Creating a Contract
A contract in PMSuite is a structured record of an agreement with a client. It captures the subject, the linked project, the agreement period, the contract type, and the contract value in a chosen currency, together with the client's details. Once saved, the contract becomes the anchor for files, discussions, e-signatures, and renewals.
Who can use it
Company Admins, and any role granted permission to the Contracts module.
Prerequisites
- A client record. Contracts are written against a client, so create the client first. Clients are created directly, or produced automatically when a deal is marked Win in the sales pipeline.
- A contract type. Contract types (and their templates) are configured separately — see Contract Types & Templates.
- A project, if you intend to tie the contract to specific project work.
How to Access
Go to /account/contracts (sidebar → Projects → Contracts), then choose the option to create a new contract.
Filling in the contract
Contract number
Contracts are auto-numbered — by default prefix CONT, separator # and 3 digits, producing numbers like CONT#001. You do not need to supply a number yourself. The prefix, separator and digit count are configurable in Settings → Contract Settings.
Subject
A short description of what the agreement covers — for example, "Annual Maintenance — Acme Corp". The subject is what identifies the contract in lists and in the client's contract history, so make it specific.
Project
Link the contract to a project when the agreement covers that project's work. This keeps the commercial agreement and the delivery work connected.
Contract type
Select the contract type. If the type has a template attached, the template content is used as the starting point for the description. See Contract Types & Templates.
Start and end date
The start date is when the agreement takes effect; the end date is when it runs out. Contracts approaching or past their end date are handled through Renewal.
Contract value and currency
Enter the total monetary value of the agreement and choose the currency it is denominated in. Use the currency the client is actually billed in, so the contract and the corresponding invoices agree.
Description
Set out the scope, deliverables and terms. If a contract type with a template was selected, this field starts from the template content and can be edited freely.
Client details
Complete the client detail fields on the contract so the saved agreement carries the client's own contact and address information rather than relying on a lookup elsewhere.
Save the contract when the fields are complete. It then appears in the contracts list and on the client's record.
Effect on other features
- Files and discussions: A saved contract can hold uploaded documents (Files) and threaded conversation (Discussions).
- E-signatures: A saved contract can be sent for signature — see E-Signatures.
- Renewals: An existing contract is the basis for a renewal with updated dates and terms.
- Google Calendar: If the company's Google Calendar integration is active and verified and the contract event type is enabled, contract records are pushed out to Google Calendar. The sync is one-way, PMSuite → Google; anything created in Google Calendar does not appear in PMSuite.
- Clients: The contract is visible in the client's history alongside their other records.
Limitations
- Contract numbers are generated by the system, not typed in. You can change the pattern (prefix, separator, digit count) in Settings → Contract Settings, but you cannot set an individual contract's number by hand. If you need your own external reference — a client PO number or a legal file reference — put it in the subject or the description, where it stays searchable.
- A contract is a record, not an invoice. Entering a contract value does not bill the client. Raise the corresponding invoice separately against the same client and project.
- One client per contract. For an agreement covering several client entities, create a contract per client and cross-reference them in the description.
- Template content is a starting point, not a live link. Editing a contract type's template later does not rewrite contracts already created from it; update those contracts' descriptions directly, or create a renewal from the updated type.
Troubleshooting
- The contract type list is empty. No contract types have been configured yet. Set them up first — see Contract Types & Templates.
- The client you want is not selectable. The client record does not exist yet. Create the client (or, for a won deal, confirm the deal was actually moved to the Win stage, which is what creates the client), then return to the contract form.
- The description did not pick up the template. The contract type you chose has no template attached, or the type was changed after the description was edited. Re-select the type, or paste the wording in manually.
- The contract is missing from Google Calendar. Check that the company's Google Calendar integration is both active and verified, that a valid authorisation is stored, and that the contract event type is enabled in Google Calendar Settings.
- Client detail fields look wrong or empty. They are stored on the contract itself — edit the contract and correct them there; updating the client record separately will not rewrite an already-saved contract.