De Connectie opts for control and insight with ISPnext

De Connectie is responsible for the operational management of the municipalities of Arnhem, Renkum and Rheden. Within that responsibility, the Procurement and Tendering department handles contract management for both the three municipalities and De Connectie itself. Contract information was often difficult to find, out of date or unavailable to the right people. As a result, reminder emails were regularly ignored, new contracts were not always delivered and control over the process was gradually lost.

When CTM, the previous system, was phased out, De Connectie launched a multiple private tender for contract management. ISPnext emerged as the best party. An important starting point in the choice was that the solution does not centralise ownership of contracts, but rather returns it to the contract holders themselves. "Now all contract managers and contract owners can work independently in the system. They filter their own files and see exactly what is going on within their areas of responsibility. That provides insight and ownership, which is exactly what we were missing," says Maartje.

After going live, the collaboration remained intensive. "What we appreciate is that ISPnext really thinks along with us. If something is not yet possible, we can easily discuss it. Our suggestions are taken seriously and regularly included in the roadmap." Functional management has also been deliberately placed with the project leader at De Connectie for the time being, so that teething problems can first be resolved centrally. The intention is that this management will eventually be transferred to the users themselves.

The software is now considered clear and intuitive. "The system does what it's supposed to do. For contract owners, it's nice to have everything in one place," says Maartje.

Within De Connectie, broader consideration is being given to the further digitisation of business operations. This also applies to the domain of contract management. Robotisation is a concrete topic within ongoing internal projects. AI is still being explored, but the possibilities are generating interest. "If AI can actually recognise data points from contracts and enter them automatically, that could save us a lot of time. That would really add value," says Maartje.

However, it is clear that the subject is of interest beyond just procurement. Other departments, such as IT, also recognise the need for better contract management. The challenge here lies mainly in assigning ownership and combining legal and substantive knowledge. De Connectie is carefully exploring these steps, with the aim of further professionalising contract management.

De Connectie is a partnership between the municipalities of Arnhem, Renkum and Rheden. As an implementing organisation, De Connectie is responsible for the entire operational management of these three municipalities. This includes procurement, finance, ICT and property management. The organisation has a limited policy role and operates in a supporting capacity, translating municipal policy into professional implementation. With approximately 600 employees, De Connectie offers economies of scale and continuity for the participating municipalities.