Negotiate contracts efficiently and securely.
Bigle Legal simplifies and streamlines remote negotiations, eliminating the need for lengthy email chains. The negotiation functionality facilitates contact between parties and members of the same team, while ensuring the security and transparency of the process.
Phases of the negotiation process
Each negotiation process is unique and will vary according to your needs, but there are some phases that are always present. In the table below, you can see a summary of the actions involved in a negotiation process and which party carries them out:
| Internal part | External part |
| 1. Starts the process. | |
| 2. Uses the external negotiation options. | |
| 3. Uses the internal negotiation options. | |
| Actions 2 and 3 are repeated until both parties reach an agreement. | |
| 4. Finishes the process. |
Every action taken will be recorded thanks to the change control and version history. You will see how to access this and other relevant information in the following sections of this article.
How to start a negotiation process
To start negotiating a document, follow the steps below:
1. Select the document. The first step is to have the document ready on the platform. You can negotiate both documents created from templates and documents uploaded externally, as long as their format is ".docx". To be able to negotiate, make sure that the document does not have any previous process open.
2. Start the process. Within the selected document, go to the "Negotiation" section in the left side menu. Here you will see a list of all the negotiation processes that have been carried out for this document. Use the button at the top right of the screen to start a new process.
3. Select the version. In case other processes have been carried out previously, the document will have several versions. You will have to choose which version of the document you want to negotiate on.
The negotiation process you initiate will generate a new version of the document taking as a starting point the one you select. Once the process is started, the generated version will be independent from the others, so it will not modify the data or metadata of any previous process.
4. Review the details. You will be taken to the screen shown in the image below, from which you can finish editing the document if necessary. You can also change the chosen version using the "Change version" button on the top bar, as well as use the negotiation options of the internal part.
5. Start the negotiation. When everything is ready, click on "Start negotiation".
6. Add the counterparty. Next, you will have to fill in the counterparty's details: name, surname and e-mail address.
7. Send the email. You can edit the subject and message of the email that the counterparty will receive, which will provide a link to the document so that they can add their suggestions. When you have finished customising the text of the email, click on "Send to negotiate".
When starting the negotiation process, the system will automatically create a task. From this moment on, the internal party will be able to access this process from the document and from the Tasks tab in the main menu of the platform. Find out more about tasks in this article.
External negotiation options
If you have been invited to negotiate a document from Bigle Legal, you will receive an email with a link to access the document. Once you have accessed the document, you have the following negotiation options:
- Enter suggestions. You can suggest changes to the document by editing it directly. The editor allows you to make use of the properties panel, which is displayed by clicking on the rectangular button at the top right. After making your changes, hit "Save".
- View and manage changes. When changes have been made, a panel will be activated on the right-hand side of the editor (if you close the panel, you can reopen it by clicking on any change or comment). In the "Changes" section you can view all the changes made, filter them by user and type (depending on whether text has been inserted or deleted) using the drop-downs at the top, and accept or reject the proposals of the opposing party.
- Add comments. By selecting one part of the text and right-clicking, you can access the "New comment" option and add comments for the other part.
- View and manage comments. When there are comments, you will be able to see them in the right panel, in the "Comments" section (remember that you can open it again by clicking on any change or comment). Each comment informs the author's name, as well as the date and time it was written. By clicking on the three dots on the right-hand side, you can reply to the comment or resolve it (if you are the author of the comment, you can also edit or delete it).
- Finalise your part of the negotiation. After inserting all your suggestions, comments and responses, go to the top bar and click first on "Save" and then on "Finish". A window will open from which you can compose the email message that will be used to notify the other party. Send it with the "Finish and send" button.
- Download a copy of the document with your changes. When you have finalised your part of the negotiation and sent the email to the counterparty, you will be given the option to download a copy of the document.
You will be notified again when the counterparty takes the next step and you will receive a copy of the latest version of the document when the negotiation process is successfully concluded.
Internal negotiation options
The internal party can access the negotiation module from within the platform. You will also receive an email from the counterparty when they have finished entering their suggestions, with a link to the document.
The negotiation functions available from within the platform are similar to those of the external party, but with some additional options:
- Enter suggestions. You can make changes to the document using the editor. After making your suggestions, remember to save your changes.
The "Track changes" option, enabled by default, will keep track of the changes you personally make. This option is located on the right hand side of the editor menu.
- View and manage changes. When changes have been made, a panel will be activated on the right side of the editor (the panel can also be opened by clicking on any change or comment). In the "Changes" section you can view all the changes made, filter them by user and type (depending on whether text has been added or deleted) using the drop-downs at the top, and accept or reject the proposals of the opposing party.
- Add comments. By selecting one part of the text and right-clicking on it, you can access the "New comment" option and add comments for the other part.
- View and manage comments. When there are comments, you will be able to see them in the right panel, in the "Comments" section (remember that you can also open the panel by clicking on any change or comment). Each comment will inform the author's name, as well as the date and time it was written. By clicking on the three dots on the right-hand side, you can reply to the comment or resolve it (if you are the author of the comment, you can also edit or delete it).
- Access the options in the right-hand side panel:
- Information. Displays the general data of the process.
- Activity. Review all the actions carried out in the negotiation.
- Versions. Access to all the versions of the document generated during the process.
- Team options. Add private notes and mentions. Teammates and followers do not negotiate directly with the other party, but can access the process, use all the team options, and are notified of negotiation updates by email.
- Resend the negotiation. After entering and saving all your suggestions, comments and answers, you can forward the document to the counterparty by clicking on the "Resend negotiation" button. This will open a window from which you can compose the email message that will be used to notify the other party.
- Finish the negotiation. When an agreement is reached and the negotiation is successfully concluded, click on "Finish" in the top bar. After this action, the negotiation can no longer be continued and both parties will receive the latest version of the document by email.
- Cancel the negotiation. In case you do not want to continue with the negotiation process, click on "Cancel negotiation". This irreversible action will conclude the process.
Note that finishing or cancelling the negotiation process will also end its corresponding task automatically.
When the negotiation is finished or cancelled, it will still appear in the list of negotiations, from which it can be consulted. From this same screen, another negotiation can be initiated if necessary: