automated document

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I don’t know what it is called but I would like to make an automated document(s) to generate proposals & contracts based on various options I could select… payment in advance, payment due at delivery, etc.

What is this called and where could I learn more about creating these? I am using Word 2007

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Automated document generation is generally what this is called and there are multiple ways to go about this. You can create templates yourself just using the tools you already have such as Word 2007 and tie this together with a spreadsheet/database/accounting package/CRM software where your customer details are located. The coding can be simple or complex depending on how far you want to go with it. If you don’t have the expertise yourself to create the template(s) required then you can pay a developer to create a bespoke solution that fits your requirements exactly. Such a solution could again be simple or complex – it just depends on how far you want to go in terms of money and functionality.

An alternative would be to evaluate some of the software available to do the task. Some possible examples are listed on this page Quote-and-Proposal-Management Software. Of those, years ago I tested the Sant ProposalMaster and also supported this software for an Australian reseller. It was pretty slick at the time and I would certainly have a good look at it again if I needed to produce customised proposals and contracts on a rapid churn basis.

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Thank you Andrew,

What you suggest seems more than I am seeking. I was thinking of the occasional need to generate a proposal or contract that uses much of the same text but with some variations depending on whether it is a proposal or a contract, whether it is for a nonprofit organization, and a few other choices – some of which are strict choices (A, B, or C) and others that can be multiple choices (A, B, and C).

I thought there might be a way to have check boxes or option buttons that when checked, would insert the appropriate text.

What I do now is to use a document that contains everything and I selectively remove what I don’t need and modify what remains as needed for that particular document. I am finding, however, that it is easy to make mistakes this way and I would like to avoid that.

Automated document generation is generally what this is called and there are multiple ways to go about this. You can create templates yourself just using the tools you already have such as Word 2007 and tie this together with a spreadsheet/database/accounting package/CRM software where your customer details are located. The coding can be simple or complex depending on how far you want to go with it. If you don’t have the expertise yourself to create the template(s) required then you can pay a developer to create a bespoke solution that fits your requirements exactly. Such a solution could again be simple or complex – it just depends on how far you want to go in terms of money and functionality.

An alternative would be to evaluate some of the software available to do the task. Some possible examples are listed on this page Quote-and-Proposal-Management Software. Of those, years ago I tested the Sant ProposalMaster and also supported this software for an Australian reseller. It was pretty slick at the time and I would certainly have a good look at it again if I needed to produce customised proposals and contracts on a rapid churn basis.

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There is a new feature in Word 2007 called Content Controls that would probably give you want you need. In Word help, search for Content Controls, you should see an article “Create forms that users complete in Word”. It describes creating a template and inserting the various types of content controls.
Adri

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