Find me on LinkedIn

Quick, simple and accurate contract generation

Create contracts or other documents using Excel data without the need to copy/paste or rekey!

The Problem

The client was using a manual process to create contracts for their clients who store caravans on their site.  These were often hand written and there was no method for tracking when contracts were due for renewal, when payments were made or keeping track of the storage facilities available.

Although a template had been developed in Microsoft Word, these had to be manually completed and, once agreed, there was no guarantee that their clients wouldn't change details in an editable document.

The Solution

We spent time with the client to understand the process from enquiry, through contract creation and agreement, payment and cancellation stages.  This allowed us to work together to design the solution incorporating all the elements for managing the contracts effectively.

We designed an Excel workbook which included:

  • Records of clients and details about the caravans
  • Automated contract number generation to allow multiple contracts for a client
  • Details of contracts for each client with start dates, contract periods, payment methods, and other information
  • Transaction records to note when contracts were issued, payments made, contracts closed, etc.  This information is all connected so, for example, an outstanding payment or contract renewal is automatically highlighted on the main client page making it easy to see at a glance, ensuring contracts are managed effectively.  No more forgotten renewals or missed payments!

Once all this was in place, we created a program which would allow them to select a client and a contract and automatically generate a Word document or pdf to be emailed out.

All information in the contract manager spreadsheet is automatically populated in fields on the Word template.  This saves a huge amount of time, but also ensures consistency in the data so no checking and no errors which can lead to misunderstandings.

The Benefits

Not only has this solution saved a lot of paper (contracts are now no longer printed as an electronic copy is saved automatically), but the client has found that the whole process has become much more streamlined and accurate.

  • Being able to see outstanding payments at a glance means that money is collected more quickly, enhancing cash flow
  • Contracts are now renewed on time, also ensuring that payments for ongoing storage are received quickly
  • As the Word documents are directly generated from the data in the master spreadsheet, there are no errors in contracts ensuring great customer service is maintained.  Nobody wants to waste time and damage relationships with contract disputes!
  • The facility to generate a pdf file means that the final agreed contract details are held in a format which is much harder for anyone to modify, ensuring details are correct and secure at all times
  • Holding all the contract and payment data in a single spreadsheet means that reports can be run to monitor income and storage utilisation, ensuring that maximum use is made of the available space.  Monitoring seasonal variations means that planning of storage is more effective.

 

Contact us today to find out more

Leave a Comment