Contract Statuses

You use contract statuses to track a contract throughout the process. You can configure contract statuses to default certain contract dates and automatically create checklists. You can also use contract statuses to create rules, such as controlling when bookings are added or if you can move a contract status to a lower level. 

In this article:

• Add a Contract Status
• To configure contract statuses to default certain contract dates, see Default the Written, Mailed, Due, Decision and Signed Dates Based on Contract Status.
• To default the event status based on the contract status, see Automatic Update Event Status Based on Contract Status.
• Edit a Contract Status
• Inactivate a Contract Status
• Delete a Status

To learn more about using contract statuses to create rules within the contract management workflow, see The Contract Configuration Window.

Add a Contract Status

1. In the Main Menu, search for and select Contract Statuses. The Contract Statuses page opens.
2. Click Add. The Add Contract Status window opens.
3. Enter the necessary information:
   • Description - Name for the status. This is the description that displays to users.
   • Code - Describes where the status falls in the overall structure of the statuses. The code value has further impact in the software and is used in access privileges and organization parameters.  The code is used to sort the statuses from the lowest status to the highest status. Status codes 80 and above are for cancelled or lost contract statuses. You should never use these for active statuses.
   • Abbreviated - Shortened description for the status used on various screens throughout the software.
   • Status Color - Background color when the status displays in drop-downs and screens throughout the software.
   • Text Color - Text color when the status displays in drop-downs and screens throughout software.
   • Lost - If checked, the status is a Lost status. Only available for statuses with status codes of 80 - 89. This is used for Lost business reporting.
   • Retire - If checked, the status is not available to users as a selection but is still assigned to existing contracts.
   • Upd Written - Defaults the Written Date to a specific value when a contract is assigned the status. See Default the Written, Mailed, Due, Decision and Signed Dates Based on Contract Status for more information.
   • Upd Mailed - Defaults the Mailed Date to a specific value when a contract is assigned the status. See Default the Written, Mailed, Due, Decision and Signed Dates Based on Contract Status for more information.
   • Upd Due - Defaults the Due Date to a specific value when a contract is assigned the status. See Default the Written, Mailed, Due, Decision and Signed Dates Based on Contract Status for more information.
   • Upd Decision - Defaults the Decision Date to a specific value when a contract is assigned the status. See Default the Written, Mailed, Due, Decision and Signed Dates Based on Contract Status for more information.
   • Upd Signed - Defaults the Signed Date to a specific value when a contract is assigned the status. See Default the Written, Mailed, Due, Decision and Signed Dates Based on Contract Status for more information.
   • Event Status - Automatically updates the event status to the selected value when a contract is assigned the status. See Automatic Update Event Status Based on Contract Status for more information.
4. Click OK.

Default the Written, Mailed, Due, Decision and Signed Dates Based on Contract Status

Configure the default Written, Mailed, Due, Decision and Signed fields on the contract status  to automatically updated relevant date fields on a contract when the contract status is changed.  

To configure the update date fields:

1. In the Main Menu, search for and select Contract Statuses. The Contract Statuses page opens.
2. Select the contract status that should default one of the dates.
3. Right-click and select Edit. The Edit Contract Status window opens.
4. Enter a numeric value with a +/-sign to indicate the number of days before or after the current date for the date to default in the Upd Written, Upd Mailed, Upd Due, Upd Decision and/or Upd Signed field(s). Select Current Date to default the date to the current date.
   • For example, for the Proposal status, you can configure the following: 
     • Upd Written - Current Date
     • Upd Mailed - Leave Blank
     • Upd Due - Leave Blank
     • Upd Decision - Leave Blank
     • Upd Signed - Leave Blank
   • Then configure the following for the Contract Sent status:
     • Upd Written - Leave Blank
     • Upd Mailed - Current Date
     • Upd Due - +30
     • Upd Decision - Leave Blank
     • Upd Signed - Leave Blank
5. Click OK.

Using the example above, when a contract is created at the Proposal status, the Written Date defaults to the current date and the other date fields are left blank. When the contract is later updated to the Contract Sent status, the Written Date retains its original date, the Mailed Date is set to the current date, the Due Date defaults to 30 days after the Mailed Date and the Signed Date is left blank.

Automatically Update Event Status Based on Contract Status

You can have the event status automatically updated when a contract status changes to a particular value. For example, when a contract is sent, you can configure the software to automatically set the event status to a Pending status. Then when the contract is signed and returned, you can configure the software to automatically set the event status to Firm.

1. In the Main Menu, search for and select Contract Statuses. The Contract Statuses page opens.
2. Select the contract status to trigger the event status change.
3. Right-click and select Edit. The Edit Contract Status window opens.
4. Select the event status from the Event Status drop-down.
5. Click OK.

Edit a Contract Status

You can change all information for a status except the Code field. When you change the description, abbreviated description, status color or text color of a contract status, it updates wherever the contract status is used. If you don't want to update the already existing contract status data, then you must add a new contract status using the steps in Add a Contract Status.

If you change the Upd Written, Upd Mailed, Upd Due, Upd Decision, Upd Signed or Event Status fields and the status is already assigned to a contract, the information is not updated on that contract. You need to unassign the status and reassign it to update those fields.

1. In the Main Menu, search for and select Contract Statuses. The Contract Statuses page opens.
2. Select the contract status to edit.
3. Right-click and select Edit. The Edit Contract Status window opens.
4. Make the desired change.
5. Click OK.

Inactivate a Contract Status

If you no longer use a contract status but want to keep record of it for reporting or other purposes, you can make it inactive. When you make a contract status inactive, it is no longer available for selection in the Contract Status drop-down.

1. In the Main Menu, search for and select Contract Statuses. The Contract Statuses page opens.
2. Select the contract status to make inactive.
3. Right-click and select Edit. The Edit Contract Status window opens.
4. Check the Retire check box.
5. Click OK.

Delete a Status

If you no longer use a contract status and don't want to keep a record of it, you can delete it. You can only delete contract statuses that are not used. You cannot undo the delete process.

1. In the Main Menu, search for and select Contract Statuses. The Contract Statuses page opens.
2. Right-click on the contract status to delete.
3. Select Mark for Delete.
4. Click Save.