Releasing and approving a contract

Release

Release ends data entry and puts the contract in Pending Approval. It is done from the contract's button or, for several at once, by ticking them in the list and pressing Release.

To be released, the contract needs:

• a freighter,
• at least one line,
• and, if the company requires an approval workflow (Business_Releasing_RequireContractWorkflow), a workflow: if the contract has none, the default one is assigned; if there is no default, the release is refused with a message.

On release, if the contract has a workflow, it starts and sends its notices. Otherwise, if the company enabled notifications, the approvers get an email with the link to the contract.

While pending, an approver can edit Cost adjustment $. If anything else must be corrected, To draft returns the contract to data entry (as long as the warehouse has not started receiving it).

Approve

A pending contract is approved in one of two ways, depending on whether it has a workflow:

• Without a workflow: the Approve button. Confirmation is requested because the operation is irrevocable.
• With a workflow: the Approve button does not show; instead, the Workflow > Process menu opens the pending step (confirm, sign, upload a document or capture a value). When the workflow reaches its end, the contract is approved. Restart takes the workflow back to the start and discards what was captured.

On approval:

1. The approval date is recorded (Approved step in the side panel).
2. With the warehouse integration on, any Products still missing are sent to the warehouse and the purchase order is created in P4W under the contract's number. The side panel shows it with its state (Not received, Receiving, Closed).
3. The importer's contact is emailed, when notifications are on.

From then on the warehouse can receive against the contract, and you can generate proforma invoices as soon as goods have been received.

Approving in bulk

Under Inbound > Contracts, tick several pending contracts and press Approve. The button says how many of the selected ones qualify. Those with a workflow are skipped (their workflow must be processed) and the final summary says so.

Back to draft

To draft is available in Pending Approval and in Approved, as long as the contract has no Receipts and the warehouse has not started receiving the order. After that the contract can no longer be reopened for data entry: correct by way of a Backorder PO or a new contract.