The scope of service and supply contracts spans a
multiplicity of arrangements, geographies, be they a single property, regional
or national and of course, term and ‘fees and rates’. Every discussion I have
inevitably surfaces three common observations:
1.
“I have a stack of contracts that I have to sort
through and analyze and I have to read them all.”
2.
“It’s a thankless job but someone has to do it”
3.
“I can only imagine the negotiating leverage I
would get if I knew what was actively being contracted for throughout my
portfolio.”
A lot is being discussed about ‘Big Data’ analytics these
days. Cool. But the fact is there are ‘Big Gains’ sitting right there in that
stack of contract paperwork. I am also not suggesting that you hire contract
negotiators, although in some areas they can be helpful, such as energy, trash
and telecommunications procurement. The fact is, gaining control and analyzing
your existing contract portfolio is truly not a big effort with today’s ready
to go technology. It seems that the biggest hurdle is making a decision to just
do it. Once done the automation and analytics flow easily.
Why do it? Take
moment and see how you would rate yourself on the following 12 questions:
1.
How many contracts do I have?
2.
Who are all my suppliers?
3.
What are my rates and fees for similar services
under different contracts?
4.
How do the terms in my contracts for similar
services differ?
5.
What is my total portfolio spend in each
contracted area – by service type and geography?
6.
Am I getting the correct volume discounts that
are available?
7.
Which contracts need attention – now, because
they are due for renewal?
8.
What are my ‘terms of service’ delivery?
9.
What are my contracted metrics for service
delivery – the SLA’s?
10.
How many expired contracts do I have?
11.
Do I Have contracts that will soon roll over and
renew at less than favorable terms?
12.
What are my risks and exposure positions?
And there you have it. Meaningful, actionable insights,
analysis and strategies can be at your figure tips.
As I always offer, if you would like to take a closer look
at how this can work for you - send me an e-mail. I’d be happy to share my
experiences with the state of the art in the technology of contract management.