A practical CLM stack with Salesforce + DocuSign (no engineers)
Here’s a proven, low‑lift way to stand up a full contract workflow using Salesforce and an e‑signature provider — without writing code or waiting on engineering.
What you’ll get
- Template‑driven contracts that pull data from Salesforce
- Redlining with tracked changes and comments
- Approval routing and audit trail
- Embedded e‑signature with status back in Salesforce
Reference architecture
The flow is simple: Salesforce provides customer and deal data → you generate a contract from a template → collaborate and redline → route approvals → send for signature as an embedded in‑flow experience → sync final status and copy back to Salesforce.
- System of record: Salesforce (Accounts, Opportunities, Products, Contacts)
- Authoring & negotiation: AccordFlow templates, redlining, comments
- Approvals: AccordFlow approval rules (Legal, Finance, Security)
- Signature: Embedded e‑signature (with fallback to email where needed)
- Storage: Executed PDF in AccordFlow with link in Salesforce
Step‑by‑step setup
- Templates: Create MS Word or rich‑text templates with labeled variables (e.g.,
{{ClientName}},{{StartDate}}). Version them for easy updates. - Field mapping: Map template variables to Salesforce fields (Account.Name, Opportunity.Amount, etc.). Defaults and fallbacks keep generation resilient.
- Redlining: Enable track‑changes and comments to collaborate with buyers in one link — no email attachments.
- Approvals: Define lightweight rules (e.g., if MRR > $10k or Term > 24 months, add Legal + Finance).
- Signature: Connect embedded e‑signature, choose roles (Signer, Counter‑signer), and send (embedded by default, with email fallback).
- Sync back: Store the executed PDF and envelope ID; write back a link + status to Salesforce for reporting.
- Alerts: Turn on status notifications for “Viewed”, “Needs attention”, and “Signed”.
Tips for a clean rollout
- Start with one template (MSA + Order Form) and expand after the first wins.
- Use magic links for guest reviewers to remove login friction and cut legal turnaround time.
- Standardize comments with clause guidance so Sales and Legal stay aligned.
- Measure: track time‑to‑sign, iteration count, and approval latency.
Security and compliance
Data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES‑256). SSO and role‑based access ensure least‑privilege. Enterprise options include SCIM, IP allowlisting, private cloud, and SOC 2 reporting.