A Contract passes through different stages of a life cycle that starts with the registration of the contract, and usually finishes in the expiration of the contract. There are four main stages of a Contract's Life Cycle, although the contract may not pass through all of them. These are:
Registered - When a new Contract is first added its status is Registered. During this stage of the life cycle Work Orders and Invoices cannot be raised for the contract.
Contract Let - A contract becomes Contract Let when a vendor has been added to a Contract. During this stage of the life cycle Work Orders, Templates and Invoices can be raised against the Contract.
In Progress - A Contract moves to In Progress when costs have been recorded against the contract. This is done by raising invoices directly against a Contract or via the MWA Module. During this stage of the life cycle Work Orders and Invoices can be raised.
Expired - A Contract becomes Expired when the current date passes the contract's expiry date. During this stage of the life cycle Invoices can be raised but Work Orders and Templates cannot be raised.
In addition to the four normal stages of a contract's life cycle, you can also change the status of a contract to Cancelled. A contract generally becomes cancelled if an error has occurred when the contract is first created. Contracts can only be cancelled when the Contract's status is Registered or Contract Let. If a contract has been cancelled, you can no longer raise Work Orders, Templates and Invoices for the contract. However if you cancel a contract in error, you can recall it.