How to Use Certificate Workflows

This article is a guide on how to use certificate workflows within FastDraft. 

This guide contains the following:

• Introduction
• Using Certificate Workflows
• Certifying Completion
• Certifying a Task Order Start/Completion Date

Related articles:

• How to Configure Certificate Workflows
• How to Complete/Delete/Archive a Contract

Introduction

A new Certificates workflow group has been created to support the communication of the following via dedicated workflows rather than via Notification. This workflow group has been added to our latest NEC default templates but your contract template(s) will need to be added if your contract template was created prior to these new workflows being available. 

A list of available types can be configured as a dropdown list with each type being categorised as having one of the following effects. 

• Completion
• Sectional Completion
• Defects
• Termination
• Task Order Start
• Project Order Start
• Task Order Completion
• Project Order Completion
• Other

Furthermore, each category/effect can be configured independently to define which fields are included in the certificate and how they are labelled. On that basis, the form dynamically adjusts based on the type you select. 

Using Certificate Workflows

In this section we will explain how to use Certificate Workflows. 

There are four separate workflows of Certificates that can be configured (one for each sender party):

• Project/Service Manager Certificates
• Contractor/Consultant Certificates
• Client/Employer Certificates
• Supervisor Certificates

Depending on what your role and permissions are within the contract, you will be able to either view, create, or communicate each of these types of certificates. 

For example, if you are on the contract as a Project Manager with Read/Write/Communicate permissions, you will be able to read/write/communicate Project Manager certificates, but you will only be able to read the other types of certificates. 

Use the steps below to use the Certificates workflow:

1. As in the image above, select the appropriate Certificates workflow. 

2. This will take you to the Certificate Register - from here, click 'Create New'

3. The initial draft view will appear as below. Enter the Certificate subject, and select the type of Certificate.

One you select a type from the dropdown list FastDraft will determine which effect has been assigned to the dropdown selection and will dynamically adjust the form to include the fields that have been configured to appear for that selection.

Here, you can enter the Certified Date, and any relevant details appropriate to the type of Certificate you are issuing. 

5. Once you are ready, click Create Draft

6. The page will refresh, and you will now be able to make edits to the draft, as well as add any relevant attachments at the bottom. 

You can also link the Certificate to related communications by clicking the 'Relations' tab. 

7. Back in the Certificates Register, the Certificate status will appear as 'Not Communicated' as it is still a draft. 

8. Once you are ready to communicate the Certificate, click on the Certificate to go back into the draft. Then, click 'Communicate Certificate'. 

9. A pop-up will appear to confirm that you wish to communicate the Certificate. Click 'Communicate'.

10. Back in the Certificates Register, the Certificate status will now appear as 'Communicated'.

Certifying Completion

A Completion Certificate can be issued by following all of the steps above and selecting the relevant clause/type. The Completion certificate category has the following additional effects:

• Automatically updates 'Actual Completion Date' on the Contract Dashboard and in the Contract Summary Report
• Automatically calculates Defects date based on the Defect Period configured for the contract
• Can optionally be configured to automatically update the contract status to Complete (if desired). You can read more about the contract state here. 

Certifying Task Order Start/Completion Date

Standard contract wording (e.g. NEC4 TSC) typically does not require either party to certify the actual start and completion of a Task/Project. Nevertheless, there is clearly a practical benefit to being able to monitor and/or report this information. FastDraft allows the Contractor/Consultant and/or the Service Manager to certify the start and/or completion date depending on your requirements. Where pre-configured, either party can certify a Task Order (or Project Order) start/completion date by following all of the steps above and selecting the relevant clause/type. In that case, the user will also be obliged to select a Task Order (or Project Order).

Certifying a Task/Project Order start date has the following additional effects:

• Contractor/Consultant certificate automatically links to the selected Task/Project Order and updates 'Contractor/Consultant Certified Start Date' in the Task/Project Order register
• Service/Project Manager certificate automatically links to the selected Task/Project Order and updates 'PM/SM Certified Start Date' in the Task Order/Project Order register

Certifying a Task/Project Order completion has the following additional effects:

• Contractor/Consultant certificate automatically links to the selected Task/Project Order and updates 'Contractor/Consultant Certified Completion Date' in the Task/Project Order register
• Service Manager certificate automatically links to the selected Task/Project Order and updates 'PM/SM Certified Completion Date' in the Task Order/Project Order register