The Record Management team’s role in optimising contract management
Did you know that the IKL’s Record Management (RM) team can support the various IOC departments in the smooth processing of their contracts? Even though the IOC manages its contracts via a dedicated platform called “Ariba”, modern technology is not immune to glitches, and that is where the RM team comes into play.
Ariba offers a space to create, administer and sign all contracts the IOC is involved with. The RM team’s task is to do a quality check on all files, making sure all the pages of the contract and the relevant appendices are recorded; the contract is fully executed; and the contract’s end date is correct in Ariba. The team corrects inconsistencies and notifies the contract managers if signatures are missing.
As the Ariba platform keeps evolving to better address business needs and simplify some workflows, the RM team closely follows every new process and is involved in assessing its impact. Carlos Garcia from the IOC’s Ethics and Compliance team has worked closely with RM team member Cédric Pella on contract management, and says: “The collaboration with the RM team has been excellent over the last few years. Monthly meetings including RM, Legal and DTI certainly contribute to that. During those sessions, we exchange important information on new developments or changes to the process or system. We also address any open issues that require escalation, and discuss opportunities to implement improvements.” He added: “The RM team plays a key role in ensuring a high quality of information included in each IOC contract. In addition, the whole team is very service-oriented and always tries to find solutions for each person seeking support.”
In terms of workflow optimisation, the RM team is currently also advising the IOC Finance Department, which is working on bridging Ariba with another software component for the management of finance data, and more specifically invoicing. This integration should significantly shorten the time between the creation of a purchase contract and the issuing of a purchase order. Together, the two teams analysed the requirements and the process in order to best fulfil the various business expectations.
“It’s important our colleagues know which skills and solutions exist in house to maximise the efficiency of our operations,” explains IKL Associate Director Chris Payne. “Each year, the IOC manages thousands of different contracts, and a considerable number of IOC workforce is somehow involved in contract management. Don’t hesitate to consult our Records Management team if you face any issues with inconsistencies, be they related to the process or the content.”