Van Gelder streamlines contract management from creation to administration

Infrastructure partner Van Gelder wanted to gain greater control over its procurement contracts and further professionalise its contract management process. The first step was to centrally manage contracts and make them accessible across the organisation. Following the implementation of a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) solution, the next step was to simplify and standardise the creation of new procurement contracts, while reducing manual work. Spendlinq supported Van Gelder throughout both projects, from software selection and system configuration to implementation, integration and adoption.

The challenge

As part of a broader transformation of its application landscape, Van Gelder needed a professional contract management solution. The organisation wanted centralised visibility into existing and new contracts, contract owners and important dates, such as notice periods and expiry dates. Contract information also needed to be accessible to relevant employees across the various operating companies.

Following the implementation of a central contract management solution, attention turned to the process before contract signing. Contracts were created using Word templates and functionality from the former ERP system. This required extensive manual input and made it difficult to ensure that employees were always using the latest templates. Van Gelder therefore wanted to improve the contract creation process and further enhance the quality and consistency of new procurement contracts.

The role of Spendlinq

Spendlinq supported Van Gelder in the selection and implementation of the Contract Lifecycle Management solution. Working closely with the Procurement Manager and employees from various operating companies, Spendlinq supervised the selection process and helped define the required system setup. Spendlinq also provided implementation support, employee training and guidance throughout the change process. The new solution went live within four months.

For the next phase, Spendlinq once again supported the software selection process. The team prepared an RFP, organised inspiration sessions and supervised the evaluation of solutions based on functionality, suitability and costs. Following the selection, Spendlinq supported the system configuration and the migration of existing contract templates to the new environment.

Spendlinq also supervised the training of functional administrators, template administrators and end users, as well as the integrations with the existing CLM landscape.

The solution

For centralised contract management, Van Gelder selected Contractify. The solution provides the organisation with insight into contracts, contract owners and key dates throughout the contract lifecycle, while supporting employees with automated alerts.

Docfield was subsequently selected for contract creation. Procurement contracts can now be created entirely within the application, using centrally managed templates. The contract creation and CLM solutions are being integrated into the existing application landscape, ensuring better alignment between contract creation and contract management.

The technology

The result

With the new way of working, Van Gelder has gained greater visibility and control over its contract portfolio. Contracts are centrally stored and managed, and employees receive timely notifications when action is required. The growing number of contracts under management and the rapid adoption across the organisation demonstrate the widespread use of the solution.

The improved visibility also supports Van Gelder in planning procurement activities and making better use of existing contracts across its various operating companies.

With the addition of contract creation, the process at the front end is now being further professionalised. Procurement contracts can be created within a single application, using the latest version of the appropriate template. Initial user experiences have been positive. Over the coming period, the solution will be rolled out to more business units and contract templates.

About Van Gelder

Van Gelder is the full-service infrastructure partner for the Netherlands, specialising in the design and delivery of above-ground and underground infrastructure solutions and the management and maintenance of infrastructure. As a financially independent family business with over 2,000 dedicated colleagues, it contributes with its infrastructure solutions to a smart, sustainable and safe public space for the future.