AstroSoft: contract management and tenders

Implementing the ERP system, the enterprise automates basic functions of accounting, planning and management. The specified functions are used not in itself and as elements of these or those business processes. One of such important processes is contract management. It is obvious that software tools of this sort are necessary, first of all, to the companies having extensive document flow and conducting vigorous contract activities. According to a research of analytical group of AstroSoft company, most of all in our country such solutions are demanded by manufacturing industrial enterprises with complex structure of agreements. Demand is very active also from scientific research institute and educational institutions, mining companies, the service industry and public institutions. Quite unexpected result of this research was the fact that in crisis years of sale of software for contract management grew quicker, than many other modules of ERP systems.

The matter is that in tough times it is especially important to top management and chief financial officers to have before itself up-to-date information about what is planned in the signed and preparing agreements what sales opportunities of such plans and what financial results can be expected in the close and separated perspective. At the same time degree of importance of separate agreements in respect of their yield, rigidity of penalties, completion dates and other important characteristics is considered. Besides, on the basis of information put in agreements such important processes as budgeting, managerial and accounting are performed. Both lawyers, and workers of a security service, and specialists of financial department are interested in an information access about agreements.

How work with agreements is based at the enterprise? Any agreement passes several stages in the lifecycle: preparation, conclusion, planning, execution and analysis. On the first of them during preparatory study is taken into account what purposes face the enterprise (for example, increase in sales level) and what funds are allocated for their achievement. The leading role at this stage is assigned to heads of financial services as they are responsible for planning and formation of budgets. But the role and the performing divisions is big here, it is impossible to detail specific clauses of the contract without their participation.

In the course of signing of the contract lawyers who certify its legality and also the representatives of a security service designed to reveal cases of possible fraud actively participate. The financial department controls compliance of terms of the contract to the set limits and budgets. At stages of planning and execution the initiative passes again to financial services and the performing divisions as at this particular time it is necessary to plan reasonably resources and to provide financial and nomenclature execution of all parameters of the agreement. It is useful to carry out procedures of the analysis at all stages. Before final signing not superfluous will be a check of the expected results of validity and its economic feasibility. The matter is that from the moment of the beginning of its preparation there could be significant changes in a situation in the market or in vendor relations. Taking into account new circumstances it is quite often reasonable to review terms of the contract, and then all work mentioned above will be carried out repeatedly (sometimes and not once).

Recently the number of the held competitions and their participants grows, the amounts of the contracts signed by their results increase. And such biddings practice not only the state, but also commercial structures as this approach gives the chance most effectively to use the budget of the organization. Competitive activity is based in many respects too around agreements which should consider also existing normative and the legislation (for example, the well-known federal law No. 94-FZ 'About placing orders for the supply of goods, works and services for state and municipal needs').

For the solution of all of the tasks mentioned above the AstroSoft company proposes the solution 'AstroSoft: contract management and tenders', constructed on the 1C:Enterprise 8 platform that allows to integrate it into the general information system of the organization and to provide communication with other means of accounting and management working in the environment of Windows. For example, it is possible to organize data exchange with the system of accounting, to implement interaction with the program of planning and project management, to adjust remote access to data via the Web interface.

If to consider work with agreements in terms of document flow, this solution supports not only registration, storage and quick search of agreements, but also process management of their preparation, approval and execution. Besides, it provides different templates for formation of agreements and allows to compare among themselves the offered options. In addition to it in 'AstroSoft: the upraleniye agreements and tenders' is available own CRM module optimizing customer interaction.

In a system there is a planning module of costs and resources and also the module of the analysis of the planned and actual results which allows to see a current status of performance of this or that agreement. With its help it is possible to analyze loading of resources, to monitor activity of employees and a status of agreements and on the basis of this information to adjust an order of execution of long-term and difficult obligations. In addition this solution allows to control settlings with partners, to carry out the analysis of financial results of contract activities, to calculate profit volume under agreements, to warn possible penalties and also to solve some other the tasks necessary for effective management of finance of the enterprise.

Experience of AstroSoft company shows that a system can be applied with identical success both on small, and on the large, geographically distributed enterprises. She is capable to adapt under specifics of work with agreements of the companies of any organizational form belonging practically to any industry.