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Business DOS Template

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BUSINESS DOS TEMPLATE

This Business Description of Services Agreement (the "Agreement") is made effective as of by and between the parties identified below.

WHEREAS

WHEREAS, Party A seeks to obtain certain professional services and deliverables described herein; and

WHEREAS, Party B represents that it has the qualifications, experience and ability to provide such services in a professional and workmanlike manner; and

WHEREAS, the parties desire to set forth the terms and conditions under which Party B will provide the services to Party A.

SCOPE OF WORK

Party B shall perform the services and deliver the work product described below. Party B will provide the resources, labor and materials necessary to complete the services in accordance with accepted industry standards and the schedule agreed by the parties.

PAYMENT TERMS

In consideration for the services and deliverables, Party A shall pay Party B the amounts and according to the schedule set forth below. All payments shall be made in lawful currency and are exclusive of any taxes unless otherwise stated.

Payments are due within days of invoice unless otherwise agreed in writing. Late payments shall accrue interest as set forth below.

TERM AND TERMINATION

This Agreement commences on and will continue until unless earlier terminated in accordance with this Section.

Either party may terminate this Agreement for convenience upon prior written notice to the other party of . Either party may terminate for material breach if the breaching party fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) days after receiving written notice specifying the breach.

CONFIDENTIALITY

"Confidential Information" means all non‑public information disclosed by one party to the other that is designated as confidential or that reasonably should be understood to be confidential given the nature of the information and the circumstances of disclosure. Receiving party shall: (a) protect Confidential Information with at least the same degree of care it uses to protect its own confidential information but no less than reasonable care; (b) use Confidential Information only to perform its obligations under this Agreement; and (c) not disclose Confidential Information to any third party except to employees, contractors or advisors who have a need to know and who are bound by confidentiality obligations no less restrictive than those contained herein.

The obligations of confidentiality shall survive termination of this Agreement for years, except with respect to trade secrets which shall remain protected for so long as they qualify as trade secrets under applicable law.

GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of , without regard to principles of conflict of laws. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within that state for any dispute arising under this Agreement.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Agreement, including any exhibits and attachments hereto, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to its subject matter and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings, negotiations and discussions, whether oral or written. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

MISCELLANEOUS

Neither party may assign its rights or delegate its duties under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party, except that either party may assign this Agreement in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all of its assets. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Party A - Company Name:

By:

Date:

Party B - Service Provider:

By:

Date:

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What a Business DOS Template Is and when it’s used

A Business DOS Template is a standardized Description of Services used in service contracts to define scope, deliverables, timing, pricing, acceptance criteria and change-order procedures. It provides a clear, written basis for what a vendor will deliver and what a client will pay, reducing ambiguity in performance and billing. Organizations use the template to accelerate contract drafting, ensure consistent terms across engagements, and create a record that can be signed electronically under U.S. e-signature laws when appropriate.

Why a clear DOS matters for your agreements

A precise Description of Services reduces disputes, clarifies billing events, and simplifies scope changes. It supports enforceability by documenting parties’ expectations, enables accurate invoicing, and helps internal teams and external counsel assess risk quickly. When signed, it becomes part of the contractual record governed by relevant state law and U.S. e-signature statutes.

Why a clear DOS matters for your agreements

Typical users and roles for a Business DOS Template

The Business DOS Template is used by procurement, sales, project managers and legal teams to communicate scope and responsibilities before work begins.

  • Procurement managers who compare vendor scope and costs across bids
  • Project managers responsible for deliverable schedules and acceptance
  • Sales and account teams who need standardized proposals and SOWs

The template standardizes handoffs between commercial and delivery teams and provides an auditable record for billing, approvals, and dispute resolution.

Who can sign the Business DOS

CEO

Chief executives often sign master agreements or high-value service orders after legal review. Their signature binds the company and may require board-level approvals depending on corporate policy and delegation of authority.

Authorized Agent

An authorized signer or procurement officer can execute routine service orders within delegated limits. Organizations should maintain written delegation records to confirm authority and avoid post-execution challenges.

Core parts to include in a professional DOS

A complete Description of Services groups contractual detail into consistent sections so reviewers and approvers can find obligations, timing, and pricing quickly.

Scope of Services

Describe tasks, features, or activities in measurable terms. Include specific outputs, formats, and any limits on quantity or hours to avoid later disputes about what was promised.

Deliverables

List tangible deliverables with acceptance criteria or tests. Define file formats, documentation requirements, and the person or role responsible for final sign-off.

Timeline

Specify start dates, milestones, and delivery windows. Tie payment triggers to milestone completion when appropriate to align incentives and cashflow.

Payment Terms

State rates, invoicing frequency, payment due dates, and late fees. Clarify expense reimbursement and whether taxes are included or billed separately.

Change Orders

Explain the process for scope changes, pricing adjustments, and approvals. Require written change orders signed by both parties before additional work begins.

Acceptance Criteria

Define how deliverables are reviewed and accepted, including review periods, defect remediation, and the effect of acceptance on payment and warranty obligations.

Step-by-step: prepare and finalize the DOS

Follow a consistent order to draft, review, and obtain signatures to reduce rework and ensure authorizations are in place.

  • 01
    Draft: Populate template fields with project specifics and pricing.
  • 02
    Internal Review: Route to legal and finance for compliance and budget checks.
  • 03
    Client Review: Share with the counterparty for confirmation of scope and dates.
  • 04
    Execute: Collect required signatures and store the executed document.

Configuring the template for online completion

Map each field to validation rules and signer roles to prevent errors and speed execution in an e-signature workflow.

Field Validation | Example
Effective Date MM/DD/YYYY | Auto-validate format
Signature Required | Enforce signature field
Rates and Fees Numeric | Enforce currency and limits
Change Order Checkbox Conditional | Reveal change-order fields when checked

Where to send or file the executed DOS

Decide distribution and archival destinations before execution to ensure records are routed correctly and available to stakeholders.

  • Client: Deliver an executed copy to the client’s contracting contact.
  • Finance: Send to accounts payable/receivable for invoicing and payment tracking.
  • Project Team: Publish final scope and milestones to the delivery team and PM tools.
  • Legal Repository: Store in contract repository for compliance and auditability.

How to share and distribute the DOS securely

Use secure delivery methods to preserve authenticity and maintain an audit trail for signed agreements.

  • Email: Send signed PDFs as attachments
  • Secure Link: Share expiring links with access controls
  • API Integration: Automate storage and notifications

Choose a distribution option that preserves the signed PDF and audit trail. Ensure the chosen platform integrates with your document repository or ERP to maintain a single source of truth and to support retrieval for audits.

Common deadlines found inside a DOS

A DOS commonly sets effective dates, milestone deadlines, payment due dates, and notice periods for changes or termination.

Effective Date:

Date work begins; entered as MM/DD/YYYY

Payment Due:

Net 30 is common; state terms govern late penalties

Milestone Delivery:

Specific dates or windows for deliverables

Acceptance Period:

Client has defined review time (for example, 10 business days)

Change Notice:

Require written notice and signed change order

Key milestones from draft to delivery

Track these stages as sequential milestones so approvals and responsibilities are clear across teams.

01

Draft Completed

Prepare the initial DOS and align internal stakeholders.

02

Legal & Finance Review

Confirm terms, pricing, and compliance before external review.

03

Client Acceptance

Obtain client confirmation and collect signatures.

04

Project Kickoff

Start work once executable document and approvals are in place.

Common mistakes when preparing a DOS

  • Unclear deliverables that leave interpretation to the other party and create scope creep during performance.
  • Missing pricing detail or invoicing rules that delay payment and complicate accounting reconciliation.
  • No formal change-order process, causing disagreements when additional work is requested without pricing adjustments.
  • Using inconsistent names for parties or accounts, which can invalidate vendor payment setup or create tax reporting issues.

Risks and potential consequences of errors

Contract Dispute: Increased litigation risk
Payment Delays: Cashflow interruption
Tax Issues: Incorrect reporting consequences
Liability Gap: Unclear indemnity exposure
Invalid Signature: May not satisfy ESIGN exceptions
Regulatory Non‑compliance: Industry fines or remediation

Essential security and compliance controls

Encryption: AES-256 at rest
Transport Security: TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit
Audit Trail: Timestamp, IP, and action logs
Access Controls: Role-based permissions
HIPAA Support: BAA available where required
File Formats: PDF, DOCX, HTML, Excel

How to download, save, and share executed DOS files

Preserve an unalterable signed copy and a working editable copy so legal, finance, and delivery teams have what they need.

Download Options

Save executed records as PDF/A for archival and as DOCX if future edits or redlines are expected. Keep a copy with the audit trail embedded.

Editable Template

Store the master DOCX or template file separately from executed PDFs to ensure that each engagement uses the current approved language.

Supporting Documents

Attach SOW exhibits, pricing breakdowns, purchase orders, and change orders to the executed file to create a single contract record.

Versioning & Audit

Maintain version history and an audit trail for each signed copy to support audits, renewals, and dispute resolution.

How organizations use a DOS template in practice

Real-world examples show how standard templates reduce negotiation time and improve acceptance and delivery cycles.

Martin Properties

Property management used a standardized DOS for vendor maintenance work to ensure consistent pricing and timelines across sites.

  • The template tied payment to milestone completion.
  • According to the founder, the team processed and executed documents online with compliance and security, cutting back-and-forth negotiations and accelerating contractor onboarding.

Xerox (NetSuite Operations)

IT operations embedded a DOS template into their ERP to auto-populate service orders and billing fields.

  • Data flowed from the template into NetSuite.
  • The operations director noted the integration reduced manual entry and ensured the right signature and document formats based on their NetSuite workflows.

Selected eSignature pricing and feature comparison

Overview comparing starting price and common feature needs for signing Business DOS templates. Verify vendor terms for enterprise or volume discounts before purchasing.

signNow DocuSign Adobe Sign PandaDoc HelloSign
Starting Price $8/user/mo $15/user/mo $14/user/mo $19/user/mo $15/user/mo
Free Trial 7-day free trial Varies by vendor Varies by vendor Varies by vendor Varies by vendor
Bulk Send Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Audit Trail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
HIPAA Compliant Yes Yes Yes No No

Frequently asked questions about using a Business DOS Template

Answers to common questions about signing, notarization, retention, and typical execution problems when using a DOS template.


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