Configuration Lists

Configuration lists are lists containing certain settings which they can transfer to contracts, legal files and requests through contract folder and/or legal areas. Other than contract folders or legal areas, configuration lists are only visible in the Contract Manager Configuration, thus the advanced mode is required (see chapter ”Usage Modes“).

Note: Configuration lists, contract folders and legal areas are also called “contract manager lists”. Similarly, contracts, legal files and requests are summarized by the umbrella term “contract manager files”, and both terms are frequently used throughout this document.

General Information

In most cases, at least one configuration list is used to transfer its settings and assignments to the contract folders and legal areas that it is superordinate to. Configuration lists can also be used in more complex scenarios, for example when it comes to hierarchization and permissions (see chapter “Chaining Several Configuration Lists”).

Note: Assignments are ways of categorization that can be assigned to contract manager files to allow for easier organization. For example, a contract pertaining to a purchase can be assigned to an assignment target of the “Supplier” type. Further information can be found in chapter “Assignments“.

Areas

Configuration lists are divided into the following areas:

• <Assignment target> (e.g. Suppliers)
  Displays the instances of an assignment target available in the current configuration list.
  Note:
  • This area is only visible if assignment targets are managed (see chapter “Assignments“).
  • If the configuration list manages assignment targets, the dashboard of both the contract manager and the configuration list displays a dedicated area per assignment target (for example “Suppliers” if suppliers are managed).
• Documents
  Displays the documents available in the current configuration list.
• Reports
  Displays the reports available in the current configuration list.
  Note: Defining reports in a configuration list is equivalent to the contract manager configuration (see chapter ”Reports“).
• Uploads
  Displays the original documents for the import of contract manager files.
  Further information can be found in chapter “Imports”.

Actions

You can perform the following actions:

• Open Wastebasket
  Opens the wastebasket of the configuration list.
  Note: This action is only visible if at least one object has been deleted.
• Create Report <report name>
  Creates a report based upon a report template.
  Note: This action is only visible if a report template is available for this area. Further information can be found in chapter ”Reports“.
• Settings
  Opens the settings of the configuration list.

Settings

In the settings of a configuration list, you can specify the following:

Tab “Configuration List“

• Name
  Defines the name of the configuration list.
• Subject
  Defines the subject of the configuration list as text.
• Superordinate List
  Defines which configuration list is superordinate to the current one.
  Note: This field is only visible if at least two configuration lists exist.

Tab “Assignments“

• Manage <Assignment target> (e.g. Manage Suppliers)
  Enables managing assignment targets in the configuration list (see chapter ”Managing Assignment Targets“).
• Default Category for New <Assignment target> (e.g. Suppliers)
  Defines a category that is applied to each new assignment instance upon creation.
  Note: This category must be the release version of a form (see chapter ”Creating a New Form“).

Further information can be found in chapter ”Assignment Targets“.

Tab “Roles“

• Primary Contact
  Defines the primary contact of the configuration list.
• Approval Definitions
  Defines approval levels and approvers in the configuration list.
  Note: This field is only visible if there are approval levels and limits defined in the contract manager configuration (see chapter ”Approvals“).
• Signers
  Defines one or more signers for the configuration list. The order in which the signers are entered is the same order in a subsequent signature process.
  Note:
  • It is not recommended to generally manage all signers in a configuration list but instead to make these settings in the individual subordinated contract folders and legal areas. The signers therein will, in complex configurations or organizations, likely differ from those in the configuration list.
  • In less complex configurations or organizations wherein the same signers sign contracts all the time, managing the signers in a configuration list is, however, a valid option to be considered.

Creating a Configuration List

In order to create a new configuration list, proceed as follows:

1. Navigate into the contract manager configuration. Navigate into the contract manager configuration.
2. Click the action ”Create Configuration List”.
3. If there are templates available for this object type, a selection dialog is displayed. Select the desired entry from the list.
4. In the field Name, enter a name for the configuration list.
5. Optionally, in the field Subject, enter a fitting subject for the configuration list.
6. Optionally, in the field Superordinate List, define which other configuration list should be superordinate to the current one.
   Further information can be found in chapter “Chaining Several Configuration Lists”.
7. Switch to the “Roles“ tab.
8. In the field Primary Contact, enter the primary contact for the current configuration list.
9. Click on “Next“.

Note:

• Defining signers is not relevant in the configuration list.
• Defining approval levels is not relevant in the configuration list.

Defining an Assignment

The definition of assignments is described in chapter ”Managing Assignment Targets“.

The creation of assignment instances is described in chapter ”Creating an Assignment Instance“.

Chaining Several Configuration Lists

In many cases, one configuration list suffices to manage the desired assignment targets (and their respective instances) used in contract folders/legal areas in order to meet the needs of the organization.

However, in more complex organizations with numerous departments and areas of responsibility, this setup may no longer be enough. Thus, it is possible to distribute the management of the assignments between several configuration lists. This way, for example, the members or teams in charge of certain assignment targets can be granted finely graduated access rights. Several configuration lists, superordinate to each other, can form a chain that organizes the access rights for numerous involved members and add up the assignments. Hence, the configuration list at the end of the chain provides all available assignment targets.

All the aspects and considerations involved are listed below.

Formal Responsibility

In a company, there are, among others, the departments “IT Services”, “Marketing” and “Engineering”. The management of software licenses is within the scope of IT Services, brands are a matter of Marketing and product development lies in the jurisdiction of Engineering.

Assignments

In order to represent these responsibilities in the contract manager, these departments are in charge of the assignment target “Licenses”, “Brands” and “Products” respectively. The departments are allowed to create and manage concrete assignment instances for licenses, brands and products.

Configuration Lists

Each assignment target is managed within a separate list. It follows that the configuration list “CL 1” contains instances of licenses, list “CL2” contains instances of brands, and “CL3” contains instances of products.

Access Rights

For this purpose, members of the respective departments are granted access. Members of IT Services are given Change Access in list “CL1”, members of Marketing have Change Access in “CL2”, and Engineering has Change Access in “CL3”.

Structure

The configuration list “CL1“ is subordinate to ”CL2“, while “CL2” is subordinate to “CL3”. The list “CL3” is then made to be superordinate to a contract folder or a legal area.

Result

The configuration list CL3 is superordinate to a contract folder or legal area and, due to the chaining, allows access to all assignment instances of licenses, brands and products. The access rights for the individual licenses, brands and products are finely graduated as well and, furthermore, all responsibilities are distributed in a concise and comprehensible manner.

In a scenario such as this, it is advisable to name the configuration lists in a meaningful naming scheme, combining words and numbers. By doing this, in selecting the corresponding superordinate list (e.g. CL1 subordinate to CL2 subordinate to CL3, etc.), one can infer which further settings will be available due to the selection made.

For example: “CL1-IT/Licenses“, “CL2-Markting/Brands“ and “CL3-Engineering/Products”.

Dissolving a Configuration List

Dissolving configuration lists is equivalent to contract folders (see chapter ”Dissolving a Contract Folder“).

Access Rights

Defining access rights in configuration lists is equivalent to contract folders (see chapter ”Access Rights“).