Framework is a secure and flexible online solution that provides comprehensive insights into contractual spend, presenting tools to effectively manage contracts and reduce cost. This is achieved through a central repository for contract and supplier documents and information, with email notifications of milestone dates and task management facility for further improving business processes. The inbuilt data reporting makes forecasting contract costs more accurate and easier to extract, and makes the analysis process far quicker.

Quarter three of the financial year has seen award winning online fashion retailer Net-A-Porter, current Expenses customer Eriks, and British heritage-inspired clothing retailer choose Framework as the suitable product for their businesses. Net-A-Porter chose Software Europe’s online contract management solution, Framework, for the flexibility of the system, the UK based Helpdesk and most importantly for the 20 years of experience as a leading software company, offering stability at a time when businesses are at risk of failure in the current economic climate. Requiring a fast replacement solution for their former provider, Net-A-Porter saw a sale turnaround of only sixteen days, along with full implementation and training in as little as five weeks from when initial interest in the product was expressed.

Expenses customer, Eriks, have expanded their range of Software Europe’s solutions to include Framework. Having recognised the need for a contract management system, Eriks decided that due to the already strong relationship between the two companies and the exceptional service and results throughout their time of being an Expenses customer, to work with Software Europe again on their new project.

Framework now boasts 33 customers including Bupa, Cable & Wireless, Pinsent Masons, Aegon, ONS, Capita IT Services and Virgin Media each managing contracts across their companies covering buy-side and sell-side contracts including property, suppliers, TV programming, IT, healthcare, government, insurance and assurance, retail, travel, sponsorship, legal and personnel.

ISO/IEC 27001:2005 provides a formal model for a business to manage its data security obligations under management control. It is a very good model and isn’t achieved easily; it took Software Europe over a year of formalising its plans, policies and procedures and as a result we have a structure that delivers very real advantages. ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certification is independently audited annually and renewal is far from automatic; requiring an on-going attitude of constant improvement. For our customers and potential customers it means that they can feel confident that their data is in good hands, and their service is being delivered through a recognised and audited standard. 

Software Europe encourages organisations to make sure any supplier they engage with holds the certification themselves and not by association only. Some SaaS providers may suggest they carry the ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certification when in fact it is perhaps their hosting provider or data centre that is certified. This would not cover the operation of the actual organisation you are about to do business with. In some cases the words used to describe who is certified are difficult to unravel… there’s an easy solution; ask to see their ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certification, make sure it is in date and ensure it covers the solution you are interested in. View our certificate.

The new customer chose our online contact management solution, Framework, for the flexibility of the system, our UK based Helpdesk and most importantly for our 20 years of experience as a leading software company, offering stability at a time when businesses are at risk of failure in the current economic climate.

I have spoken at many events about the importance of mobile technology in what we do and ‘apps’ are a small part of that.  We’re already testing for compatibility on as many Tablet devices as possible and pleased to say the investment we have made is really paying off now we can see the product working brilliantly on a Tablet.

Register to find out as soon as the smart phone apps are available to download.

Neil Everatt, Managing Director

Our fully configurable and flexible contract and supplier management solution, Framework, is easy to implement and offers a fast, relaxed and smooth transition for those businesses wanting to export their entire contract data from their current online solution. This is particularly prevalent at a time when businesses are at risk of failure in the current economic climate.

The user-friendly features within Framework provide all the functionality, security and performance you require for success. With a six to eight week implementation, organisations will soon see a ROI and be reassured that their contract management is nicely secured in a solution with endless benefits:        

• Ensure contract compliance with real-time email alerts of milestone dates and scheduled tasks.
• Monitor and analyse your contracts with the extensive reporting capabilities.
• Scan, store and instantly access your documents to reference your contractual obligations on easily-tailored screens.
• Quickly and easily search your data, confirm invoices against agreed costs, monitor the status of suppliers and receive automatic alerts for key events.
• Store contract and third-party notes to track correspondence history.

Software Europe are proud to offer customers great stability, and with our Dun and Bradstreet Rating 1, the highest level of credit worthiness and our ISO/IEC 27001:2005 security certification it’s hard to argue otherwise.

Eager to learn more?

• Register for a live demonstrations for Framework
• Watch our online video demo’s of Framework
• Speak to one of our framework consultants
• Read what our customers have to say…

Our development teams are now heads down on the final stages of our GreenLight technology project.  We want to change the way businesses do things and make technology really work hard for them. Our Expenses, Expenses Health and Framework products have already shown the enormous amounts of time and money that can be saved by automating manual and paper based processes. 

GreenLight is already deployed in a number of our customer implementations and it means their employees now enjoy simple electronic forms to make requests and share information.  It’s a real revelation to move away from paper forms and use GreenLight technology to automate what used to be paper requests. 

GreenLight is more than just a ‘flat’ form though; it deploys logic and intelligent routing to make the process really simple.

Neil Everatt, Managing Director

During the Conference I also heard stories of some amazing savings that were being realised by our customers – one was of a magnitude that will make a massive difference to the NHS and links very nicely with our recent invitation to Downing Street.  It really did demonstrate the difference between processing expenses manually and automating them with our Expenses management solution.

Neil Everatt, Software Europe's Managing Director

The feedback we received from our customers was very positive, and we are pleased at how well the two day event went.  It provided a brilliant opportunity for us to really get to know our customers and it was also a good chance for customers to network and discuss their use of the products.

The event consisted of a mixture of staff presentations about Software Europe, our products, and how to optimise the usefulness of Expenses, as well as external speakers engaging our customers with a range of topics.

One of the sessions held required delegates to suggest possible paper based approval processes they currently have in place which could benefit from being automated.  A rugby themed prize draw was included for all those who submitted suggestions.

The day time events were informative and useful, but another highlight of the event was the evening entertainment, where delegates had the chance to network further and the time to really discuss things in a relaxed and enjoyable environment.  Highlights were exploring the picturesque sights of Lincoln as part of a ghost walk and a three course dinner on the Barge restaurant.

Many thanks to those who attended, our speakers, and those involved in the organisation and running of the event – we look forward to our next event!

Introducing Corporate Diligence, a product moving away from the archaic, old fashioned manual process and introducing due diligence to the world of cloud computing.

There’s no need to read about this new era of technology, listen to our Managing Director’s Vlog 'Corporate Diligence - A New Way' taking you through the key benefits of this new tool automating due diligence report management and creation which means your team can concentrate on what they do best.

Key highlights:

• Faster decision making for your clients
• Check lists configured by practice area
• Immediate visibility of risks as they are identified
• Automatic generation of due diligence reports
• Enhanced collaboration between partner and client
• Secure web-based system for global access
• Increased efficiency of corporate partner resources

One of the sub-aims of the project was to pass down any technological advances to our existing solutions. Similar to the way that NASA technology often found its way into our everyday lives, we will be recycling some of the Research & Development and using it in our current solutions.

What I didn’t mention was that the whole of the Professional Services team is PRINCE2-qualified, with a strong team of Foundation-level and Registered Practitioners.

So what?

You may have heard bad things about PRINCE2, how it’s rigid and long-winded and involves terminal form-filling, etc. 

These are common misconceptions.  We apply the PRINCE2 principles but tailor them to suit each individual project that we manage.

What it really means for you is that you can have confidence that each stage of your implementation will be managed efficiently, in a controlled way, ensuring the success of your project by realising the benefits outlined in your business case.

In other words, we do a proper job and make sure that you get more than you bargained for!

Deborah Stevenson
Professional Services Manager, Software Europe

The workshop included informative presentations providing delegates with advice and guidance on contract compliance, and how savings can be recovered from duplicate invoices. Delegates identified communication between teams and departments as one of the major challenges in compliance and discovered that higher levels of efficiency can be achieved using Framework, improving the visibility and control over contracts and suppliers.

The unique partnership  provides an opportunity to add value to organisations wanting to improve their contract compliance through consultancy services and introducing a system to monitor the compliance moving forward.  The session, described by attendees as "very good – not too long and informative" was a great opportunity for prospective customers and new customers to meet the teams and share their challenges in contract compliance and the management of contract information.

Look out for your invite to the next workshop!

Owen’s exciting week:

Meeting the busy Service Desk
The service desk were very nice to me. First of all they helped me install windows XP onto a computer which I haven’t really done before so that was very helpful. I noticed that the team are mainly on the phone to customers and other departments and are always working. They are a very busy team.

Learning the basics with the Development team
The development team were helpful to me as I am very interested in having a career in development. On Tuesday I learnt a lot with Simon when he helped me with basic software writing/developing. On Wednesday, with Martin and Paul, I learnt a lot despite not being able to help much but it was good experience. 

Attending my 1^st Professional conference
On Thursday I spent the whole day with the Professional Services team in which I was able to attend a conference for a partnership between Software Europe and transaction analysts. I found it very interesting and I learned a lot from it. Plus I got a lot of food which also helps!

An insight into Admin
I didn’t spend that much time in the admin office but from just sitting there on the first morning I realise that they are quite a busy area.

Sales tips
The sales team spent the morning with me on Monday in which they showed how they sell the products, the different steps it takes to make a sale and I found it very interesting. It is quite possible that I would like a career in that area if I can’t make it into the development area.

Corporate Communications are key
The Corporate Communications team were very friendly to me when I met them on the Monday afternoon. They showed me what they do and how they play a key role in the company. I was especially interested in Ryan’s video editing and Dan’s animation. Again they are both possible career choices I might look at in the future.

This prestigious, invite only, event is hosted by the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Lincoln and gives local businesses the opportunity to find inspiration to improve their business acumen and take part in an educating Q&A session with the panel of experts.

Neil will give a 7 minute speech to his peers about Software Europe’s success and how it will continue to grow and is looking forward to hearing what his peers have to impart on their business experiences.

Software Europe

Highlights of the event include advice and guidance on effective contract compliance as well as best practise case studies from peers already using these methods.

Why you should attend:

This workshop is your opportunity to streamline how you manage your contracts and invoices. Whether you are looking to automate this process or find out what best practises you should be implementing, this is the workshop for you: 

• Learn how you can make savings from better contract and invoice compliance
• See what savings you can make from recovering and removing duplicate invoices that you shouldn't be paying for
• Discover how you could achieve higher levels of efficiency in contract management
• You will be offered a FREE duplicate invoice analysis
• Improve the visibility and control over your contracts and suppliers

Workshop details:

Date: Tuesday 7th April 2011 – place appointment in your calendar
Time: 9:30am until 1:30pm, (includes lunch)
Location: Software Europe, Head Office, Lincoln (Directions)

Cost: This is a complimentary workshop

Download Agenda

Register to attend the workshop

Once you've registered you can also add this to your events on Facebook

Rachel Watmore, Framework Business Manager

And in the middle of all of this is the Professional Services team.  My team.  A team of very competent, proactive (and downright lovely!) project managers, who work closely with you and with the other teams here at Software Europe to provide a range of services to support our systems.   

One of us will be your dedicated project manager for the duration of the implementation and will make sure that the others are up to speed on the project, too.  Your project manager will listen to you and help you to decide the most beneficial and efficient configuration of the software to meet your company’s needs.  They will be there every step of the way, providing advice and ensuring that the implementation runs as smoothly as possible.

But that’s not all we do.  In addition, we deliver top-quality training in System Administration and Report-Writing to make sure that you get the most out of the product. 

I bet all software providers say the same things... all sounds really cheesy and clichéd, but I have to say that we can actually support our claims of excellence with evidence from satisfied customers.

No doubt you will speak to one of us very soon, if you haven’t already.  We look forward to it.

“While writing can I say how impressed we are with both the software and the customer focus of all your staff we have come into contact with. Melanie Dickson and Steve Morland have been a tremendous help as we implement the system, which we will start rolling out from the beginning of next month now we have resolved the issues relating to getting the information into ESR.

We look forward to the next release of the software and obtaining the benefits from the whole system as we embed it into the Trust.”

London Ambulance Service NHS

By Deborah Stevenson, Professional Services Manager

Worked with our Technical Consultants to configure and implement it

And now you’ve been set on your way to start using the product within your organisation

You may be wondering what happens next:

Software Europe believes in a proactive approach to your account and as such they employ me as a dedicated Customer Manager to look after you for the life of your contract.

As your Customer Manager one of my core responsibilities is to make sure that you get the most out of your investment and that it continues to drive efficiency and savings within your business.

I achieve this by:

• Regularly meeting with you to review your account.
• Performing health checks on your data and system setup.
• Providing you with tailored configuration and best practice advice.
• Updating you on all future product developments.
• Providing comprehensive release notes for all new upgrades.
• Managing your upgrade process to ensure a smooth transition to any new release.
• Hosting free-to-attend online demonstrations of new features.
• Keeping you up to date on industry specific topics, including HMRC and legislation changes.
• Involving you in industry specific focus groups.
• Helping you to implement any new product features within your organisation.

Ultimately my goal is to support you as best I can, whenever you need me, to make sure that the administration of your chosen solution is as simple and minimal as possible.

Stuart Hymers, Customer Manager

When looking for products and services is it feasible to spend up to twice as much on products that are deemed more carbon efficient, when Finance Directors are demanding that departments cut costs. Example:  you can get 500 sheets of white copy paper for £2.99 and yet you can get 500 sheets of white recycled paper for £5.29.

Which would you buy? And can we find a happy medium?

Let us know how you achieve a balance between procurement costs and helping the environment on our twitter feed @softwareeurope or #cost-vs-environment

Tracey Turton, Corporate Communications Executive

With the focus to improve usability Framework version 2020.3.0 contains subtle changes to the layout whilst maintaining the familiar look and feel that will result in a more positive overall user experience.

Read the full press release +

We are seeing a greater awareness and education surrounding internet delivered services and now some innovation is being customer driven.  They know that services can be connected to provide even greater benefits and are increasingly passing these ideas back to the service provider for consideration in future releases.  This can present a challenge for the supplier as their steering committees grapple to deliver new innovation that will benefit the majority whilst keeping an eye on customer satisfaction.

The internet solution provider has to adopt clear strategies for steering their products and services otherwise they end up being pushed and pulled; delivering a solution that has no clear direction.  It is essential that the product evolves in three ways:

1. Bugs get fixed

2. Customer requests that benefit the majority are delivered, and

3. Innovative services are introduced.

Innovation is often the victim when it comes to development schedules, but it is this innovation that takes your product and service above and beyond what others are providing.  It is essential that innovation has its guardians within the business and is not allowed to be pushed aside when the development schedule gets a bit tight.

When you are considering giving your business to an online service provider (or SaaS) take a look at their past developments and ask are there signs of innovation or do they appear to be just playing catch up?  The answer to this will give you a good insight into the company’s aspirations and objectives, are they looking for a quick build and then exit, or are they looking to grow their business with long terms objectives?

Neil Everatt, Managing Director

• Automatic renewal
• Automatic cancellation
• Changes in pricing
• Supplier financial status
• Customer financial status
• Suppliers negating T&C’s
• Customers negating T&C's
• Depreciating contract value
• Altering business requirements
• Reliant on other contracts
• Usage restrictions
• Over complex T&C’s

Framework stores all the relevant contract liabilities within the system providing the management controls and greater visibility into contractual risks, leaving no threat unprotected and therefore improving the management and performance of contracts.

Contact us today to find out how Framework can help manage your contract risks

Here at Software Europe we use Framework to manage both contracts with suppliers and also with customers and fully utilise the configurable fields to aid with the monitoring and reporting of contract information. 

But I do wonder what tools other businesses use to maximise the management of contracts.

Here's a few tips we've picked up along the way:

1. Ensure all agreements with customers and suppliers are robust. In particular, review these agreements regularly in regards to each businesses liabilities and obligations.
2. Be aware of whether the contract terms can be improved specifically in relation to finances
3. Monitor and analyse contract compliance, if a supplier isn't meeting it's obligations you could use this as leverage to cancel the contract.
4. Be prepared for any problems and come up with a contingency plan. If you have any large contracts in place that a lot of your own finances are reliant on make sure you check their stability regularly.

Tracey Turton, Marketing Executive