How to create centralized automations in-app?

Can I create automations shared with the rest of my team?

If you are new to Contractbook Automation Builder, we recommend you click here to access our simple step-by-step guides for managing automated workflows via centralized ownership.

It is possible to use the same Contractbook automation setup with the rest of your team in three different ways:  

By creating automations from the team owner's account:

This type of centralized automation will allow all team members to gain access to documents created as a result of automations, without having to create them under their accounts.

This means that now only the team owner has to set up an automation that will automatically share documents created by anyone within the team.

Example use case "add to a shared folder":

• When a new "Sales contract" draft is created from a shared with the team template by any of the team members with access to it, then:
• Automatically add that draft to a shared folder with all drafted sales agreements, which is shared with the sales manager, who has to review and approve the draft to turn it into a contract,

The team owner can view all team documents by default and will have full managerial rights over the ones explicitly shared with him with this type of permission.

Therefore, if anyone from the team creates a new draft, the team owner can configure an automated workflow in which this draft will be added to a shared folder without requiring the team members to have the same automation setup under their accounts.

Here is an example of how this type of automation will run:

Example use case "Share a document":

• The team owner creates a template and shares it with the rest of the team
• The team owner sets up the automation that contains the following: “When a draft is created” then “Share a document”
• Team member creates a draft from the shared template under their account. The automation from the previous point will run on the team owner’s account and succeed. The team member’s draft will now be shared with the selected collaborators.

Here is an example of how this type of automation will run:

You can customize this setup to fit your business use case. For more available options of centralized automation configurations within the in-app automation builder, click here.

What are the requirements for setting up centralized automations as a team owner? 

“Draft created” or “Draft updated” triggers:

You can choose one of the following options for the documents on which these types of triggers of centralized automation will be based:

• Every draft: the centralized automation will be executed each time a team member creates any new draft 
• Every draft from a specific template: the centralized automation will be successfully executed if you select a template that has been shared with the entire team or a global template (any template from the Contractbook library). And it will only work on the team owner’s account and not as a centralized one if the selected template is private or has been shared only with the team owner:

• Multiple automations with each of the above: If you have selected the first option (“Every draft”) for one type of automation, it is essential to remember that the chosen action under this configuration will be automatically added to any additional automations, even if they concern Every draft created from a specific template. The reason is that any time a team member creates a new draft (disregarding from which template), the first automation you have already set up will be executed as an addition to any remaining automations which could be based on a specific template. 

You can see an example of this “stacking of automations” below:

Note: To be allowed to use the use case for “Share a document” centralized from the Team Owner’s account automation, you need Full access to the document or must be the Team owner to share. The automation will fail as centralized if you do not have the necessary permissions.

“Document is sent for signature” or “Contract is signed” triggers: 

You can choose one of the following options for the documents on which these types of triggers of a centralized Automation will be based:

1. Every contract/document: the centralized automation will be executed each time a team member’s document is sent for signature or a contract is signed
2. Every contract/document drafted from a specific template: the centralized automation will be successfully executed if you select a template that has been shared with the entire team or a global template (any template from the Contractbook library). And it will only work on the team owner’s account and not as a centralized one if the selected template is private or has been shared only with the team owner.
3. Specific contract/document: the centralized automation will only work as such if the team has Full access permissions to the specific contract/document chosen by the team owner under this configuration step: 

Can team admins also create centralized automations?

Creating centralized automation from the team admin's account is impossible. This ability is only available for team owners.

By utilizing shared templates:

A vital team management setup must be fulfilled for that setup to run correctly. The teammates you want to be able to run the automation need to have access to your drafts, and you need to have permission to see their drafts as well. This is an additional team permission level that your team owner can set up.
If you want to create an automation flow that runs across active members' accounts in your team, you can achieve that using templates shared in spaces.

When configuring the trigger event of the automation, you need to choose a shared template you own or have been shared with you.

Templates shared with you will be listed under the Shared with me category in the respective drop-down menu:

If you own the template and have shared it with others, it will be located under My templates in the drop-down menu.

With this selection, you make sure that each time a draft has been created from the shared template, and it was signed, your automation will run successfully across your teammates' accounts, regardless of whether you or another team member has created and signed the draft.

By utilizing shared drafts:

The document owner can configure automations without managing the documents created due to running those automations. Any external collaborators can have managerial control over these documents instead:

From now on, to achieve the above, it is possible to allow Full access permission when using the “Share document” action in all Contractbook in-app automations.

You can combine that action with “Create draft” following it, and this will automatically create the new draft under your account while giving management rights (Full access permission) over that draft to any collaborator:

Example Use Case:

• An "Employment Contract" is Signed by you (as the document owner) and a new hire
• Then automatically Share the document with Full access given to your HR assistant 
• And automatically Create a reminder for salary negotiation assigned to the same HR Assistant 

Note: You can utilize any party or signee variable when defining the draft's collaborator in the "Share a document" set up in the automation builder, manually type in, or select their details from your Contact list as we have done in the video above.

Read more about configuring Share document automation in-app here.

If you want to learn more about all types of permission rights a document owner can give when sharing a draft, click here.

You are now able to build centralized automations in a way that enables you and your entire team to save time and eliminate manual tasks, and errors by automating workflows where the data moves seamlessly between your tools.

Get ahead of the curve, automate your tasks and obligations through self-executing documents. Get proactive and ensure you meet all your deadlines. Click here and learn more from our experts.

You can also download our latest Ebook and learn about automation possibilities and how to put your contracts on autopilot.

If you still need additional information or assistance, reach out to us at any time by contacting our Support Team.