JP7489505B2 - Cloud-based contract management system and its program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cloud-based contract management system that enables cloud-based contracts to be concluded online, and in particular to a cloud-based contract management system and program therefor that link written contracts with contract data on the cloud .

[Prior Art]
Conventionally, there have been contracts that have been executed online, and there are also cloud-based contract conclusion systems that manage contracts on a network cloud.
Furthermore, in conventional online contracts, history information leading up to the contract has been stored in association with a workflow.

A contract workflow is a process for recording the progress of a contract, and is useful for understanding the background of the contract at a later date. A workflow may be recorded after a contract is created.
The workflow includes, for example, the status of accepting contract work, assigning a person in charge, registering basic information, creating a contract, submitting an application to a superior, approval, and sending the contract.

In addition, people in various departments in a company carry out multiple tasks and use software to manage the tasks, such as workflow software.
Naturally, the parties involved in contract conclusion also manage the contract as multiple tasks in their business flow.

[Related Technology]
In addition, related prior art includes JP 2002-99843 A "Contract support integrated service system and supporting method thereof" (Patent Document 1), JP 2004-70466 A "Document exchange system and program thereof" (Patent Document 2), JP 2009-503736 A "Method and system for workflow management of electronic documents" (Patent Document 3), JP 2011-221789 A "System for legally electronically concluding industrial waste treatment outsourcing contracts" (Patent Document 4), and JP 2017-10096 A "Information processing system" (Patent Document 5).

Patent Document 1 discloses a service system that performs authentication, stores contract data, and certifies history in order to realize signing/sealing of a contract online.
Patent Document 2 discloses a system that digitizes a contract, places the digitized data in a workflow, exchanges the data between the parties, and stores and manages the data to provide a business workflow.

Patent Document 3 discloses a system that enables the parties to access and modify electronic documents via a network, and opens up the internal document management function to the contracting party.
Patent Document 4 discloses a system that generates a contract to be concluded between a waste generating business operator and a waste treatment business operator, and checks the consistency between the authorization items of the waste treatment business operator and the items stated in the outsourcing contract.
Patent Document 5 discloses an information processing system in which a document management server sets an input area into which data can be input for each user viewing document data of a contractor.

JP 2002-99843 A JP 2004-70466 A JP 2009-503736 A JP 2011-221789 A JP 2017-10096 A

However, with traditional online contracts, even if a contract was concluded in a cloud-based format, the contract itself was often managed in paper form, meaning that the written contract was not linked to the contract on the cloud .

Incidentally, Patent Documents 1 to 5 do not mention linking a written contract with contract data on the cloud and associating the written contract with the contract data on the cloud .

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and aims to provide a cloud-based contract management system and its program that can link a written contract with contract data on the cloud, thereby linking the written contract with the contract data on the cloud .

The present invention, which aims to solve the problems of the above-mentioned conventional examples, is a cloud-based contract management system for concluding contracts online, characterized in that it has a contract memory unit that stores contract data concluded on the cloud, a contract workflow memory unit that stores a contract workflow that records matters related to the conclusion of a contract for each contract , and a contract management server that, when a two-dimensional barcode is read from a written contract on which a link destination linking to the contract data is printed as a two-dimensional barcode, causes a user terminal to access the contract data in the contract memory unit and also causes the user terminal to access the contract workflow corresponding to the contract data .

The present invention is a processing program that operates on a contract management server of a cloud-based contract management system in which contracts are concluded online, and is characterized in that , when a two-dimensional barcode is read from a written contract on which a link destination linking to contract data is printed in a two-dimensional barcode, the contract management server is caused to function in such a way that it causes a user terminal to access the contract data that has been concluded and stored on the cloud , and also causes the user terminal to access a contract workflow that records matters related to the conclusion of the contract in accordance with the contract data .

According to the present invention, when a two-dimensional barcode is read from a paper contract on which a link destination linking to contract data is printed in a two-dimensional barcode, the contract management server causes a user terminal to access the contract data in the contract memory unit and also causes the user terminal to access a contract workflow that records matters related to the conclusion of the contract in response to the contract data.As a result, the paper contract can be linked to the contract data on the cloud and the paper contract and the contract data on the cloud can be linked, which has the effect of improving the efficiency of contract work and legal work.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the present system. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the present embodiment. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a menu screen and a contract-related input item list screen. FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an initial screen for creating a contract. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a new contract workflow creation screen. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a business flow management screen. FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a contract workflow and contract creation process. FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a business flow confirmation process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Outline of the embodiment]
A cloud-based contract management system (this system) according to an embodiment of the present invention concludes and manages multiple cloud-based contracts, storing contract data in a contract memory unit and storing a contract workflow related to that contract for each contract in a contract workflow memory unit. When a two-dimensional barcode is read from a paper contract on which a link destination that links to contract data is printed in a two-dimensional barcode, the contract management server accesses the corresponding contract data in the contract memory unit and also accesses the contract workflow in the contract workflow memory unit that corresponds to the contract data. Therefore , the paper contract can be linked to the contract data on the cloud and the paper contract can be linked to the contract data on the cloud , thereby making it possible to improve the efficiency of contractual and legal work.

[This system: Figure 1]
A cloud-based contract management system (this system) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the system.
As shown in Figure 1, this system basically comprises a contract management server 1, a contract database (DB) 21, a contract workflow database (DB) 22, a related party work flow database (DB) 23, a network 3, a user terminal (A) 4a, a user terminal (B) 4b, and a user terminal (C) 4c.
In FIG. 1, the contract workflow DB 22 is simply represented as "workflow DB 22."

The contract management server 1 and user terminals 4a to 4c (sometimes simply referred to as "user terminals 4") are connected to a network 3. In Fig. 1, three user terminals 4 are connected to the network 3, but in reality, the number of users connected will be the same as the number of parties involved in the conclusion of a contract. The connection to the network 3 may be wired or wireless.
Further, the contract DB 21 , the contract workflow DB 22 , and the related party work flow DB 23 are connected to the contract management server 1 .

[Image of this embodiment: FIG. 2]
Before describing each part of the present system, an image of an embodiment realized by the present system will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an image diagram of the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 shows a state in which users A, B, and C connect to the cloud and enter into a contract online.
Users A, B, and C use user terminals 4a, 4b, and 4c, and the cloud is realized by a network 3, a contract management server 1, and each of DBs 21 to 23.
The contracts, workflows, and business flows described below are stored and managed in the cloud.

When contract X is concluded between user A and user B, if a workflow (WF) X1 for user A and a workflow (WF) X2 for user B are created, user A is provided with a screen of business flow A1 that manages multiple contracts, and user B is provided with a screen of business flow B1 that manages multiple contracts.

Here, the business flow A1 shows the business contents of the person concerned with the contract X who is a user A. In the example of FIG.
In addition, a company may have multiple people involved, such as a person in charge and a manager, and in that case, multiple business flows are prepared. However, although the business flow differs for each person involved, each business flow is linked to the content of the workflow.

In addition, if a contract Y is concluded between user B and user C, and a workflow (WF) Y1 for user B and a workflow (WF) Y2 for user C are created, user C is provided with a screen for business flow C1 that manages multiple contracts, and the task of contract Y is added to the screen for business flow B1 that has already been provided to user B.

That is, when contract X is concluded, workflows X1 and X2 are created, the contents of workflow X1 are reflected in the business flow A1 of user A, and the contents of workflow X2 are reflected in the business flow B1 of user B. This will be described later.
Similarly, when contract Y is concluded, workflows Y1 and Y2 are created, the contents of workflow Y1 are reflected in user B's business flow B1, and the contents of workflow Y2 are reflected in user C's business flow C1.

Furthermore, the processing of input instructions such as approval and comments in business flow A1 is reflected in workflow X1, the processing in business flow B1 is reflected in workflow X2 or workflow Y1, and the processing in business flow C1 is reflected in workflow Y2.

In addition, in the case of a superior and a subordinate in the same company, for example, User A, the contents of the contract workflow are reflected in each of their business flows. For example, instructions and other processing in the superior's business flow are reflected in the workflow, and the same processing is also reflected in the subordinate's business flow.

In the above, the workflow X1 for user A and the workflow X2 for user B are managed separately, but if both users A and B agree, a common workflow may be generated.
In this case, the contents of the common workflow are reflected in the business flow of user A and the business flow of user B.

In this way, the workflows of multiple contracts and the business flows of multiple parties involved are all managed on the cloud, so the contents of the contract workflow and the business flows of the parties involved can be linked, and processing can be easily bridged from individual contracts to the business of the parties involved, and from the business of the parties involved to individual contracts, providing high convenience for the parties involved and streamlining contract work and legal work.

[Parts of this system]
Next, each part of this system will be specifically described.
[Contract Management Server 1]
The contract management server 1 in this system is a cloud-based system for concluding contracts online, storing contract data in a contract DB 21 and storing workflow data related to the contract in a contract workflow DB 22.
The contract data may be distributed and stored as block chain data. In addition, all or part of the contract workflow data may be distributed and stored as block chain data to prevent tampering.

In addition, the contract management server 1 stores and manages data on the business flow of the parties involved in the contract in a business flow DB 23 .
Specifically, the contract management server 1 manages the workflow of each party involved in the conclusion of a contract, and is characterized by its operation linked to the contract workflow. For example, data entered in the contract workflow is reflected in the party's workflow, and conversely, data entered in the party's workflow is reflected in the contract workflow, making it possible to refer to the contract workflow from the workflow.

For example, if we look at a certain company, there will be one workflow for one contract, and the number of business flows will be the same as the number of people involved.
The contract workflow and business flow are linked using the related party ID as a key to facilitate collaboration.

This makes it possible to check the contract workflow from the contract, and also from the relevant parties' workflows. Furthermore, it is possible to send notifications from the contract workflow to the relevant parties' workflows, and from the relevant parties' workflows to send notifications to the contract workflow. By linking the contract workflow and workflows, it is possible to improve the efficiency of contract work and legal work. The link between the contract workflow and the relevant parties' workflows will be described in detail later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the contract management server 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and an interface unit 13.
The control unit 11 executes processing programs stored in the storage unit 12 to realize processing characteristic of the present invention. The processing contents according to the processing programs will be described later.
The storage unit 12 stores processing programs, other data necessary for processing, parameters, etc.
The interface unit 13 is for connecting to the outside, and is connected to the network 3 and to a contract DB 21 , a contract workflow DB 22 , and a business flow DB 23 .

[Contract DB21]
The contract DB 21 stores the concluded contract data in an unaltered state. The contract data is managed with a contract ID (identifier) assigned thereto.
The necessary items for the contract are registered on a contract-related input item list screen shown in FIG. 3, which will be described later, and then the contract or workflow is created.

[Contract Workflow DB22]
When workflow creation is selected in contract creation, the contract workflow DB 22 generates a contract workflow by inputting necessary items on a "Create new workflow" screen shown in Fig. 5, which will be described later. The workflow may be created after the contract is created.
In addition, a contract workflow is assigned a workflow ID and is managed by the contract ID of the corresponding contract. If the contract workflow includes a party involved in the contract, the party ID is also set.
In addition, contract templates corresponding to various contracts are also stored in the contract workflow DB 22, and the necessary contract template is selected and used when creating a contract.

[Business flow DB 23]
The workflow DB 23 stores and manages the workflow of the parties involved in the conclusion of a contract.
A business flow is assigned a business flow ID, and the company name, affiliation, position, and name are set in correspondence with the relevant party ID. Processing authority based on affiliation, position, etc. is pre-set, and related contracts are registered, making it possible to check the progress of those contracts.
Specifically, since the contract ID of the corresponding contract is set in the business flow, it is possible to refer to the contract workflow for each registered contract from the business flow using the contract ID as a key.

For ease of understanding, the contract DB 21, the contract workflow DB 22, and the business flow DB 23 have been explained separately, but they may be stored in a single DB or may be stored within the storage unit 12.
Furthermore, although the DBs 21 , 22 , and 23 are connected to the contract management server 1 in the above embodiment, they may be connected to the network 3 and separated from the contract management server 1 .
In the claims, the contract DB 21 is described as a contract storage section, the contract workflow DB 22 as a contract workflow storage section, and the business flow DB 23 as a business flow storage section.

[Network 3]
The network 3 is assumed to be the Internet.
[User terminal 4]
The user terminal 4 is a terminal device such as a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone of the person involved in concluding the online contract.
For example, user terminal (A) 4a is a terminal of company A, user terminal (B) 4b is a terminal of company B, and user terminal (C) 4c is a terminal of company C, and a contract can be concluded between these three companies, or it is also possible to conclude a contract between just two companies, company A and company B, company B and company C, or company A and company C.

[Processing Overview]
An overview of the processing in this system will now be described.
This system includes a process for registering contract-related input items (item registration process), a contract creation process, a contract workflow creation process, and a business flow confirmation process.
The details of these processes will be described later using screens displayed on the user terminal 4.

[Item registration process]
The item registration process involves registering items from a contract-related input item list screen displayed on the user terminal 4, and the registered items are used for creating a contract and a contract workflow.

[Contract Creation Process]
The contract creation process can be performed quickly or in bulk using contract templates.
Quick creation is a process that easily generates a contract based on registered items.
Bulk creation is a process for generating contracts for multiple parties at once.

[Contract workflow creation process]
The contract workflow is generated for each contract in association with the contract ID. In the case of contracts created collectively, one contract workflow may also be generated collectively.
The contract workflow creation process is performed to record matters related to the conclusion of a contract, progress, history, etc., when creating a contract. The contract workflow may be created in accordance with the progress of the contract conclusion, or may be created after the contract is created.
In addition, in the contract workflow, agreement documents, minutes, and the like of contract negotiations leading up to a final contract may also be approved by the parties in the same way as the contract.
Items entered into the contract workflow that are relevant to the relevant parties are displayed in conjunction with the business flow of those parties.

[Business flow confirmation process]
A business flow is generated for each related party ID, and when a related party logs in with that ID, the business flow corresponding to that ID is displayed on the user terminal 4, allowing the related party to confirm the business flow.
In addition, in the business flow, multiple contracts are managed by contract ID, and when a person in charge inputs instructions such as approval for a contract they manage, approval is set in the workflow for the corresponding contract ID and linked to the contract workflow.

[Display screen]
Next, a screen displayed on the user terminal 4 in association with the above process will be described.
The screens displayed are a menu screen and a contract-related input item list screen in the item registration process, a contract creation screen in the contract creation process, a new contract workflow creation screen in the contract workflow creation process, and a business flow management screen in the business flow confirmation process.

[Menu screen and input item list screen: Figure 3]
Next, the menu screen and the contract-related input item list screen will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the menu screen and the contract-related input item list screen.
[Menu screen]
First, the menu screen is the left side of Figure 3, and is displayed on the display screen of the user terminal 4 of this system not only as an input item list screen but also as a new contract workflow creation screen, etc., and is the basic screen from which basic operations in this system can be performed.

At the top of the menu screen, in the top left of the screen in Figure 3, "Create a contract" or "Create a workflow" allows you to select what you want to create, and by selecting either one, you can create either one. However, you may also select "Create a contract" or "Create a workflow" first, and then register the input items in the contract or workflow.

The “Contract Management” column is displayed in the middle of the left side of the screen in FIG.
When you select a status item in the contract management section, the contract cases with the selected status will be displayed.
As management items, you can select one of the following statuses: "Completed,""Waiting for confirmation,""Increation,""Expired,""Rejected," or "All statuses." For example, if you select the "In creation" status, a list of contracts currently being created will be displayed.
Also, when "All Statuses" is selected, a list of all contracts with the above statuses is displayed.

In this way, users can check the various statuses of related contracts from the contract management section of the menu screen because the contract workflow for the contract ID can be referenced using the user's related party ID as a key, and this is made possible by the linkage between contract data, contract workflow, and business flow.

Furthermore, a "Workflow Management" field is displayed in the lower left corner of the screen in Fig. 3. In this "Workflow Management" field, the number of applications (contract applications) and the number of approvals (contract approvals) of the logged-in user (stakeholder) are displayed, allowing the user to easily recognize the matters (tasks or works) that need to be processed.
Like the contract management field, this workflow management field is realized by linking the business flow and the contract workflow using the related party ID as a key.

Beneath the "Workflow Management" column is the "Template Management" column. When you select this column, the names of available contract templates are displayed. You can then select a template from the template names to create a contract.

[Input item list screen]
Then, on the contract-related input item list screen, as shown on the right side of Figure 3, basic information is registered by entering the display name (name of the contract, etc.), amount, seal (name of the party to the contract), contract end date, contract start date, contract conclusion date, name of the building where the contract is located, and address.

[Contract creation screen: Figure 4]
Next, the contract creation screen will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the initial screen for creating a contract.
When the input items are registered and "Create contract" is selected on the contract creation screen, a list of templates is displayed as shown in Figure 4. When a specific contract template is selected from that list, either "Quick creation" or "Bulk creation" can be selected.
Here, a case where the "Confidentiality Agreement" template is selected is shown.

When "Quick Create" is selected, contract data is generated by incorporating the items registered on the input item list screen into the selected template. Although not shown in the figure, "Partial Edit" can be selected in Quick Create, and when "Partial Edit" is selected, the contract data can be edited and the revised contract data is generated. It is then sent to the other party by email. The contract data to be sent can be password protected.

When "Bulk Creation" is selected, information for multiple preset recipients is read, and items registered on the input item list screen are incorporated into a template to generate multiple pieces of contract data.
The contract data generated in bulk can be edited collectively and sent to multiple recipients by email in bulk. Contract data sent in bulk can be password protected.

[New contract workflow creation screen: Figure 5]
The new contract workflow creation screen will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the new contract workflow creation screen.
As shown in FIG. 5, a menu screen is displayed on the left side of the screen, similar to FIG. 3, and a workflow input screen is displayed on the right side.

On the workflow input screen, the type of task, such as "approval request," is selected and input, and the title and type of the contract are selected and input. The type of contract is selected from "contract selection."
The workflow input screen allows you to modify the setting information (basic information).

[Workflow management screen image: Figure 6]
An image of the business flow management screen will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an image of the business flow management screen.
The business flow involves registering related contracts for each related party ID in the contract management server 1, and enabling the progress of each contract to be confirmed.
In the business flow, the company name, department, position, and name are set in association with the related party ID in the contract management server 1, and authority is preset according to the department, position, etc.

When a person logs in with a related party ID, the business flow management screen displays tasks for multiple contracts (contracts X, P, M, G) and their progress status, as shown in FIG.
By selecting a specific contract from the business flow management screen, interested parties can view the workflow for that contract and update that workflow.

In addition, when a related party directly issues an instruction such as "approval" regarding a specific contract from the business flow management screen, the content is reflected in the workflow of the corresponding contract and is also reflected in the business flow management screens of other related parties.
In addition, the parties involved can refer to the contract workflow for other registered contracts from the business flow management screen. In other words, various contract workflows can be easily accessed from the business flow management screen in daily work.

To explain the process in the workflow in more detail, for example, when a task to create a contract arises, the manager (supervisor) accepts the task, assigns it to a person in charge, and inputs the necessary information, which registers the contract creation task and enters it into the workflow. At the same time, a workflow for the person in charge is also generated.

In addition, although "Contract X" is written in Fig. 6, in reality, detailed task contents are set, and processing such as "approval" can be performed in the business flow. The task contents such as "approval" differ depending on the related party ID.
Then, when a process such as "approval" is performed in the manager's business flow, that "approval" is set in the contract workflow corresponding to the contract ID of the contract, and further, "approval" is also set in the business flow of the related party (subordinate person in charge) whose related party ID is set in the contract workflow.

[Processing content]
Next, the contract workflow, contract document creation process, and business flow confirmation process will be explained in detail.
These processes are realized by the control unit 11 of the contract management server 1 executing a processing program.

[Contract workflow and contract creation process: Figure 7]
The contract workflow and contract creation processing will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flow diagram of the contract workflow and contract creation processing.
As shown in FIG. 7, the contract workflow and contract creation process involves registering basic information input from the user terminal 4 on the input item list screen (S11).

Next, it is determined whether or not workflow creation has been selected (S12), and if workflow creation has not been selected (not workflow creation/No), it is determined whether or not contract creation has been selected (S13), and if contract creation has not been selected (not contract creation/No), the process is terminated, and if contract creation has been selected in the determination process S13 (contract creation/Yes), the contract creation process is performed on the contract creation screen shown in Figure 4 (S14).

Next, it is determined whether or not to send the created contract to the other party (S15), and if contract sending is selected (Yes), the contract is sent (S16). After that, it is determined whether or not to create a workflow (S17). The determination process S17 is the same as the determination process S12.
If the contract is not to be sent in the determination process S15 (No), the process proceeds to a determination process S17.

Furthermore, if workflow creation is selected in the determination processes S12 and S17 (in the case of workflow creation/Yes), a workflow creation process is performed on the workflow creation screen shown in FIG. 5 from the user terminal 4 (S18).
Then, based on the created workflow, matters related to the business flow are reflected in the business flow of the relevant person (S19), and the process proceeds to the judgment process S13.

Here, in process S19, if contract contents have already been created in the business flow of the parties involved, the related matters are reflected in the contract contents of the business flow, and if contract contents have not been created in the business flow of the parties involved, new contract contents are created in the business flow and the related matters are reflected.
In this manner, the workflow and contract creation process are carried out.

[Business flow confirmation process: Figure 8]
Next, the business flow confirmation process will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flow diagram of the business flow confirmation process.
As shown in FIG. 8, the business flow confirmation process starts with a login process using a related person ID from the user terminal 4 (S21).

Then, the authority corresponding to the related party ID is referenced (S22), the workflow associated with the related party ID is referenced (S23), and a process for displaying a business flow management screen is performed based on the authority and the related workflow information (S24). The related party can check the business flow using the business flow management screen.

Then, it is determined whether or not any input has been made on the business flow management screen (S25), and if there has been input (Yes), the input item is reflected in the workflow of the corresponding contract (S26).
Furthermore, the input items are reflected in the business flows of other people involved in the workflow (S27).

If there is no input in the determination process S25 (No), a process of determining whether or not to end is performed (S28). Also, the determination process S28 is performed after the end of the process S27.
If the determination in step S28 indicates that the process is to be ended (Yes), the process ends. If the determination in step S28 indicates that the process is not to be ended (No), the process returns to step S25.
In this manner, the business flow confirmation process is carried out.

[Application example]
Next, application examples of this system will be described.
Examples of applications include governance functions by administrators, input recommendation functions, online/offline collaboration functions, reminder functions, communication monitoring functions on the platform, authority allocation functions for contract templates, and order functions for multi-party contracts.
Each function will be explained below.

[Governance function]
When a company's contract manager (supervisor) receives a request for work related to a contract, he or she registers the work in the workflow and assigns a person in charge on the workflow management screen. Then, the contract work is registered in the person's workflow.
When registering a contract task in a business flow, a contract workflow may be started, necessary items may be entered, and the workflow may be generated.
Administrators can easily assign contract work to staff and check the progress of contracts from the business flow management screen.

[Input recommendation function on input item list screen]
For example, when entering "Amount" on the input item list screen of Figure 3, the amounts of similar contracts stored in contract DB21 may be read as statistical information, and the highest amount may be recommended based on that statistical information.
It should be noted that the present invention can be applied not only to monetary amounts but also to ratios, for example, percentages of recruitment placement fees.

[Online/offline linking function]
Some companies manage contracts in paper form even if they are signed online using a cloud-based system. Written contracts are generally not linked to the contracts on the cloud.
Therefore, in this system, a link destination for linking to the contract on the cloud is printed as a two-dimensional barcode on part of the written contract, for example on the cover of the contract.
The person in charge can access the contract data on the cloud (contract DB 21) by reading the two-dimensional barcode on the written contract with a reading app. The person in charge can also access the workflow of the corresponding contract from the contract data.

[Reminder function]
The contract reminder function checks the contract renewal deadline based on the information set in the contract workflow, and notifies the administrator and person in charge of the contract renewal reminder before a specific period of time has passed since the renewal due date.
The reminder function refers to the contract's contents to determine the contract's conclusion date and validity period, and if this is not specified in the contract, it calculates and determines the contract's expiration date and renewal deadline, and notifies the administrator and person in charge before the specified date for the renewal deadline.

If the person in charge does not detect the process within a predetermined period of time after sending a reminder to the person in charge, the contract management server 1 sends a second reminder to the person in charge. If the person in charge confirms the reminder, the contract management server 1 may receive a confirmation notification.
Additionally, renewal deadlines may be registered on the administrator's and the person in charge's calendars .

Furthermore, the reminder function transmits a URL (access destination) when notifying a reminder to a person in charge, accepts input of whether or not the contract is to be renewed at the access destination, and notifies the administrator of whether or not the contract is to be renewed.
When updating, a new contract is generated in accordance with the contract workflow, and linked to the current contract, and the old and new contracts are managed.

[Communication monitoring function]
If the business flow of this system is widely used both inside and outside the company, a legal platform will be formed and it is expected that communication between related parties will be carried out via online chat, etc.
Words that are problematic from a compliance standpoint (NG words) are registered in advance on the platform (contract management server 1 of this system), and if a user enters a word in a chat or other form that is an NG word, an alert is displayed and transmission via chat, etc. is restricted.

[Authorization function for contract templates]
In this system, the contract workflow stored in the workflow DB 22 is linked to the business flow stored in the business flow DB 23, so that approval of the contract can be specified when the contract is created by referring to the authority of the related party ID set in the business flow.

For example, if the amount of a specific contract is 1 million yen or less and the department manager has been given the authority to approve it, when the amount is set using a contract template, the authority of the relevant parties in the business flow for that amount is referenced, and the department manager is set as the relevant party ID as the final approver (decision maker) in the contract workflow.

In other words, when creating a contract using a contract template, the authority is referenced by the party ID of the business flow according to the type and amount of the contract, and the party ID required as an approver is specified in the contract workflow. The number of parties increases or decreases depending on the type and amount of the contract.
For a specific contract up to a certain amount, the final approver (decision maker) can be the department manager, but if the amount exceeds that amount, the decision maker will be a person in charge of the department manager or higher, and the number of parties involved in approval will increase.

In this way, the approver is identified based on the authority of the business flow administrator ID according to the type and amount of the contract, and the contract is sent to the identified approver, so the contract is automatically allocated, making it possible to efficiently approve contracts.

[Multi-person contract ordering function]
This system can be applied not only to contracts but also to documents involving multiple parties. For example, minutes of a board of directors meeting usually require the seals of multiple directors.
In the case of internal company documents, the order in which electronic signatures are submitted is determined according to the company's position, and in the case of electronic signatures by multiple parties, the order in which electronic signatures are submitted is also determined, so in regular electronic contract systems, the procedure is for electronic signatures to be submitted in a specific order.

However, this would not be fast enough to provide electronic signatures, so the system allows electronic signatures to be submitted regardless of the order in which they are submitted when multiple electronic signatures are required, such as for minutes of a board of directors meeting.
This is because the minutes of the board of directors meetings are managed centrally by the contract management server 1, making it possible to apply an electronic signature from the user terminal 4 regardless of the order.
In addition, the optional order of electronic signatures can also be applied to contracts with three or more parties, other than minutes of meetings.

[Mobile device app]
In this system, the user terminal 4 has been described assuming a personal computer, but it may of course be a smartphone, tablet, or other terminal.
In the case of terminals such as smartphones, the screen size is limited compared to personal computers, so an application that realizes all or part of the functions of the present system may be provided for smartphones and the like.
This application is intended to support processing on the contract management server 1 and to improve the usability of terminals such as smartphones.

[Effects of the embodiment]
According to this system, the contract management server 1 manages the conclusion of multiple cloud-based contracts, stores contract data in a contract DB 21, and stores the contract workflow related to each contract in a contract workflow DB 22. When the contract management server reads a two-dimensional barcode from a paper contract on which a link destination to the contract data is printed as a two-dimensional barcode, it accesses the corresponding contract data in the contract DB 21. Therefore, the paper contract can be linked to the contract data on the cloud and the paper contract can be linked to the contract data on the cloud , which has the effect of improving the efficiency of contractual and legal work.

The present invention is suitable for a cloud-based contract management system and its program that can link a written contract with contract data on the cloud and link the written contract with the contract data on the cloud .

1...contract management server, 3...network, 4 (4a, 4b, 4c)...user terminal, 11...control unit, 12...storage unit, 13...interface unit, 21...contract database (DB), 22...workflow database (DB), 23...business flow database (DB)

Claims (2)

A cloud-based contract management system for concluding contracts online,
a contract storage unit that stores contract data concluded on the cloud;
a contract workflow storage unit that stores a contract workflow that records matters related to the conclusion of a contract for each contract ;
A cloud-based contract management system characterized in having a contract management server that, when a two-dimensional barcode is read from a written contract on which a link destination linking to the contract data is printed in a two-dimensional barcode, causes a user terminal to access the contract data in the contract memory unit and also causes the user terminal to access the contract workflow corresponding to the contract data . A processing program that operates on a contract management server of a cloud-based contract management system that concludes contracts online,
A program that causes the contract management server to function in such a way that, when a two-dimensional barcode is read from a written contract on which a link destination linking to contract data is printed in a two-dimensional barcode, the contract management server causes a user terminal to access the contract data that has been concluded and stored on the cloud , and also causes the user terminal to access a contract workflow that corresponds to the contract data and records matters related to the conclusion of the contract .

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