Document renewal automation asks a supplier for a replacement before an approved supplier or contract document expires, then follows up if they don't respond. This guide is for administrators who set it up and for anyone who manages documents on supplier and contract records.
Before you start
Turn on automated renewal requests
Open the Automations page
In the main menu, go to Settings > Automations. The Document Renewals tab opens.
Switch on renewals for supplier or contract documents
For supplier documents, turn on Automatically request replacement supplier documents under Supplier document renewals.
For contract documents, turn on Automatically request replacement contract documents under Contract document renewals.
The Enable automated document renewals? dialog shows how many eligible documents are already within the renewal window. Click Enable Automation to continue, or Cancel.
Choose when the first request is sent
In Send the first request, enter how many days before expiry oboloo should contact the supplier. The default is 30. Supplier and contract documents each have their own setting, and it applies to every automated request of that type.
Set up follow-up reminders
Under Supplier request follow-ups, keep Send follow-up reminders when a supplier has not responded switched on and set:
Send the first follow-up: days after the original request (default 7).
Repeat the reminder every: days between reminders (default 7).
Maximum number of reminders: how many reminders are sent before the request is escalated (default 3).
These follow-up settings apply to both supplier and contract requests.
Save your settings
Click Save. Nothing changes until you save, including any switches you turned on.
Which documents are included
A document is included when it:
was requested from and uploaded by the supplier (documents your team uploaded show No - uploaded internally)
is approved
has an expiry date
is not archived
has not been excluded from automation
Exclude a single document
Edit the document
On the supplier or contract record, open the Documents tab. In the Actions column, open the menu for the document and click Edit.
Turn off automated renewal
Under Automated Renewal, turn off Automatically request a replacement before expiry. The switch is unavailable when renewals are turned off under Settings, or when the document has no expiry date.
Save the document
Click Save. The document stays excluded until you turn the switch back on.
What happens next
A replacement request is created: oboloo checks documents once a day. When a document reaches its request date, a new row with the same document type and title is added to the Documents tab with Awaiting upload by supplier. The original document is not changed and can still expire.
The supplier is emailed: the supplier's primary contact receives an email with a link to the supplier portal and a login code. They upload the new document and set its expiry date.
Reminders are sent: if the supplier hasn't uploaded anything, reminders follow your follow-up settings. With the defaults, reminders go out 7, 14 and 21 days after the request.
Unanswered requests are escalated: once the last reminder has been sent and the repeat interval has passed again (day 28 with the defaults), the original shows Supplier Response Overdue and reminders stop. The Supplier Owners or Contract Owners get an in-app notification and an email.
You approve the replacement as usual: once it's approved, the original shows Renewed and Notifications stopped, and expiry notifications stop for it. The two documents stay linked.
Each step is logged: entries marked (created by oboloo Automation) appear in the record's Latest Activity.
New columns in the Documents table
Column | What it shows |
Automated Renewal | A tick when a replacement will be requested before expiry. View replacement and View original link the two documents, Notifications stopped means the replacement was approved, and No - uploaded internally means the document isn't covered. -- means the document is excluded or automation is off. |
Being Requested In | When the request will be or was sent, for example 12 days, Today or Requested 5 days ago. It shows Supplier Response Overdue after escalation and Renewed once the replacement is approved. |
Troubleshooting
A document isn't being requested
Check that the document meets every condition under Which documents are included, and that renewals are switched on for that document type. Documents uploaded by your own team are never requested automatically.
The supplier wasn't emailed
If the supplier has no primary contact with an email address, the request row is created but no email is sent and no reminders follow. The Supplier Owners or Contract Owners get an Automated replacement request needs attention notification. Set a primary contact, then cancel the request from the Actions column. If the document still qualifies, oboloo creates a new request at its next daily check.
I cancelled a request but the supplier was asked again
Cancelling a request stops its reminders. If the original document still qualifies, the next daily check sends a new request. To stop requests for that document, edit it and turn off Automatically request a replacement before expiry.
I can't change the settings
If the switches and fields are greyed out and there's no Save button, your role can view Automations but can't edit them. Ask an administrator to update your role.
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If you need further assistance, please contact your internal platform administrator for support. Otherwise please reach out to oboloo's support team. If you are unable to view the above area in the oboloo platform, please check your user permissions and access rights.