Contract Management at a Glance
A key feature is the contract overview. Users want to be able to see at a glance:
- Which contracts are in place?
- Are there any framework or sub-contracts?
- What types of contracts are there and when do they expire?
SMAX provides precisely this overview. Through linked contracts, you can navigate the entire contract tree – from the main contract down to sub-contracts – and view the relevant information at any time.
When it comes to the finer details, things often become tedious: finding the right contact person, gathering documents, contacting departments. This is where the integration with OpenText’s Core Content comes in. You can open the relevant documents directly from within SMAX – without having to switch systems. The same document management system is also linked to Salesforce and SAP, so that all systems access the same documents. This prevents interface issues and version conflicts, and ensures seamless collaboration.
Core Content: More than just a document repository
Core Content brings structure and transparency to document management. A customisable dashboard allows you to organise favourites, important folders or workflows. Contracts, project documents or knowledge articles are therefore always quickly accessible.
Key features at a glance:
- Versioning and comparison: Changes to documents are automatically detected and logged. New versions can be compared with older ones, with changes clearly highlighted.
- Access management: Fine-grained permissions determine who is allowed to read, edit or share a document. Whether at group or document level – control remains with the organisation.
- Workflows: Reviews, approvals and even signatures (e.g. via DocuSign) can be triggered automatically. This ensures that every change is reviewed and documented.
An example: A heading in a contract is amended. Core Content automatically generates a new version, triggers a workflow and forwards the change to the relevant person for review. It could hardly be more transparent or audit-proof.
Licence management as a compliance component
Another critical aspect of compliance is licence management. Licences are, after all, contracts that must be adhered to. With its Software Asset Management module, SMAX provides a clear overview:
- Target view: Which licences have been purchased and are contractually in place?
- Actual situation: Which licences are actually in use?
Using a CMDB, supplemented by automatic discovery, SMAX identifies installed software and reconciles it with the licence data. This reveals compliance breaches – whether they involve over-licensing (unnecessary costs) or under-licensing (risk of contractual breaches). A particular strength: OpenText provides a comprehensive database of licence metrics and vendor information, ensuring that detection is precise and reliable.
Compliance in incident, problem and change processes
Compliance is not merely a document or contract, but is embedded in operational processes:
- A security incident can lead to a policy being amended.
- A problem process uncovers repeated breaches and triggers changes.
- A change process documents adjustments to policies or systems in an audit-proof manner.
Because SMAX operates with clearly structured workflows, compliance is automatically integrated into day-to-day operations. This reduces risks, prevents breaches and ensures that changes are traceable.
A holistic view of GRC
The combination of SMAX, Core Content and supplementary modules such as Business Continuity Management or Monitoring enables organisations and public authorities to map GRC issues comprehensively and across systems – without the need for additional stand-alone solutions.
The result:
- A unified database
- Seamless integration into existing systems
- Transparent workflows
- Reliable compliance with policies and contracts
Conclusion
The integration of contract management, document management, licence management and compliance processes into a single platform opens up entirely new possibilities for businesses: transparency, security and efficiency throughout the entire lifecycle. Governance, risk and compliance thus cease to be isolated tasks and become an integral part of day-to-day work – integrated, user-friendly and forward-looking.
Click here for the full webcast: GRC webcast recording
Read also:
Governance, Risk and Compliance in Service Management – Materna Blog
Business Continuity Management (BCM) and OpenText Service Management: A strong partnership for greater security and efficiency – Materna Blog
Keeping security incidents under control through monitoring and integration with OpenText – Materna Blog
