17 Aug 2020

Overview of document automation powered by Contract Express

What is Contract Express?  

Contract Express is a tool used for creating legal documents through templates and questionnaires. It serves as the document automation engine for HighQ and automates the generation of legal documents; input is collected through structured questionnaires and applied to predefined templates.  

This integration, HighQ Doc Auto powered by Contract Express, allows for a streamlined process where document generation, management, and related workflows are combined into a single, efficient system. Admins can also capture and audit data through HighQ iSheets, which enhances control over document creation and management processes.  

Please visit the Contract Express video gallery for additional information.

Please note that authoring (creating a template) is only compatible with the Windows OS.

Streamline legal drafting with HighQ and Contract Express integration 

Contract Express provides a user-friendly design with easy setup, requiring minimal technical expertise:  

  • Contract Express integration with HighQ simplifies the drafting process through intuitive markup, compliance and relevancy tools. 
  • Administrators can upload templates and configure user access to the document automation service. 
  • Users gain access to templates for efficient document automation. 

Please be aware that a new site is created on instances where HighQ Doc Auto is enabled. 

Activate Contract Express Document Automation in HighQ 

HighQ provides dynamic document automation by integrating Contract Express’ advanced features for secure collaboration and workflow efficiency. Streamline legal document creation with automated workflows that track progress and integrate data to speed up services and reduce risk.  

If you already use HighQ Collaborate, it is a simple process to access powerful Contract Express features: 

  • Please contact your HighQ representative to purchase and register the HighQ Document Automation module, powered by Contract Express.
    • HighQ coordinates with support to issue the necessary licence. A system admin must upload the licence to activate Contract Express. 
  • A system admin must then authorise the add-on in system settings.
  • Site admins must be a member of one of the Contract Express system groups, and can then configure sites to allow access to Contract Express templates.
  • If you need to manage templates on the Contract Express environment, you can open Contract Express directly from HighQ.

More information is available in the Contract Express Integration setup article.

Add templates to HighQ and map variables

Once you have enabled the new HighQ Document Automation module on your instance or site, you need to add templates to produce documents using your organisation's data.  

  • Add templates to HighQ from the Contract Express library. Each site may be configured to use different templates.
  • Map iSheet columns to Contract Express variables in a template and set a location to save generated documents (a folder or iSheet attachment column).
  • After configuration, choose a save destination for the document—either a site folder or an iSheet attachment column, then click 'Add' to list the template on the site for document generation.
  • Site admins can archive unneeded templates in the Admin module; select 'Contract Express templates' to declutter the template list.  

Ideally, you should develop templates and mapping on a staging site, and move them to a live production site after they have been finalised. This avoids potential issues caused when changes are made during development.

Define user roles and permissions in Contract Express integration 

In Contract Express, users can use one of three roles, User, Author and Admin roles are defined by two system groups, created when the Contract Express integration is enabled. Admins get the most control, they can make, change, and manage templates and do everything authors and users can. Authors can create templates, while users create documents with the provided templates.  Basic Users can also create documents using ready-made templates, making document automation easy and accessible for everyone. 

  • Add additional administrators, users and authors to Contract Express system groups
    • Admins can access all settings, including Contract Express admin options; they must be in the Contract Express admins and authors group
    • Authors can create templates; they must be in the Contract Express admins and authors group
    • Users can create documents from templates; they must be in the Contract Express users group

Optimise document generation with Contract Express

Contract Express enhances the user-friendly experience by using plain language to simplify document automation and updates; legal teams do not need programming skills to manage documents. 

Document generation can be triggered automatically with Workflow, or users can generate documents manually from a dashboard panel, the Files module or the iSheet module. The Contract Express questionnaire allows the user to review and revise any text or selection before the document is generated.  

More information about Contract Express is available from the Contract Express Knowledge Base.

Enable Auto-send with Contract Express templates 

As of November 2022, Contract Express allows you to enable auto-send for signatures via DocuSign. To auto-send a document, the document must:  

  • Be generated by a Contract Express template. 
  • Have recipient information (the template provides automation to collect recipient details).
  • Have auto-send enabled in the Contract Express template. 

To save Contract Express generated documents in HighQ, verify the file type isn't blacklisted under System Admin, File, File types. 

If approvals are required to add a file to a folder, please ensure that Approval and Workflow rules do not interfere with auto-send for Contract Express generated documents. 

To find out more about how Contract Express can collect recipients, please see the 'esignature fields' article in the Contract Express Author tool's help file.

Generate reports with Contract Express 

As of December 2023, a system admin can create a report to show templates added to a site and how they are used.

The report allows you to measure the success of each template and gain template utilisation data to help understand template utility, or retire templates if needed.

Was this article helpful?