Document builder

A document builder is an editor for producing business documents from templates. You set up a proposal or contract once, with fields for the client name, dates and amounts, and reusable blocks such as terms or pricing tables. Each new document is then created by filling in the fields, often pulling data from a CRM. PandaDoc, DocuSign and Dropbox Sign are examples of tools that offer document building.

Sales and operations teams lose time copying old documents, changing names by hand and sometimes sending the wrong client's details. A builder keeps wording consistent, reduces mistakes and lets a manager control which clauses people may change. The finished document can usually go straight to signing.

You need it when the same kind of document is sent often. If you send a handful of contracts a year, a word processor and a plain signing tool may be enough.

• Can you build templates yourself, or only choose from a fixed set?
• Can fields be filled from your CRM or another system automatically?
• Can you lock parts of a document so staff cannot edit the legal terms?
• Is the editor included in the plan you are considering, or only the signing step?