Collaborate Internally on a Supplier Contract in NUFinancials

This Job Aid discusses the Supplier Contracts Collaboration process.

Collaborators will receive an email notification when you have been asked to collaborate internally on a contract (sample below). Collaboration occurs internally within the module and externally (with the supplier) via email. There may be multiple rounds of “back and forth” collaboration. 

The Contract Administrator is responsible for adding all reviewers, both internal business stakeholders and central office SMEs.  The Contract Administrator can facilitate collaboration sequentially, where one person reviews before another person is notified to review, or in parallel, where multiple people have access to review the document at the same time.

• Internal Business Matters: Those involved with business decisions are added as a "Collaborator." This applies to all template types, both NU templates and vendor-supplied forms. For clauses with no SME assigned any vendor proposed changes are business decisions.
• Central Office Subject Matters Experts (SMEs): SMEs are added as a "Collaborator" only for vendor-supplied forms based upon the scope and clauses of the vendor's form. For NU templates SME approval is automated.

Clauses: (*for OGC only over $100k or meets an exception)

SME	Clause Name
ECIC	Export Controls
NUIT	Northwestern Data
OGMC	Publicity
ORM	Insurance, Insurance & Indemnification (Speaker template), Responsibility for Loss or Damage
PPS	Changes, Change Control, Non-Exclusive Agreement, On-Campus Policies, Records; Audit Rights, Subcontractors and Personnel, Tax Exempt, Terms Taxes, Venue Policies
OGC*	Acknowledgement (Speaker Engagement), Additional Vendor Representations, Alcohol Provision, Applicable Privacy Laws, Assignment and Delegation, Compliance with Laws, Confidentiality, Counterparts, Debarment and Conflicts of Interest, Discrimination and Harassment, Entire Agreement; Amendment; Inconsistent Terms, Federal Government Provisions, as amended, when applicable, Force Majeure, General Government Provisions, Governing Law; Dispute Resolution, Indemnification, Independent Contractor; No Joint Venture, Interpretation, Limitation of Liability, Miscellaneous, Notices, Order of Precedence, Recall, Recording (Rider Virtual Event), Remedies, Representations and Warranties, Representations and Warranties), Research Materials, Rider Representations and Warranties, Severability, Sponsored Project Flow Down Terms, Student Alcohol, Successors and Assigns, Survival, Termination; Force Majeure Event (Speaker Engagement), Terms General (PO Terms), Third Party Beneficiaries, Waiver, Work Product
None	Acceptance of Services, Cancellation, Compensation; Payment Terms, Delivery, Inspection of Goods, Payment, Scope of Services, Services, Speaker Engagement Fee, Term and Termination, Termination, Value of Equipment, Warranties (PO Terms)

 

 

 

Step 1: Access Document

You may access the document directly by clicking the link in the email you received or by accessing the NUFinancials worklist:

Log in to NUFinancials: nufin.northwestern.edu

Navigation: NUFinancials > Navigator > Worklist 

1. Click the Link of the Contract ID you wish to review.

 

Step 2: Document Management

1. Click View Document (read only) or Edit Document (make changes).  Collaborators can make edits to the document. Please only check out a document while actively working on it.

1. Open the XML document in Word (2007 or later, not IE plugin).
2. To edit the document, create a Contract folder on your desktop and save the file Do not change the file type!
3. After editing, click Check In (or Cancel Check Out if you have not made edits).
4. Select Version changes; Minor Version (0.01) (small re-writes, cosmetic) or Major Version (1.00) (recreated, new attachment).
5. Enter Check In Comments.
6. Click OK.
7. Browse and Upload your saved file.

• Do not change the file type. If xml file type, file type must be maintained.

   

2. Click Modify Attachments/Related Documents to view any attachments. 

• Click View to see an attachment. 

3. View previous Collaboration Comments.
4. Add Collaboration Comments. This replaces initialing a paper document for peer review. 
5. Click Mark As Reviewed. Do not click Finalize Collaboration.

 

Appendix A: Review Document Modifications and Versions

Use Document Modification Summary to review a summary of the latest changes between document versions. 

Navigation: NUFinancials > Navigator > Supplier Contracts > Create Contracts and Documents > Document Management 

1. Click Find an Existing Document.

   

2. Select a Source Transaction: Ad Hoc or Purchasing Contracts (Transactional). Enter additional search criteria as needed.
3. Click Search. 
4. From the Search Results, click on the Document Keys link of the Contract ID you wish to This takes you to the Document Management page.

  

1. Click Document Modification Summary to compare most recent and earliest document versions side by side. 

• Each time that a contract is edited and checked in, the system tracks and displays a summary of the changes on this page. When the changes pertain to clauses, you can use this page to help determine which clause changes in a document require workflow approval. 

  

2. Click Document Version History to review document versions, comments and answers to document wizard questions. 

  

• Click on a Version number to open that version of the document in Microsoft word. Open versions individually. 
• Click the Details icon  to view details such as collaboration comments and answers to document wizard questions. 
• Click the Comments tab to view document check-in comments (when a document has been edited).
   

Appendix B: View Previously Reviewed Documents via the Supplier Contract Workbench

You may wish to view documents you previously collaborated on. To do so, please utilize the Supplier Contract Workbench  to search for and view those document.

For additional assistance please contact the IT Support Center at 847-491-4357 (1-HELP) or email servicedesk@northwestern.edu.