: (B) for Buy and (S) for Sell. |
| Language | Language in which the clause is authored. |
| Provision Indicator | Indicates whether the clause is a provision. It only applies to clauses with the Buy intent. |
| Include By Reference Indicator | Indicates whether the clause should be used by reference in a contract. |
| Reference Source | Source from which clause is referenced. |
| Reference Title | Title of the clause in the source. |
| Operating Unit | Operating unit using the clause. |
| Global Clause Indicator | Indicates if the clause is a global clause (all operating units can use them). |
| Standard Indicator | Indicates whether the clause is standard or nonstandard. |
| Clause Status | Status of the clause. Valid values are Draft, Approved, Pending Approval, and Rejected. |
| Lock Text Indicator | Indicates if the clause text can be modified. |
| Action | Action that the import process should perform on the clause. |
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Clause1 Number | Clause number of the first clause. |
| Source Clause1 Title | Clause title of the first clause. |
| Clause2 Number | Clause number of the second clause. |
| Source Clause2 Title | Clause title of the second clause. |
| Relationship Type | Relationship type code:
|
Note: All user-defined variables are imported with the Manual source type. For more information, see Managing Variables.
Clauses can have variables embedded in the clause text. System variables are already defined in the system and are available for use in clause text. However, user-defined variables must be defined in the system before they can be used in clauses. A variable code uniquely identifies the variable and must be specified as part of the definition. The variable code should follow the pattern OKC$<intent>$<code> and should be unique in the system. For example, if the variable is the VAT code of the supplier and is used in buy-side transactions, then the code could look like OKC$B$VATCODE where B stands for buy intent.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Code | Variable code that uniquely identifies the variable. |
| Name | Variable name. |
| Description | Description of the variable. |
| Data Type | Data type of the value of the variable. Valid values are Date, String, and Number. |
| Valueset | Code of the valueset used. |
| Intent | Intent of the variable: B (Buy) and S (Sell). |
| External User Updatable | Indicates whether suppliers can update the variable.
Note: This attribute is not available for Sales Contracts. |
| Language | Language of the variable. |
| Contract Expert Enabled Indicator | Indicates whether the variable can be used in Contract Expert.
|
Each user-defined variable that is embedded in the clause sources the value from a value set. Value sets can also be defined during the import process. Value sets can either enforce the data types or the actual values that a variable can have. Value sets that are defined during the import process should have a name in the format OKC$<SOURCE>$<VALUESETNAME> to distinguish them from other value sets in the entire Oracle Applications. For example, a value set for a variable called Business Type used in a FAR clause can have the name OKC$FAR$BUSINESSTYPE.
Each valueset should have the following attributes:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Name of the value set. |
| Description | Description of the value set. |
| Format Type | Format of the values that are provided by the value set:
|
| Minimum Size of Values | Minimum number of characters for each value in the value set. Valid values are 1–38. |
| Maximum Size of Values | Maximum number of characters for each value in the value set. Valid values are 1–38. |
| Uppercase Values Allowed Indicator | Indicates whether uppercase values are allowed:
|
| Precision Allowed for Number Types | Number of decimal points allowed for number values. |
| Validation Type | Validation type for the value set:
|
Each value set that has validation type of independent should have a list of valid values.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Value | Actual value |
| Description | Description of the value |
The following tables are used during the import process:
| Table Name | Description |
|---|---|
| OKC_ART_INTERFACE_ALL | This is the main interface table where the users load data from external systems. |
| OKC_ART_RELS_INTERFACE | This is the interface table that stores the relationships between clauses. |
| OKC_VARIABLES_INTERFACE | This interface table is used to import variables that are used in clauses. |
| OKC_VALUESETS_INTERFACE | This interface table is used to import value sets that are used in variables. |
| OKC_VS_VALUES_INTERFACE | This interface table stores the values for the value sets that are used in variables. |
| OKC_ART_INT_ERRORS | This table stores the errors that are reported by the run in the validation or import mode. |
| OKC_ART_INT_BATPROCS_ALL | This is an internal system table that stores the batch run details. This includes the processing status as well as all the parameters that are used for the run. |
For detailed information about the preceding tables, see the Oracle eTechnical Reference guide (eTRM).
The following tasks constitute the Clause Import With Open Interface procedure:
Preparing and loading data
Importing in validate mode
Reviewing error messages
Correcting errors
Importing data into the library
Approving imported clauses in draft status
Purging interface records
Prerequisites
Set up necessary lookup codes, for example, clause types.
Set up all necessary data, for example, variables and sections.
Operating unit setup:
Set up clause approvers for Buy and Sell intent.
Determine whether the AutoNumbering option should be set up for the operating unit.
For more information, see the Setting up Oracle Contracts chapter of the Oracle Contracts Implementation and Administration Guide.
Steps
Format the data in a form that is suitable for loading into the interface table. For example, if you are using SQL*Loader to load data into the interface tables, you can choose to use a comma separated data file (CSV) and a control file that describes the data format.
Run the Import Clauses concurrent program in validation mode to identify any invalid data or errors. This is recommended but not a mandatory step. You can specify the following parameters for the Import Clauses concurrent program:
| Concurrent Program Parameter | Possible Values | Mandatory | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batch Name | Name of the batch | Yes | Provide a batch name to easily identify the records that you are importing. |
| Run in Validation Mode | Yes / No | No | Set to Yes if you want to run in validation mode to identify potential errors. |
| Commit Size | 1 to 300 | Yes | Indicates the maximum number of records that the system processes and commits to the database at one time. For example, if you have 1,000 records to be imported and your commit size is set to 100, and an error occurs on the 150th record, the system has already processed the first 100, and the data will not be reprocessed the next time that you run the program. Consult your database administrator for the appropriate value. |
The Import program generates a report that lists the success and error messages. The errors at this stage would primarily be related to data format or missing required data. Review the report and correct the errors outside the system and prepare the data for a reload.
Reload the data into the interface table after correcting the errors.
Run the Import Clauses concurrent program in import mode to create or update data in the library. If the program was run previously in the validation mode with no errors, then the import should succeed. The Import program generates a report that lists the success and error messages. Records with errors remain in the interface tables until they are purged or corrected.
If clauses are imported in Draft status, they must be approved before they are available for authoring contracts. If they are imported in the pending approval status, the system automatically routes the clauses to approvers for review and approval.
Purge the Interface records. See the Purge Interface Records section for details.
Prerequisites
Set up the following:
Necessary lookup codes, for example, clause types.
Necessary data, for example, variables and sections.
For the operating unit:
Set up clause approvers for Buy and Sell intent.
Determine whether the AutoNumbering option should be set up.
The OKC: Clause Import XML File Location profile option. This specifies the location (file directory) of the XML file. This is mandatory setup for using the XML-based import.
For more information, see the Setting Up Contract Terms Library chapter of Oracle Contracts Implementation and Administration Guide.
Data preparation: Format the data to be imported in a form that is suitable for XML import. This involves generating an XML file with the clause data that conforms to the XML schema that was published for import (see the table below for how to access the schema definition file in Oracle XML Publisher).
| Schema Definition File Name | Application | XML Schema | XML Preview File |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clause Import XML Data Definition | Contracts Core | OKCXMLIMPDFN.xsd | OKCXMLIMPDFN.xml |
Staging the XML import file: Copy the XML file to the location specified by the OKC: Clause Import XML File Location profile option.
Import in the Validate mode: Run the Import Clauses from XML File concurrent program in the Validate mode to identify any invalid data or errors. This is recommended but is not a mandatory step. The program parses the XML file and populates the interface tables. You can specify the following parameters for the concurrent program:
| Parameter | Possible Values | Default | Mandatory | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XML File Name | - | No | Yes | Name of the XML import file. The file must be present in the location that is specified by the profile option OKC: Clause Import XML File Location. |
| Default Operating Unit | Any operating unit for which contract terms are enabled | No | No | Identifies the operating unit for which the Import process needs to run. Leave it blank if the operating unit has already been provided for each record in the XML file. This value is used as the default for those records for which the operating unit is not provided. |
| Create as Global Clause (Default) | Yes/No | No | No | If this parameter is set to Yes, it will import all clauses as global clauses. Note that the operating unit in which the clauses are imported must be set up as the global operating unit. |
| Default Clause Status | Approved, Draft, Pending Approval | No | No | This identifies the status in which to import the clauses. Leave it blank if the records already have a status. This value is used as the default for those records for which the status is not provided. |
| Validate Only | Yes/No | Yes | No | Run the Import process in validate mode to identify invalid data or errors. |
Review the error messages: The import program generates a report that lists the success and error messages. The errors at this stage would primarily be related to data format or missing required data. Review the report and correct the errors outside the system and prepare the data for a reload.
Correct the errors: Review the report in the log file and correct errors in the XML data file.
Import data into the library: Run the Import Clauses from XML File concurrent program in import mode to create or update data in the library. If the program was run previously in validation mode with no errors, then the import should go through successfully. The Import program generates a report that lists the success and error messages.
Approvals: If clauses are imported in the Draft status, they must be approved before they are available for authoring contracts. If they are imported in the Pending Approval status, the system automatically routes the clauses to approvers for review and approval.
Purge the interface records. For more information see the Purge Interface Records section.
To optimize performance, you should periodically run the Purge Clause Import Interface Table concurrent program. This program purges records in the interface tables for clauses and the other related entities.
The following table describes the parameters for the Purge program:
| Concurrent Program Parameter | Mandatory | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Start Date, End Date | No | Use the Start and End Dates to identify the range of dates for interface records that must be purged. |
| Process Status | No | Provide a specific status if you want to purge interface records with that status. The possible values are Error, Success, and Warning. |
| Batch Name | No | Provide a specific batch name if you want to purge records belonging only to that batch. |
Note: If you do not specify any parameters, the system displays the following warning message: "No parameters found for this run. This request will delete all the records for your organization in the interface tables."
Oracle Sales Contracts enables you to define a standard set of templates to easily bring in terms and conditions for contracts authored by your company. You can use these templates to bring in the default clauses onto a contract.
This section covers the following topics:
To create a contract template, you can either:
Use these procedures to create a new contract template.
To create a new contract template:
Navigate to the Create Contract Template page.
Navigation: Library > Contracts Template tab > Create Template button
Select an operating unit from the list of values. The list of values is based on the security profile that was defined for the responsibility that you are using. For more information, see Setting Up Operating Units and Setting Up Profile Options.
Note: After you save a template, you cannot change its operating unit, even if the template is in Draft status. Make your selection carefully when creating a template from the list of available operating units.
Enter a unique name for the template. Note that the template name is unique within operating units.
Select the Intent for the template. The intent for Sales Contracts should be set to Sell.
Either accept or change the default start date, which is the system date.
Optionally, enter a description for the template.
Either accept or manually change the status of a template from Approved to On Hold. When you create a new template, the system sets the template status to Draft. Except for the On Hold status, the system controls all statuses on a template.
Link all contract templates that have the same context and purpose but are in different languages. To do this, use the Language and Translated from Template fields to specify the language and primary template for the contract template:
The list of values for the Languages field displays all active languages that have been installed in your instance.
The list of values for the Translated from Template field includes all contract templates that are in the same operating unit as the current template, with the same intent but in a different language.
If you select a Translated From template, you also must select a language for the template.
You cannot update the Translated From Template field on a template that is referenced by other translated templates.
You can update the Language and Translated from Template fields after approval without requiring a template revision.
After you save the template, the system displays the Translated Templates subtab. If applicable, the subtab displays the following information: Name, Description, Language, Status, and Translated From.
Select a layout template from the list of values. The layout template is used by the system to prepare the template for preview. For more information, see the Setting Up Layout Templates section.
Optionally, enter any instructions for using the template.
Optionally, select the Global check box to make the template available for duplication in all operating units. This is applicable only for global operating units. For more information, see the Global Templates section.
Select the Contract Expert Enabled check box to make the Contract Expert feature available on a business document to which the template is applied. By selecting the check box:
Contract Expert rules can be assigned to the template.
All existing Contract Expert rules with the Apply to All Templates option selected are assigned to the template automatically. For more information about creating and assigning rules, see the Creating Rules section.
The system displays the Rules subtab (after the user has saved the template). From the Rules subtab, you can view the Contract Expert rules that are applicable to the contract template. Also, you can view the sequence of questions that are used in the rules.
Select the Expert Clauses Mandatory check box if you want to make the clauses, brought in by Contract Expert, mandatory on the business documents. You can select the Expert Clauses Mandatory check box only if you first select the Contract Expert Enabled check box.
Note: Selecting this box makes all of the Contract Expert clauses mandatory on the contract. You cannot apply this option to only certain clauses.
Select a Default Section if the template is enabled for Contract Expert.
Contract Expert places the clauses that it selects into the Default section of the template if those clauses do not have a default section assigned to them in the library.
Note: If you want to make changes to the Contract Expert fields after a contract template has been approved, see the special considerations that apply when you change Contract Expert fields on contract template revision.
In the Document Types region, you can assign the template to one or more business document types. This enables users to select this template while authoring a contract of this document type.
To add a document type, click the Add Another Row button and enter the following information:
In the Document Type field, select the relevant contract type from the list of values (examples are Standard Purchase Order and RFQ).
Optionally, select the Default Template check box to set the template as a default for all business documents that are authored using that document type. For each document type, you can set only one contract template as the default template.
Note: This is only a first level default setup. Other applications, such as Oracle Quoting and Oracle Order Management, require additional setup to define default contract templates. For instance, Oracle Order Management uses the Transaction Type definition to set up these defaults.
Click Apply and Add Details.
Add sections and clauses to the template. For more information, see the Adding Sections and Clauses section.
If Contract Expert is enabled on the contract template, you can click the Rules tab to view the list of rules that are assigned to the template. From the Rules table, you can click a rule link to view the rule details.
You can also view the question sequence in the Questions table.
You can change the question sequence for the contract template on the Contract Expert tab. For more information, see the Managing Question Sequence section.
From the Actions menu, choose:
Submit: Submit the template for approval. A contract template that is created with no clauses cannot be submitted for approval.
Validate: Run the QA check process to validate that the template is correct. If the validation returns error messages, you cannot submit the template for approval until the errors are corrected.
Preview: Preview the contract template to ensure that the format and layout of the template are according to the contract printing standards for the operating unit.
Delete: Delete the contract template. You can delete only templates that are in Draft or Rejected status.
Consider the following when creating and using contract templates:
Searching for templates: As a convenience, you can perform blind searches on contract templates. If you are not sure about the criteria to search for templates, clicking Go, without entering any criteria, displays all the templates that exist in the system. However, note that Operating Unit is a mandatory search parameter.
Using Language and Translated from Template features: If your company creates contracts in multiple languages, you may want to consider using these features. The Language and Translated from Template fields help you when selecting a contract template that you want to apply to a business document. In addition, if you are using Oracle iStore, the system automatically displays the template in the appropriate language, based on the language preferences setup.
Clauses used in language templates: Clauses do not have languages associated with them. So, if you are creating templates in a specific language, ensure the clauses that you want to add to the template are also in the appropriate language.
Default section for Contract Expert: This section is used to bring in Contracts Expert clauses that are not already assigned to any other section. From an implementation perspective, if you use Contract Expert to bring in the clause, a default section should be assigned to that clause.
Also, the list of values, for the default section on the template, is based on the sections that are created in the Contract Terms Library. For example, if you create a new section on the template, you cannot set this section as the default section.
If a section that was assigned as the default section is later inactivated, this change will not impact existing contracts. However, when the template is next updated, an appropriate warning is provided to update the default section assignment.
A contract template that is enabled for Contract Expert can also contain standard clauses and sections. As with all contract templates, its constituent clauses and sections are automatically added to a business document when the contract template is applied to the business document.
Clauses are not mandatory for templates enabled for Contract Expert. However, they are mandatory for other templates.
You can create new templates by copying the existing templates. Templates can be copied within the same operating unit, regardless of the template status. The system copies all the information, including clauses and Contract Expert rules, from the original template to the new template, except for rules with the Disabled status.
You can also duplicate a global template in the local operating unit.
For more information, see the Global Templates section.
Steps
To duplicate from an existing template:
Navigate to the Contract Templates page.
Navigation: Library > Contract Templates tab
Search for the source template. For more information, see the Searching for Templates section.
In the Results section, select the source template.
Click the Duplicate button to open the Duplicate Contract Template page.
In the Name field, enter a new name for the template. The system copies the entire content of the source template along with the section, subsections, layout, and formatting details to the new template. The new template's status is Draft.
Make other necessary changes to the new template. For more information, see the Create a New Contract Template.
Save the template.
From the Actions menu, you can select the following:
Submit: Submit the template for approval.
Validate: Run the QA check process to confirm that the template is correct.
Preview: Preview the contract template.
Delete: Delete the contract template.
Use the following steps to add sections and clauses to a template.
To add sections and clauses:
Navigate to the Create Contract Template page.
Navigation: Library > Contracts Template tab > Create Template button
Enter the general information for the template.
Click Apply and Add Details.
Navigate to the Clauses subtab. On the Clauses subtab, you can define the structure and layout of the template consisting of sections, subsections and clauses. This is the component that contains all the contract terms. From the Clauses subtab, you have access to the following options:
Add Sections: You can build a hierarchy of sections and subsections and insert clauses into this hierarchy. You can create a new section or select from a predefined library of sections. If you pick a section from the library, you cannot override the section name. To add clauses, you must define at least one section on the template.
Add Clauses: To add a clause, select a location for the clause in the hierarchy, and then click the Add Clause button. You can insert clauses only in the context of a section or subsection. You can perform a blind search or begin your search with % to add clauses to the template. You can also search for clauses by browsing through folders, or based on:
Keyword
Number
Clause Type
Title
Default Section
Provisions Only: Select this check box if you want to search only for Provision type clauses (this field is available for templates with the Buy intent only).
To make a clause mandatory in the template, select the Mandatory check box. This prevents the clause from being deleted from the business document, except through special privileges.
If a clause has alternate relationships defined, the Select Alternate icon is enabled. Click Select Alternate to view all the alternates for the clause on the template. If you select an alternate clause, it replaces the original clause on the template.
After creating the necessary sections and subsections and inserting clauses, use the Move button to change the order of clauses and sections in the template. Select the sections or clauses that you want to move, and click the Move button. Select the location in the hierarchy where you want to move the selections. Then, for sections, use the Location field to indicate whether you want to move before, after, or within the selected location.
You can apply a numbering scheme to the sections and clauses structure. Use the Renumber button to renumber the terms.
Consider the following for adding sections and clauses to templates:
Building the structure of sections and clauses: The first time you create a template and click Apply and Add Details and navigate to the Clauses subtab, the system displays an empty page. As a first step, you must select the check box next to the Contract Terms node and click Add Section. Remember that you cannot add clauses directly onto a template without a section. So first create a section, and then select the check box next to that section that you created to add clauses within that section. After creating the first section, you can repeat this step to create additional sections below the one that you just created.
Selecting alternate clauses: If the alternate clauses are inactive when the contract template is applied to a business document, the Select Alternate icon does not appear on the business document.
Renumbering after editing terms: If you use the Move feature to reorganize, add, or remove sections or clauses, the system automatically renumbers the sections and clauses. You must use the Renumber feature and reapply the numbering scheme.
Using Contract Expert in conjunction with clauses and sections: Before creating a template, you must determine how many of the clauses are standard boilerplate text that is not likely to change on a contract-by-contract basis. You need to only add these clauses to the template. Remember that if you plan to use Contract Expert, you may not even need to have any clauses on the template if all your clauses are Contract Expert driven. However, you should provide at least the section hierarchy on the template as a placeholder for the clauses that are brought in by Contract Expert. This ensures that the sequence in which the sections and clauses must appear on a printed document is maintained.
Prior to submitting a contract template for approvals, you can validate the template to identify potential errors and warnings. In addition, the system automatically runs the validation process when you submit a template for approval. If any error conditions are found, the template is not submitted for approval. You must correct the error conditions and resubmit the template for approval.
The following table displays the type of validations that the system performs when you run the Validation process.
| Validation Type | Condition | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Inactive Clauses | Error | This validation checks for clauses in On Hold and Expired status. Templates with clauses in these statuses cannot be submitted for approval. Note that this validation is enforced only for those clauses that do not have any approved, previous versions. |
| Alternate Clauses | Warning | This validation checks for the presence of two alternative clauses on the same template. |
| Incompatible Clauses | Warning | This validation checks for the presence of incompatible clauses on the template. |
| Layout Template not Defined | Warning | This validation checks whether the contract template has a layout template assigned to it. |
| Invalid Variable for Document Type | Warning | This validation checks whether the system variables that are embedded within clauses and used in the template are supported for the document types in which the contract template is used. |
| Duplicate Clauses | Warning | This validation checks whether the contract template contains duplicate clauses. |
| Inactive Rules | Warning | This template validation checks whether the contract template has one or more rules that are not active. |
| Expired Clause | Error | This rule validation checks for an Expired clause used in the rule. |
| Invalid Clause | Error | This rule validation checks for an On-Hold clause used in the rule. |
| Draft Clause | Error | This rule validation checks for a Draft clause used in the rule. |
| Invalid Question Valueset Query | Error | This rule validation checks for an invalid value set query used in a question in the rule. |
| Invalid Variable Valueset Query | Error | This validation checks for an invalid value set query used in a variable in the rule. |
| Missing Value Set value in Question | Error | This rule validation checks for a missing value set value used in a question in the rule. |
| Missing Value Set value in Variable | Error | This rule validation checks for a missing value set value used in a variable in the rule. |
| Invalid Value Set in Question | Error | This rule validation checks for a deleted value set used in a question in the rule. |
| Invalid Value Set in Variable | Error | This rule validation checks for a deleted value set used in a variable in the rule. |
| Invalid Question | Error | This rule validation checks for a disabled question in the rule. |
| Missing Template Association | Error | This rule validation checks for missing template associations, where the Apply to All Templates option is not selected. |
You can run the QA process at any stage during the template creation. The system also runs the QA process when a template is submitted for approval. For more information, see the Approving Templates section.
To validate templates:
Navigate to the Contract Templates page.
Navigation: Library > Contract Templates tab
Open the template for update. For more information, see the Updating Templates section.
Select the Validate option from the list.
Click Go. The system performs the validation and displays the results along with the suggested corrections.
Click the Printable Page button if you want to print the list of validations.
If applicable, correct the error conditions and resubmit the template for validation.
Oracle Contracts uses the Layout template, which is assigned to the contract template, to prepare the template for preview. For more information, see the Setting Up Layout Templates section.
To preview templates:
Navigate to the Contract Templates page.
Navigation: Library > Contract Templates tab
Search for the template that you want to preview. For more information, see the Searching for Templates section.
Click Go. The system displays the search results.
Select the Update icon for the template.
Select the Preview option from the Actions list of values.
Click Go. The system displays the template in the Portable Document Format (PDF).
You can use a standard workflow process to submit the templates for approval. You must request approval in the following cases:
When a new template is created.
After making updates to a rejected template.
When a template revision is created.
Note: You can approve a template enabled for Contract Expert with no clauses or deliverables. Templates that are not enabled for Contract Expert must contain at least one clause or one deliverable to be approved. In the Contract Expert-enabled template, you should include at least the sections that you want on the printed business document.
The Deliverables functionality is currently supported only on contract templates with Buy intent.
Special considerations exist for contract templates that include unapproved clauses, that is, clauses for which the status is either Draft or Rejected.
One factor that determines which clauses are to be submitted for approval along with the contract template is the contract template effective date.
The contract template effective date is the contract template start date or the current date, whichever is later.
When the contract template is submitted for approval, the contract template is first validated. If no errors occur during validation, the application presents you with a list of the draft clauses that are used in the contract template that is effective on the contract template effective date.
Draft clauses can belong to one of the following categories:
No approved previous version exists, or the previous version of the clause is not valid.
The previous version may be invalid for either or both of the following reasons:
The version expires before the contract template effective date.
The clause is on hold.
In this case, you must submit the clause with the contract template for approval.
A previously approved version of the clause is valid for the contract template effective date.
In this case, approval of the clause is not necessary for the contract template to be valid, and you can choose whether to submit the draft clause for approval.
The clauses in category 1 and the clauses that you select in category 2 become the final list of clauses that are submitted for approval with the contract template.
Note: If a template contained a Draft clause and during approval, you deselect this clause and submit the template with the previous approved version of the clause, in a new revision of the template, the latest Draft clause is displayed and will be submitted again when the revision is submitted for approval.
The approval notification includes a list of any unapproved clauses in the contract template.
Note: If a draft clause that has been added to a contract template is submitted for approval independent of the template, the contract template validation report displays an error indicating that a template with a clause in the Pending Approval status cannot be submitted for approval.
Approvers can approve or reject the template. When a template is rejected, the system sends a workflow notification to the author of the contract template. The reason for rejection is also included in the workflow notification. The submitter can update the template based on the comments and resubmit the template for approval.
Approving or rejecting a contract template also approves or rejects all the draft clauses that are submitted with the contract template.
The approver can reassign the contract template for approval to another user. While reassigning, the approver can delegate the notification while retaining ownership on the notification or transfer the notification to the assignee
To approve contract templates:
Navigate to the Contract Templates page.
Navigation: Library > Contract Templates tab
Open the contract template and select the Submit option from the Actions list of values. Alternatively, from the search results, query the contract template and click the Submit button.
If errors occur, the Validation Results report appears. You must correct the errors before you resubmit the contract template for approval.
If no errors occur and no draft clauses are in the contract template, the contract template is submitted for approval.
Approving Draft Clauses
If no errors occur, but draft clauses exist in the contract template, the Submit for Approval page appears for the contract template. This displays a list of the clauses to be submitted with the contract template for approval.
The types of clauses that may exist in the list are:
Clauses that must be submitted for approval. You cannot deselect these clauses.
Clauses that may be submitted for approval. You can select or deselect these clauses.
In the Submit for Approval page, optionally click View Warnings.
The Validation Results report lists the warnings.
If you want to submit the contract template for approval, you must click the link to return to the Submit for Approval page.
In the Submit for Approval page, click Submit.
If no warnings appear or no errors occur, the contract template is submitted for approval.
If warnings appear or errors occur, the Validation Results report appears, listing the warnings. Click Finish to submit the contract template for approval, or Cancel to cancel the Submit for Approval process.
To find a template in the Contract Terms Library, choose one of the following options:
Use these steps to search for contract templates.
To search for templates:
Navigate to the Contract Templates page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Contract Templates tab
To access the Advanced search options, click the Show More Search Options link.
Search for the template using the following criteria:
Operating Unit.
Keyword: Searches on the Template Name, Description, and Instructions fields.
Status: Search on Approved, Draft, Rejected, Revision, On Hold, and Pending Approval templates.
Template Intent: Search on Buy, Sell, or All.
Contains Clause: Search for a specific clause that is used in a template.
Note: The version of the clause is not considered in this search. If a clause has multiple versions, the system retrieves the templates that use any of those versions.
Used in Document Type: Search on the document type usage for the template.
Language.
Name.
Layout Template.
Translated From Template.
Template Effectivity: Search for templates based on start and end dates.
Owning Operating Unit (only available for local operating units): Search for template used in local operating units or the global operating unit. Note that the search is set by default to the local operating unit. Also, if the owning operating unit is set to Global, the only applicable status value is Approved. You cannot search for global templates in other statuses in a local operating unit.
Default Templates Only: Search for any templates that are used as the default for document types.
Global Only (only available for the global operating unit): Search for global templates in the global operating unit.
Contract Expert Enabled: Search for any templates that use the Contract Expert feature.
For more information, see the Create a New Contract Template section.
Click Go. The system displays the templates that match your criteria.
You can search for templates in the Contract Terms Library using the Keyword Search feature. The system searches for templates that contain the text that you enter in any of the following fields:
Template Name
Description
Instructions
To perform the keyword search, you must run the following concurrent programs periodically:
Synchronize Template Text Index
Optimize Template Text Index
If the concurrent programs have not been run, the search will not provide accurate results. The frequency for running these programs must be decided on a case-by-case basis. You can schedule the concurrent programs to be run together automatically at predefined intervals.
When you assign a clause to a template, the system does not associate a specific version of the clause.
Note: The latest version of the clause is always appears if that is the only available version of the clause in the library.
For display purposes, the system uses the latest version of the clause subject with the following exceptions:
Latest Version is On Hold. In this case, the system displays the previous approved version of the clause if it exists.
Latest version is Pending Approval. When the latest version of the clause has status Pending Approval, the following extra condition is evaluated:
If a previous version of the clause is expired, the latest version of the clause appears. Otherwise, the previous approved version of the clause appears.
Approved Clause with a later Draft version. If a later version exists in Draft status, the clause text from the draft version appears.
Approved Clause with future Draft version. The system displays the latest approved version of a clause when the latest draft version of a clause has a start date that is later than the current system date.
This section covers the following topics:
You can update general information about an approved template including:
Description
Document Types
Language
Translated From Template
Layout Template
Instructions
For more information, see the Create a New Contract Template section.
You must create a revision to update any of the sections or clauses. You can update templates in any of the following statuses:
Draft: The Template Name, Intent, and Start Date fields can be updated only in the first version of the template in Draft status. You can update all other fields and attributes of templates including:
General information (including Layout Template, and Description).
Sections and Clauses: You can add, modify, or delete Sections, Subsections and Clauses. You can also reorganize the layout of clauses including numbering.
Contract Expert: You can modify the fields in the Contract Expert region, including the check box that enables and disables Contract Expert for the template.
Document Type Association: You can add or delete contract document types.
Approved: To update an approved template for its layout and content, first you must create a revision. Then, you can modify the revision, approve it, and replace the original template.
Pending Approval: You cannot update templates in Pending Approval status.
You can also perform the following updates to contract templates:
Place on hold
Release the Hold
End Date
To update templates:
Navigate to the Contract Templates page.
Navigation: Library > Contract Templates tab
Enter the search criteria for the template. For more information, see the Search for the Templates section.
Click Go. The system displays the search results.
Select the Update icon for the template that you want to update. You can perform the following actions while updating a template:
Add, update or delete sections and clauses.
Submit for approval (available only for templates in Draft, Rejected and Revision status).
Place on hold (not available for templates in Draft, Rejected and Revision status).
Delete (available only for templates in Draft, Rejected and Revision status).
Validate (all statuses of the template).
Create revision (only available for templates in Approved status).
Preview.
You can create revisions to approved contract templates. However, you cannot change the following fields:
Template Name
Intent
Start Date
Revisions must be approved before they can be made available for use in authoring business documents. After a template revision has been approved, it completely replaces the original approved template. Template history of previous approved versions is not currently supported.
You must create a contract template revision to update any of the Contract Expert fields. If you update the Expert Clauses Mandatory check box or the Default Section field by creating a revision, the changes take effect on all new and existing business documents the next time that Contract Expert is used on a business document. Even though the template may not have been reapplied on the business document, the updates to the Contract Expert fields still take effect on the business document.
If you disable Contract Expert on a contract template revision, this will not impact existing business documents that have already run Contract Expert using the original version of the contract template, unless the contract template is reapplied on a business document. In other words, you can continue to run Contract Expert on the business document until you explicitly reapply the contract template.
To change Contract Expert fields on contract template revisions:
Navigate to the Contract Templates page.
Navigation: Library > Contract Templates tab
Enter the search criteria for the template. For more information, see the Search for the Templates section.
Open the template for update. The template must be in Approved status.
Select the Create Revision option from the Actions list of values.
Click Go.
The status of the template changes to Revision.
Make the necessary changes.
Submit the template for approval.
You can place templates on hold to prevent usage on contracts. You can also release the hold and make templates available again. You can place only those templates that are in Approved status on hold.
To place templates on hold:
Navigate to the Contract Templates page.
Navigation: Library > Contract Templates tab
Search for the template that you want to place on hold. For more information, see the Search for the Templates section.
Click Go.
The system displays the search results.
Select the Update icon for the template.
Select the Place on Hold option from the Actions list of values.
Click Go.
You can delete templates that are in Draft or Rejected status.
To delete templates:
Navigate to the Contract Templates page.
Navigation: Library > Contract Templates tab
Search for the template that you want to delete.
For more information, see the Search for the Templates section.
Click Go. The system displays the search results.
Select the Update icon for the template.
Select the Delete option from the Actions list of values.
Click Go.
Click Yes to confirm.
To define a global template, you must identify your global operating unit, usually the corporate headquarters. The designated global operating unit is responsible for the creation of templates that local operating units can use. On approval, the global templates are available for local operating units to duplicate.
The global templates feature is different from the global clauses. Unlike a global clause, the system does not track adoption of the global templates. The local operating units are responsible for determining whether they want to duplicate a global template. The system allows a local operating unit to duplicate the global template subject to the following conditions:
If the global template has clauses that are not global, these clauses are not copied over during copy.
If a local operating unit has adopted clauses manually, only those clauses that have been adopted and approved in the local operating unit are copied over.
If the local operating unit has localized clauses, the global clauses are replaced by approved localized clauses during copy.
None of the Contract Expert rules from a global template are copied over. The system automatically associates any Contract Expert rules that are defined in the local operating unit with the Assign to All Templates property.
Note the following considerations for using global templates:
Global Operating Unit profile option: You must set this site-level profile option to determine global operating unit. You use the same profile option to create global clauses.
Global check box in the contract template: To create a global template, you must select the Global check box. When the template is approved, it becomes available in local operating units for copy.
Duplicate global templates: Local operating units can search for global templates using the search field Owning Operating Unit and selecting the Global radio button. Note that you can preview the global template first to ensure that the contract terms meet your requirements. Users in local operating units cannot modify or delete global templates unless the security profile for the responsibility allows them access to the both operating units.
You can view contract terms in global templates subject to the following exceptions:
The local operating unit cannot view the clauses that are local to the global operating unit.
The local operating unit cannot view the global clauses that were adopted or localized.
The local operating unit can view all contract rules in the global operating unit.
Contract Expert rules are not copied over when a global template is duplicated in a local operating unit.
Ordering sections for Contract Expert clauses: Sections are ordered based on how these sections are defined in the contract template that is used to author a contract. In addition, users can modify or create sections in the contract. As long as the clauses brought in by Contract Expert have a default section assigned to them, the ordering provided in the contract is maintained. If clauses do not have a default section, then the default section that was defined in the template is applied.
Ordering Contract Expert clauses within sections: To order clauses within sections, you can use the Move feature available in the contract. You cannot provide a preset ordering for the clauses in the library.
You can view Contract Expert rules from templates enabled for Contract Expert.
To view Contract Expert rules:
Navigate to the Contract Templates page.
Navigation: Library > Contract Templates tab
Enter the search criteria for the template. For more information, see the Search for the Templates section.
Click Go. The system displays the search results.
Click the Name link for the template that you want. The system displays the Contract Template page.
Open the Rules tab to view the rules. For more information, see the Contract Expert Chapter.
Oracle Contracts supports the use of business variables (tokens) in both clauses and Contract Expert rules. During authoring, values from the business document replace the variables. Oracle Contracts supports the following types of variables:
System-defined variables: Represent contract document attributes, such as payment terms, customer name, and supplier name. You can embed system variables in the clause text, which will automatically be substituted with values when the clause is used in a contract. System variables are also available to be used in defining Contract Expert rules.
Table variables: Attach Table type variables to clause text to display product and pricing information as part of contract terms. The actual products and prices are sourced from the business document during contract authoring. Oracle Sales Contracts supports the following seeded table variables:
Lines
Modifiers
Price Lists
User-defined variables: User-defined variables are tokens that you define over and above the system variables. Users must provide values for these variables as part of the contract authoring process. You can define variables that are sourced or derived from contract data. User-defined variables can be used in clause text or for Contract Expert rules. You can indicate the variable source as:
Manual: If you set the variable source to Manual, users must provide values for the variable as part of the contract authoring process.
PL/SQL Procedure: If the variable source is set to PL/SQL Procedure, the variable value is sourced or derived from the contract data.
Variable Identification
The application can identify a variable only if the variable is enclosed within the following special characters:
[@VARIABLE_NAME@]
For instance, the Payment Terms system variable must be captured with the following tags:
[@Payment Terms@]
The Managing Variables section covers the following topics:
Oracle Contracts provides seeded and user-defined variables:
Seeded variables cannot be deleted or modified. Seeded variables include:
System variables: These variables represent contract document attributes.
Deliverables variables: These variables capture deliverable information on a contract.
Note: Deliverable variables are available only for use in Procurement Contracts.
Table variables: These variables capture structure information, such as items and price lists that map to multiple rows.
Note: Table variables are available only for use in Sales Contracts.
User-defined variables are based on the needs of the contractual documents of the operating unit. These variables are replaced with values during contract authoring. In most cases, you can update or delete these variables. User-defined variables can be used either as tokens in clause text or to drive Contract Expert rules.
Define the corresponding value sets. For more information, see the Setting Up Value Sets section.
Define stored procedures for variables with source type PL/SQL Procedure. For a sample PL/SQL procedure code, see Sample Variable for PL/SQL Procedure Source Type Appendix.
To create variables:
Navigate to the Create Variable page.
Navigation Library > Variables tab > Create Variable button
In the Variable Name field, enter the name that you want to appear in clauses.
Optionally, enter a description for the variable.
In the Value Set field, select a value set from the list of values.
Note: You must assign the appropriate value set when creating a variable. The system does not verify that the appropriate value set has been attached. For more information, see the Setting Up Value Sets section .
In the Intent field, select the intent for the variable. You can select the Buy or Sell option from the list of values. Only clauses with the same intent can use the variable for embedding.
Optionally, select the External Party Updateable check box to allow updates to the variable by external users. Note that currently the system supports this feature only for authoring contracts with the Buy intent. Suppliers can be required to provide values for user-defined variables during the negotiation process. When you select the External Party Updateable check box, the variables are displayed in the iSupplier portal for supplier inputs. Suppliers using the iSupplier Portal to respond to purchase orders or sales agreements can update variable values in their responses.
Note: For variables that use source of PL/SQL Procedure, the External Party Updateable option cannot be selected.
Select the Manual or PL/SQL Procedure option as the variable Source from the list of values.
If you select the PL/SQL Procedure option as the source, the system displays the following mandatory fields:
Procedure Name: Enter a PL/SQL stored procedure name that is used for deriving the value for the variable. The name must be entered in the <schema name>.<package name>.<procedure name> format (for example, APPS.CUSTOM_UDV_PKG.Get_PO_Amount). If the format is not valid, the system displays an error message when you try to save the variable and asks you to correct the error. When the variable is saved, the system checks whether the procedure exists and is valid. If the procedure is not valid, the system displays a warning message and saves the variable.
Variable Code: Enter a unique variable code. The code cannot be a number.
Note: Variable Source, Procedure Name, and Variable Code cannot be updated if the variable has already been used in a Contract Expert rule or clause.
Click Apply to save the variable.
You can search for both user-defined and system variables.
For performance reasons:
You must search on at least one of the following criteria
Name
Description
Type
The system does not support blind searches or searches beginning with the wildcard character %.
To search for variables:
Navigate to the Variables page.
Navigation: Library > Variables tab
In the Variables Search region, you can perform searches on variables by:
Name
Description
Type
Intent
You must enter your search criteria in one of the following fields: Name, Description, or Type.
Click Go. The system displays the list of variables that match your search criteria.
To view a variable, click the Variable Name link.
You can obtain the list of clauses that use a specific variable.
To display clauses using a variable:
Navigate to the Variables page.
Navigation: Library > Variables tab
Search for the variable that you want. For more information, see the Searching for Variables section.
In the Results section, select the check box for the variable.
Click Display Clauses to view clauses that use the variable. The system displays all versions of a clause that use the specific variable.
Note: Clauses appear only for the operating units that are defined using the MO Security Profile for the current responsibility.
You can change or delete user-defined variables only.
This section covers the following topics:
You can update user-defined variables. However if the variable is used in Contract Expert rules or clauses, you cannot update the following fields:
Value set
Variable Source
Procedure Name
Variable Code
To update user-defined variables:
Navigate to the Variables page.
Navigation: Library > Variables tab
Search for the variable that you want to update. For more information, see the Searching for Variables section.
Click the Update button to open the variable for update. You cannot update the variable name, intent, and source. Also, after the variable has been used in a clause, you can update only the variable description and select the Disable check box. After the variable has been used in a clause or a rule, you must create a new variable if you want to change a value set that is assigned to a user-defined variable.
Make the necessary changes. For more information, see the Creating Variables section.
Select the Disable check box, if you want to prevent further use.
Click Apply to save the variable.
Consider the following for defining variables:
Before you begin to define user-defined variables, review the list of system-defined variables that have been seeded in the application. The variable that you want to define may already be present as a system-defined variable.
Note that if you are defining a user-defined variable, you can define value sets exclusively for that variable or use generic value sets across many variables. This analysis could save time and effort in the creation and maintenance of variables. For example, if the variable you are looking for is a free-form text-enterable field, you could create one generic free-form validation value set and reuse it across different variables.
If the value set that was used on a variable is deleted, the variable becomes unusable in Oracle Contracts. You must create a new variable with a valid value set, and then update all the clauses, templates, and business documents that were impacted by this change.
If you have created a user-defined variable with the intention of using it in Contract Expert rules, but the variable that you created is not available when you are defining a rule, review the value set that is associated with the variable. The value set definition may not meet the criteria that make it available in Contract Expert.
Variables are not specific to the operating unit. If you create a user-defined variable, it will immediately be available to all operating units that use Oracle Contracts. You could use the Description and Name fields to provide additional qualifications if you do not want to use a variable across operating units.
For the application to perform better, tune queries used in PL/SQL Procedures and value sets. Query performance will impact the application performance.
You can delete only user-defined variables that are not used in any clause or rule.
To delete variables:
Navigate to the Variables page.
Navigation: Library > Variables tab
Search for the variable that you want to delete. For more information, see the Searching for Variables section.
Click Go to view the search results.
Select the check box for the variable that you want to delete.
Click the Delete icon. The system displays the Warning page.
Click Yes to confirm.
Sections are headings under which you organize contract clauses. The headings provide structure and organization to a printed contract document. You can define sections that can be used in authoring templates and contracts. Previously defined sections are not required for creating contract templates because you can also define template-specific sections when creating a template.
This section covers the following topics:
To create sections:
Navigate to the Create Section page.
Navigation: Library > Sections tab > Create Section button
Enter the following parameters:
Code
Name
Description (optional)
Effective From
Effective To (optional)
Click Apply to save the new section and close the Create Section page.
Note: If you assign an end date to a section, it will not impact existing contract templates or business documents. However, the inactive section cannot be used to author new contract templates or business documents.
Use these steps to search for sections.
To search for sections:
Navigate to the Sections page.
Navigation: Library > Sections tab
Enter your search criteria for section:
Name
Code
Click Go. The system displays the sections that match your search criteria.
You cannot update a section name after it has been saved. Assigning an end date to a section impacts only clauses, contract templates, and contracts that are authored in the future. The system continues to use the end-dated sections if sections have already been used in a contract template or contract. However, in the case of contract templates in Draft status, the system provides an error message when users view the section details from the template.
To update sections:
Navigate to the Sections page.
Navigation: Library > Sections tab
Search for the section that you want to update. For more information, see Searching for Sections.
Click the Update icon for the section that you want to change.
Make the necessary changes. You can change the following fields:
Description
Effective to Date
Click Apply to save your changes and close the page.
Note: You must manage Sections using the Create and Update Sections pages in Oracle Contracts. Sections should not be created or modified using the Oracle Application Foundation Lookups module.
You can organize clauses under different folders for easier retrieval. After creating folders, you can use the Update Folders feature to organize clauses in different folders. For more information, see the following sections:
You can assign a clause to more than one folder.
This section covers the following topics:
Folders are unique within an operating unit. All operating units that use the Contract Terms Library can create their own folders. Folders that are created in a global operating unit are not copied over or created in the local operating unit.
To create folders:
Navigate to the Create Folder page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Folders > Create Folder button
Select an operating unit from the list of values. The list of values is based on the security profile that was defined for the responsibility that you are using. For more information, see Setting Up Operating Units and Setting Up Profile Options.
Enter a name for the folder.
Optionally, enter a description for the folder.
Click Save or Apply.
Use these steps to search for folders.
To search for folders:
Navigate to the Folders page.
Navigation: Contract Terms Library > Folders tab
Enter the search criteria for:
Operating Unit
Folder Name
Description
Click Go. The system displays the folders that match your search criteria.
This section covers the following topics:
You can update folders. During the update, you can:
Change folder name and description
Add clauses
Remove clauses
To update folders:
Navigate to the Folder page.
Navigation: Library > Folders tab
Search for the folder that you want to update. For more information, see the Searching for Folders section.
In the Result section, click the Update icon for the folder that you want to change. The system opens the folder for update. You can:
Change the name and description
Add clauses
Remove clauses
You can assign one clause to more than one folder.
To add clauses to folders:
Navigate to the Folder page.
Navigation: Library > Folders tab
Search for the folder that you want to update. For more information, see the Searching for Folders section.
In the Result section, click the Update icon for the folder to which you want to add clauses.
Click Add Clauses to open the Search Clause page.
Enter the search criteria for the clause. Note that you can add clauses of any status to the folder. The system does not maintain references to a specific version of a clause when it is added to a folder. When you browse a folder to select clauses on a contract template or contract, the appropriate version will be selected on the template or the contract.
Click Go to view the search results.
Select the clauses that you want to add.
Click Apply to add the clauses to the folder.
Click Save or Apply to save your changes.
Use these steps to remove a clause from a folder.
To remove clauses from folders:
Navigate to the Folder page.
Navigation: Library > Folders tab
Search for the folder that you want to update. For more information, see the Searching for Folders section.
In the Result section, click the Update icon for the folder that you want.
In the Clauses section, select the check box for the clause that you want to remove.
Click Remove.
Click Save or Apply to save your changes.
You can delete any folder from the Folders library.
To delete folders:
Navigate to the Folder page.
Navigation: Library > Folders tab
Search for the folder that you want to delete. For more information, see the Searching for Folders section.
In the Results section, click the Delete icon for the folder that you want to remove.
Click Yes to confirm.
The following table covers the purpose and possible implementation considerations for using any of these features. These are considerations, not recommendations:
| Details | Sections | Folders | Clause Types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is setup mandatory? | Yes | No | Yes |
| What is the intended purpose? | Sections are the headings under which clauses are structured and appear together on a printed contract. | Folder is a tool for users of the Contract Terms Library to organize clauses that they work on for easy access and retrieval. | Clause Types can be used to classify clauses based on nature, type, form, or function. |
| What are the common examples? |
|
|
|
| How is it used in a contract? | Sections and clauses together form the formatted content of a printed contract. | Folders are available as a browse tool for users who are authoring contracts to easily locate and add clauses to a contract. | Clause types are used as search criteria for users who are authoring contracts to easily search for and add clauses to a contract. Clause types can also be used to route the contracts for special approvals. For example, all nonstandard Finance type clauses are to be routed to the Finance group for approval. |