Momentus Elite has a built-in contracting workflow. This allows you to create your proposals and contracts within Elite, track where you are in the contracting process via the event's contract status, and create tasks to remind you to do the next step in the contracting process.
The full built-in contracting workflow is:
- Create a Proposal
- Send the Proposal to the Client
- Mark the Proposal as Approved
- Upload the Signed Proposal
- Create a Contract
- Send the Contract for Internal Approval
- Send the Contract to the Client
- Mark the Contract as Signed
- Upload the Signed Contract
In this article we'll walk you through the full contracting workflow, with links to how-to guides with step-by-step instructions. Depending on your venue's needs, you may use the entire workflow or you can choose to use only the parts you need.
Some additional notes:
- All proposals, contracts, and addendums are created from custom templates which we create for you from documents you send to us. These templates have your language, logos, layout, etc. If you do not have templates created on your account, please contact us to get those set up.
We are in the process of transitioning document templates to a new Insights system. Only Insights templates will have the option to choose the document format (PDF or DocX).
- If you choose to create your proposals and documents outside of Elite, we recommend you still use the contract status feature. On the event details page Contracting tab, click the edit pencil icon to manually update the event's contract status. You can also upload copies of your documents via the cloud_upload cloud icon in each card.
- All contract status changes are logged in the event's activity log. On the event's details page, click the more_vert more info icon on the right side of the header and select Activity Log.
- Throughout this article we mention DocuSign. If you are not using the DocuSign integration, you will not see those options in the application.
Let's get started! When an event is booked, its contract status will be No Proposal or Contract. To start the contracting process, go to the event's details page and click Contracting. We'll create all our documents and manage the process on this tab.
The status card on the left of this page is designed to walk you through our standard workflow. The blue button will always be the next step in the process, with a transparent button beside it showing an optional path.
This is the full Elite Contracting Workflow. Click a section to expand it for more information!
Proposals, sometimes referred to as estimates or quotes, are intended to share preliminary event details and initial cost estimates with potential clients prior to having a signed contract or license agreement.
Before creating the proposal, add any information you may wish to include to the event, such as booked spaces (event must be prospect or tentative), rental rates, or items.
Create the proposal by clicking the blue workflow button on the left, or click the plus in the Proposals card.
In the Create Proposal slider you'll be able to name the proposal (this becomes the file name of the document), add an internal description, choose a template, choose the document format, and choose a contact to be included in the proposal. Click Save and your proposal is created!
The event's contract status will be updated to Proposal Created.
Now that the proposal is created, you can:
- Preview the document. Your option will match the format of the document you created: click the PDF icon on the page or in the details slider to preview the PDF or click the cloud_download cloud download icon to download the Word document.
- Click the name of the proposal to access additional functionality:
- Edit the name of the proposal file by clicking the edit pencil icon.
- Edit the document itself. Click the more_vert more info menu and select Edit Document.
- Any edits you make to the document will not be present if you create another proposal.
- Your edits will be present if you create a revision. But a revision simply creates a copy of the current document — it will not pull in updated event information
- The Edit Document option will only be visible on PDF documents created with the old templating system. If you did not have the option to choose a file format when you created the PDF, it is on the old system and you'll be able to edit the PDF in-app.
- The Edit Document option will be available for all DocX files. Depending on the complexity of your template, number of images, and other factors you may find some formatting issues will be introduced when edited using the in-app editor. We recommend downloading DocX files and editing them in Word or another word processing program to best preserve the formatting.
If you are creating your proposals outside of Elite, you can upload a copy to the contracting tab. Click the cloud_upload cloud upload icon in the Proposals card, then manually update the contract status via the edit pencil icon.
- Related reading: Create a Proposal
Once the proposal is created, you need to send it to your client. You can send it from Elite, download it and send it from your email application, or send it to DocuSign to facilitate e-signing.
To send the proposal from Elite or send it to DocuSign, click the blue workflow button on the left, or click the proposal to open its details slider and click the mail envelope icon. Select the appropriate action in the dropdown menu, add information in the slider, and click Send.
To download the proposal, click the icon by the proposal name or in its details slider. Depending on the document file format, the icon will be the picture_as_pdf PDF icon or the cloud_download cloud download icon.
Once you've sent the proposal, the event's contracting status will update to Proposal Sent. If you are using DocuSign, the contract status will update when the proposal has been sent to DocuSign, not when the envelope is sent to the client from DocuSign.
If you send the proposal externally, click the transparent workflow button to update the contract status.
When the status updates, you will be asked if you'd like to create a task to remind you to follow up on this proposal.
What if you need to update the proposal before the client will approve it? You have several options:
- If you would like to update the existing proposal, click the proposal to open its details slider. Click the more_vert more info menu and select Edit Document, or download the DocX and edit it in your word processing program.
- If you would like to update the existing proposal but keep a copy for your records, you can create a revision. Click the proposal to open its details slider, then click the more_vert more info menu and select Create Revision. You can now edit the revision as noted above. Please note that this new document is simply a copy of the original; any additional or changed event information will not update.
- If event information has changed, you may prefer to create a new proposal that will pull in that information. Click the plus in the proposal section to create a new proposal. Note that if you had made edits to the original proposal document, they will not be included in this one.
- Related reading:
Once the client approves the contract, you will update the contract status to Proposal Approved.
To mark the proposal as approved and update the contract status, click the blue workflow button. If there is more than one proposal document, select the approved document in the drop down.
The event's contract status will update to Proposal Approved and the approved proposal will have a green checkmark. You will also be asked if you'd like to create a task to remind you to send the contract.
If you sent the proposal to be signed via DocuSign, the contract status will update to Proposal Approved when the envelope is completed and the signed proposal is returned to Elite.
If you require a client signature on proposals, once the document is signed you can upload it to the event. Click the cloud_upload cloud upload icon in the Proposals card to open the Upload Proposal slider and upload the document. Be sure to check Signed!
The uploaded proposal will be listed in the card, marked with a pen icon to denote that this is the file which has the client signature.
If the proposal was sent to the client via DocuSign, the signed proposal will be returned to Elite once the envelope is completed.
- Related reading: Upload a Signed Proposal, Contract, or Addendum
Creating a contract is a similar to creating a proposal. Before creating the contract, be sure that all event information that will be pulled into it has been updated.
Create the contract by clicking the blue workflow button on the left, or click the plus in the Contracts card.
In the Create Contract slider you'll be able to name the contract (this becomes the file name), add an internal description, choose a template, choose a file format, and choose a contact to be included in the contract. Click Save.
The event's contract status will be updated to Contract Waiting to Send. If you are using the Elite approval workflow, it will change to Contract Waiting to Send for Approval (more about that in the next section of this article).
Just as with the proposal, you can now:
- Preview the document. Your option will match the format of the document you created: click the picture_as_pdf PDF icon on the page or in the details slider to preview the PDF or click the cloud_download cloud download icon to download the Word document.
- Click the name of the contract to access additional functionality:
- Edit the name of the contract file by clicking the edit pencil icon.
- Edit the document itself. Click the more_vert more info menu and select Edit Document.
- Any edits you make to the document will not be present if you create another proposal.
- Your edits will be present if you create a revision. But a revision simply creates a copy of the current document — it will not pull in updated event information
- The Edit Document option will only be visible on PDF documents created with the old templating system. If you did not have the option to choose a file format when you created the PDF, it is on the old system and you'll be able to edit the PDF in-app.
- The Edit Document option will be available for all DocX files. Depending on the complexity of your template, number of images, and other factors you may find some formatting issues will be introduced when edited using the in-app editor. We recommend downloading the DocX file and editing it in Word or another word processing program to best preserve the formatting.
If you are creating your contracts outside of Elite, you can upload a copy to the contracting tab. Click the cloud_upload cloud upload icon in the Contracts card, then manually update the contract status via the edit pencil icon.
- Related reading: Create a Contract
Elite has a built-in approval workflow for contracts. If this is enabled, the workflow button will update to Send contract for approval after creating a contract. Click the button to send the contract to be approved. If there is more than one contract on the event, select which one you would like approved.
Now that you've sent the contract for approval, several things will happen:
- The contract status will update to Contract Pending Approval.
- The workflow button will change to Revoke Contract Approval Request, in case you need to make further edits before approval.
- A green check will appear by the contract which was sent for approval.
- You can add a task to alert those who will be approving the contract that is ready for review. In addition to a task, contract reviewers can have a dashboard or event list view to help them manage their contract review process..
Instead of Revoke Contract Approval Request, users who have permission to approve contracts will have a button which says Review Contract:
When they click Review Contract, they'll be able to download the contract for review, edit it if needed, and then approve or reject it (adding a comment if they wish).
When they approve or reject the contract, the contract status will update and a task will be created for the user who booked the event. You can then proceed to send the contract or make further revisions as needed.
- Related reading: Workflow for Contract Approval
Once the contract is created and approved, you need to send it to your client. You can send it from Elite, download it and send it from your email application, or send it to DocuSign to facilitate e-signing.
To send the contract from Elite or send it to DocuSign, click the blue workflow button on the left, or click the contract to open its details slider and click the mail envelope icon. Select the appropriate action in the dropdown menu, add information in the slider, and click Send.
If you send an invoice with your contracts, you will need to download the contract and invoice and send them via your email application. If you use DocuSign, send the contract to DocuSign and then download the invoice and add it to the contract's envelope in DocuSign. While both contracts and invoices can be sent from Elite, they cannot be sent together at this time.
To download the contract, click the icon by the contract name or in its details slider. Depending on the document file format, the icon will be the picture_as_pdf PDF icon or the cloud_download cloud download icon.
Once you've sent the contract, the event's contracting status will update to Contract Sent. If you sent the contract from Elite, a green check will appear by the contract that was sent to the client.
- If you are using DocuSign, the contract status will update when the proposal has been sent to DocuSign, not when the envelope is sent to the client from DocuSign.
- If you are using the internal approval workflow, the green check appeared when you sent the contract for approval, since the contract you send will be the one which was approved.
If you send the contract externally, click the transparent workflow button to update the contract status.
When the status updates, you will be asked if you'd like to create a task to remind you to follow up on this contract.
- Related reading:
Once the contract has been signed, click the blue workflow button to update the contract status to Contract Signed. If you have more than one contract, choose which one to mark as final.
The contract status will update and the final contract will have a green check mark.
You'll also be prompted to confirm the event.
If you sent the contract to be signed via DocuSign, the contract status will update to Contract Signed when the envelope is completed and the signed contract is returned to Elite.
You'll now be able to upload the actual signed contract to Elite. Click the cloud_upload cloud upload icon in the Contracts card to open the Upload Contract slider and upload the document. Be sure to check Signed!
The uploaded contract will be listed in the card, marked with a pen icon to denote that this is the file which has the client signature
If the contract was sent to the client via DocuSign, the signed contract will be returned to Elite once the envelope is completed.
- Related reading: Upload a Signed Proposal, Contract, or Addendum