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Digital signatures and accelerated sales processes
BSH uses Contract Management in SAP company-wide
Standardizing processes, saving time, and reducing sources of error are key goals in many companies’ digital transformation journeys. This was also the case for BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, a global leader in the home appliance industry. Distribution agreements needed to be digitized, and processes needed to be accelerated and standardized across the organization in more than ten countries.
Challenge
Company-wide contract management for digitizing sales agreements and accelerating sales processes through digital signatures.
Consulting approach
SAP-integrated contract management cuContract.
Benefits for the customer and solution
Digitize sales contracts, accelerate processes, and standardize operations across the company with SAP-integrated contract management cuContract.
Claudia Bock
Project Leader | Processes, Organization, IT Process Management at BSH Haushaltsgeräte
”The standardization of distribution agreements is already having a significant impact on the business. There is now a consistent structure, even in downstream areas such as accounting.“
Stefan Heins
Managing Director at valantic
”With our contract management solution cuContract, we are providing the BSH Group with a fully functional solution that can be customized to meet country- and company-specific requirements while seamlessly integrating with the existing SAP system.“
About BSH Hausgeräte
BSH Hausgeräte GmbH is one of the world’s leading companies in its industry and the largest home appliance manufacturer in Europe, with around 62,000 employees worldwide. In addition to the global brands Bosch and Siemens, as well as Gaggenau and Neff, the BSH brand portfolio includes local brands such as Thermador, Balay, Profilo, Constructa, Pitsos, and Coldex. For a company of this size, consistent processes are essential.
Electronic Workflow with Digital Signatures
“From the start of the project, we defined requirements for the new system. This included replacing existing Excel and SharePoint solutions with an electronic workflow and digital signatures,” says Claudia Bock, Project Leader | Processes, Organization, IT Process Management.
Distribution agreements in individual countries were to be digitized and standardized. A key objective was to eliminate the large volume of paper records and the often lengthy approval processes. The new processes were initially rolled out in Austria and Switzerland, with other countries such as Italy following or preparing to implement the customizable solution.
“With our contract management system, cuContract, we are offering the BSH Group a fully functional solution that can be adapted to country- and company-specific requirements while being seamlessly integrated into the existing SAP system,” says Stefan Heins, Managing Director at valantic.
With digital contract management, all associated documents and emails are managed in a structured and audit-proof manner throughout their entire lifecycle – from inquiries, tenders, and offers to contract conclusion and controlling, and finally to termination and controlled deletion.
Farewell to Paper Records
Before the changeover at BSH Group, there was a paper file for every sales agreement with retailers and associations, which was often sent by post and always had to be signed manually. Today, the processes are fully digitized. “The standardization of distribution agreements is already having a significant impact on the business. There is now a consistent structure, even in downstream areas such as accounting,” says Claudia Bock.
The contract management software provides an overview of all existing agreements and an interface to relevant BSH systems, such as the billing tool. Thanks to the digital system, there is now an electronic workflow for internal approvals by responsible stakeholders such as sales managers, CFOs, and CEOs, based on defined rules. This saves time and streamlines processes.
Digital Signature
“All relevant data is stored in cuContract; the agreement is created using the cuDocument Builder and sent to the employee’s tablet. The customer then provides a secure digital signature,” explains Stefan Heins. For the signing of contracts and documents, electronic signatures save a significant amount of time and effort. “A secure and easy-to-implement digital signature was also an important requirement for us when selecting the solution,” says Claudia Bock. Sales employees can obtain signatures directly on-site using a tablet, and the fully integrated DocuSign solution can also be used via web, mobile, and offline. Contracts and contract-related documents can be created, managed, signed, and archived in a legally compliant manner within the SAP-integrated contract management system cuContract.
While improving process efficiency and digitizing documents and contracts, GDPR compliance must be consistently ensured. With its detailed access and permission management system, cuContract ensures that all processes remain fully GDPR-compliant at all times. Access rights and data visibility are assigned in a differentiated way across business units, and only strictly necessary data is retained. Once the retention period is reached, the system automatically deletes relevant personal documents and records based on predefined rules—either in a semi-automated process requiring validation by an authorized user or fully autonomously.
