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90% less time spent searching: How Weserstadtwerke is streamlining its contract management
“Our expectations were fully met. Not only the efficient time savings, but also the intuitive operation of the user interface and the fast and professional support we give it a solid A.”
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Andreas Brandl
Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
95
%
Fewer unplanned extensions / missed cancellations
100.000
€
Savings in the first year through better terms, fewer auto-renewals, and cost control
90
%
Less testing and approval time thanks to standardization and AI analysis
90
%
Less testing and approval time thanks to standardization and AI analysis
330
Contracts have already been entered centrally in ContractHero
<1Monat
until successful implementation
0
No more missed deadlines thanks to a clear overview of deadlines
90%
Save time when searching for a contract
With 330 centrally managed contracts, an implementation period of less than a month, and a reduction in search time of approximately 90%, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH has established a modern and reliable foundation for its contract management. This results in greater transparency, clearly defined responsibilities, and greater certainty when dealing with deadlines and obligations.
About Weserstadtwerke
Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH is a municipal service provider. As a subsidiary of Stadtwerke Holzminden GmbH and Gas- und Wasserversorgung Höxter GmbH, it is responsible for key operational tasks for both companies.
These include, among other things, energy sales, gas network operations, water distribution, and other operational management services for municipal utilities and public utilities.
Structured contract management plays a particularly important role in this environment. This is because contracts involve not only legal matters, but also deadlines, obligations, and business decisions in day-to-day operations.
Andreas Brandl
Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
Challenges
As the number of contracts grew and responsibilities varied, Weserstadtwerke felt an increasing need to make its contract management more structured, centralized, and future-proof. Contracts were scattered across various filing systems and departments. While this generally worked in day-to-day operations, it made research, transparency, and cross-departmental collaboration increasingly time-consuming. Furthermore, knowledge regarding contracts, deadlines, and obligations was often concentrated in the hands of individual employees or within specific departments. Particularly with regard to temporary replacements, personnel changes, and future process optimization, this knowledge needed to be more centralized and made available independently of individual organizational structures.
“Some contracts were managed at the local level. We didn’t always have a complete overview of which contracts had been signed where and what obligations arose from them.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
Deadlines and contract details should be consolidated in a more centralized manner
Different storage locations and a wide variety of structures complicated processes. However, deadlines and contractually relevant dates were generally in place, but needed to be tracked more systematically and centrally in the future.
Established structures made it difficult to get a quick overview
Contracts were stored within a structure that had evolved over the years. This made it more difficult to quickly consolidate information and consistently access contracts, their contents, and associated obligations. As a result, there was often a lack of a clear overview, particularly at the interfaces between different areas of responsibility.
“With files scattered all over the place, our hands were tied after the person in charge left the company.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
A lack of oversight cost resources
Anyone who needed contract information often had to search in multiple places or involve other people. This took time and made collaboration more cumbersome. That is why Weserstadtwerke sought a centralized solution that would make information readily available and streamline processes.
Economic potential needed to be made more visible
Without structured access to contract data, it was difficult to reliably keep track of price escalation clauses, adjustment options, and financial obligations. The goal was not to replace existing processes, but to make them more transparent and reliable.
“Our worst-case scenario was that we would fail to exercise our value protection clauses because deadlines passed and the contract was ignored.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
The Solution with ContractHero
With ContractHero, Weserstadtwerke has centralized its contract management and brought it onto a unified platform. Contracts are now consolidated in one place, stored in an audit-proof manner, and can be retrieved much more quickly.
“We were also very impressed by the AI-powered scanning of all contracts. This allowed us to quickly and efficiently gain a comprehensive overview of the contracts.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
Targeted AI analysis boosts efficiency
For Weserstadtwerke, it was important to quickly obtain a reliable overview of a large number of existing contracts without having to manually process every document in detail. For Weserstadtwerke GmbH, especially given such a large volume of contracts, it was crucial not to have to review every document manually, but rather to quickly obtain a well-organized and structured overview. AI-powered scanning helped to quickly scan the contracts, extract relevant content directly, and significantly reduce the workload.
“We had to scan hundreds of contracts, which the AI processed in no time at all, providing us with tremendous support.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
Structured search for quick access to contracts
Full-text search and keyword search are particularly relevant to Weserstadtwerke in their day-to-day operations. Full-text search allows for faster verification of the factual accuracy of contract-related information and better tracking of deadlines. At the same time, it significantly reduces the time and effort required for searching and saves valuable time in daily operations, as contract content no longer needs to be searched for manually in various filing systems.
“100% accuracy in full-text searches. This allowed us to review contracts very quickly and find the relevant content right away. It makes it easier for us to handle day-to-day reviews and keep track of important deadlines.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
Deadline tracking provides peace of mind in everyday life
Reliable deadline tracking was a key selection criterion for Weserstadtwerke. The goal was to be able to track contractually relevant deadlines even more systematically and centrally in the future. With ContractHero, deadlines are now specifically documented and monitored, ensuring that relevant dates remain visible at all times. This enhances the reliability of contract management and minimizes operational and financial risks.
“One of the biggest benefits was the deadline tracking feature, which ensures that important deadlines are always visible and can be addressed in a timely manner.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
All financial obligations at a glance
Thanks to ContractHero, Weserstadtwerke now has significantly greater transparency regarding its contracts and financial obligations. Key information and upcoming tasks are centrally available and can be tracked at any time. The shared database also facilitates collaboration, as all stakeholders can access the same information rather than having to request it from individual employees.
Results
330
Contracts have already been entered centrally in ContractHero
<1Monat
until successful implementation
0
No more missed deadlines thanks to a clear overview of deadlines
90%
Save time when searching for a contract
Significant time savings when searching for contracts
A significant increase in efficiency is evident almost immediately after implementation. Contracts can now be found quickly and easily, rather than having to search for them in various places.
“Thanks to ContractHero’s optimized contract search and overview, we estimate that we’re saving about 90% of the time compared to before.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
Complete transparency and no missed deadlines
Thanks to the centralized structure and deadline tracking, important dates are now even easier to keep track of. Weserstadtwerke now has a clearer picture of its obligations and when they are due. This improves visibility and makes management easier.
“Since then, we can say that we haven’t missed any deadlines and can see exactly what our obligations are and when they’re due.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
More professional contract management on a centralized basis
The greatest value lies not only in digital storage, but in the improved quality of contract management. Contracts are no longer dependent on individual knowledge or decentralized structures, but are part of a centralized, reliable working framework.
“Our contract management has become fully professionalized thanks to the central consolidation of the database.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
Implementations in less than a month
The intuitive user interface and ease of use made the implementation of the software at Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH much easier. Questions and challenges were quickly resolved with the help of ContractHero Support. Both the prompt response to inquiries and the sustainable solutions further simplified the implementation process for Weserstadtwerke.
Conclusion: More than just contract management
With ContractHero, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH has established a centralized, modern, and future-proof foundation for its contract management.
This significantly reduces the time spent searching for documents, increases transparency regarding obligations, and provides greater certainty regarding deadlines. This is particularly crucial in the municipal utilities and public services sector. After all, contracts here are not merely documents, but a vital foundation for management, reliability, and financial oversight.
“Our expectations were fully met. We give it a perfect score—not only for the significant time savings, but also for the intuitive user interface and the fast, professional support.”
Andreas Brandl, Commercial Director, Weserstadtwerke Service GmbH
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Frequently asked questions
How is Weserstadtwerke improving transparency regarding contracts, obligations, and responsibilities?
Weserstadtwerke is consolidating its contracts in one place, thereby creating a uniform and reliable foundation for its operations. Instead of having to gather information from various filing systems or departments, contracts, their contents, and obligations are now more readily available and easier to track.
How does Weserstadtwerke reduce the time spent searching for contracts by up to 90%?
Thanks to the centralized repository and full-text and keyword search functions, contracts can now be located much more quickly. Relevant content can be found directly, without having to sift through multiple folders or make internal inquiries. This saves a noticeable amount of time in day-to-day operations.
How can Weserstadtwerke keep better track of important deadlines and contractual obligations?
Contract-related deadlines are now recorded in a much more structured and transparent manner. This allows Weserstadtwerke to keep better track of upcoming obligations and ensures greater reliability in day-to-day operations, particularly when it comes to recurring deadlines and important cut-off dates.
How does AI-powered contract scanning help in quickly building a central contract database?
AI-powered data capture helped Weserstadtwerke efficiently capture hundreds of contracts and convert them into a standardized format more quickly. This made it possible to establish a centralized contract overview in a short period of time without having to process each document manually.
Why is contract management an important management issue in the day-to-day operations of Weserstadtwerke?
For Weserstadtwerke, contracts involve not only legal provisions but also deadlines, responsibilities, and financial obligations. Structured contract management therefore provides the foundation for better managing operational processes, making more informed decisions, and accessing information more quickly.
