Defining the Clause Library

The Clause Library is a central repository for storing all reusable contract clauses in SAP Ariba Contracts. Clauses are the building blocks of contract documents, and the Clause Library provides a standardized, organized place to manage them.

Clauses from the Clause Library are used when assembling contract documents, such as Main Agreements and Contract Addendums, directly within SAP Ariba. This helps maintain consistency across your organization’s contracts and ensures that only approved legal language is used.

To support consistent and efficient contract authoring, many organizations start by building out the Clause Library. This involves creating commonly used clauses, having them approved by legal or procurement experts, and organizing them in clearly named folders for easy access and reuse.

The Clause Library brings structure, consistency, and control to contract authoring. It enables your organization to:

• Reuse standard language to save time and reduce errors.
• Ensure compliance by using only approved clauses.
• Organize clauses in folders for quick access.
• Centrally manage updates to contractual content.

By making contract clauses easier to manage and reuse, the Clause Library supports faster and more efficient contract creation.

When you load clauses into the Clause Library in SAP Ariba Contracts, you must assign a clause type to each one. Clause types are not technical rules, so they don’t affect how clauses function. Instead, they help identify the intended use of each clause within a contract document.

Clause types guide your team in choosing the appropriate version of a clause as negotiations evolve. They also simplify the process of substituting clauses when assembling or editing a contract document. The three most commonly used clause types in contract negotiations are:

• Preferred: Use Preferred clauses as the starting point in your contract negotiations. These reflect your organization’s preferred legal or business language and are the default choice when assembling a new contract document.
• Alternate: Use Alternate clauses when there is alternate but equally correct language for a Preferred clause. These are pre-approved alternatives and can be substituted in place of the Preferred clause as needed during negotiation.
• Fallback: Use Fallback clauses only if the supplier or customer rejects both the Preferred and Alternate versions. These clauses typically offer more concessions and should be used sparingly, as they may carry greater risk.

Every Clause Library includes a special clause type called the Empty Clause.This clause is installed by default and is used to replace deleted clauses in contract documents. It appears in the Others folder of the Clause Library and contains the following default text: Clause intentionally deleted.

If the Empty Clause is not published, users may experience unexpected behavior, such as:

• Deleted clauses remaining visible in the Outline View.
• Inconsistent deletion behavior when editing documents in Microsoft Word.

To avoid these issues, ensure that the Empty Clause is published and available in your Clause Library at all times.

Access to the Clause Library in SAP Ariba Contracts depends on whether you’re assigned to a team role within the Clause Library workspace.

If you are a member of any group on the Team tab of the Clause Library workspace, you can access the Clause Library directly from your dashboard:

1. Go to the Dashboard.
2. Locate the Common Actions area.
3. Choose the Clause Library link.

This is the most direct method and is only available to users who are officially part of the Clause Library team.

By default, edits to the Clause Library can be made by users who belong to the Clause Library Team project group and the Project Owner group in the Clause Library.

If you are not part of the Clause Library team, you can still access the Clause Library by searching for it on your dashboard:

1. Locate the Search area.
2. Choose Search.
3. In the Project Type dropdown, select All.
4. In the search field, enter Clause Library.
5. Choose Search.
6. In the search results, locate the Clause Library project and select Open
7. On the Clause Library page, select the library you want, then choose Actions→Open.

• The Clause Library is a workspace that stores and organizes reusable contract clauses, ensuring consistency and compliance in SAP Ariba Contracts.
• Clause types, Preferred, Alternate, and Fallback, assist in selecting appropriate clauses during contract negotiations.
• The Empty Clause replaces deleted clauses, preventing unexpected behavior in contract documents.
• Access to the Clause Library depends on team role assignment within the Clause Library workspace.
• Non-team members can view but not edit Clause Library contents unless added to designated groups.