Document Creation Wizards

You can use the document creation process with the contract wizard to manage documentation procedures and policies. For example, you can use the wizard to ensure that certain contract language limits the extent to which suppliers can use the organization's name in their marketing literature. If the language applies only in some circumstances, you can create a wizard question to ask the contract authors when the language applies. If they answer that they want a marketing restriction, the system automatically includes the appropriate language in the correct place in the draft contract. If they answer no restrictions, the clause is omitted. Using wizard definitions, the system helps you consider issues that could delay or enhance the contract process.

When you create a document using a wizard, you associate the wizard with a document configurator. The configurator is a template that the system uses to gather elements of a document and to structure the document. When you create a wizard and assign an ID to it, you use that ID in the document configurator. Then, using the configurator to create a document, the system presents the wizard questions to the author. During processing, the system uses the responses that you provide for wizard questions to navigate within the questions of the question groups, to resolve rules, and to include text in the document.

You can use the document creation process with the contract wizard to author adhoc, purchasing contract, purchase order, and sourcing documents. Ad hoc documents are standalone documents that are not associated with a transaction. For example, an ad hoc document might be a nondisclosure agreement. A transaction document is a document that is associated with a contract, purchase order, or event within PeopleSoft Purchasing or Strategic Sourcing applications.

To create a wizard, you define a set of one or more question groups that are unique to the wizard ID. A question group is a set of predefined questions that you can use across multiple wizards. For document creation wizards each question in the question group can be associated with a wizard bind variable. The questions are typically grouped by a specific topic and each question results in a response from the user. If you are using a document creation wizard, the system stores the question responses, in a wizard bind record.

The contract wizard requires that an administrator configure the structures and data for the clauses, sections, rules, and configurators to which wizard definitions relate. Contract authors do not need that level of expertise. They only need the business knowledge to answer the predefined questions.

The next diagram illustrates the flow for document creation using a wizard. The process begins when authors select a configurator ID that uses a wizard. During the processing, authors answer the wizard questions. When completed, they click the Finish button, and the system processes the document configurator by running the wizard, resolving bind variables, then creating the authored document.

This diagram illustrates the wizard process using the document creation type wizard: