Contract management in Microsoft 365
ShareControl Contract gives finance, procurement and management insight into contracts, suppliers and obligations, so the business can ensure contract compliance, improve decisions and get more value out of its contracts.
Insight
See contracts, suppliers and financial obligations across the business.
Control
Ensure contract compliance, reduce cost leakage and improve supplier management.
Financial value
Realise volume benefits, improve forecasting and get more value out of your agreements.
Complete CLM System
GDPR & DORA compliance
Data in EU/Norway
AES-256 encryption
THE CHALLENGE
Businesses lose contract value without knowing it
Many businesses spend significant time on supplier selection, product qualification, contract negotiations and framework agreements. Even so, part of the financial value often disappears once the contract is signed.
The cause is rarely the contract itself. The problem is that the business lacks consolidated insight, follow-up and control over how the contracts are actually used.
Fragmented suppliers
Volume is spread across several suppliers in the same category, and the agreed price benefits fail to materialise.
Contracts aren’t followed
Purchasing happens outside framework agreements, and the business loses the effect of negotiated terms.
No financial overview
Future costs, obligations and renewals are unclear to finance and management.
Forgotten deadlines
Agreements renew automatically without evaluation, renegotiation or an active decision.
Contracts ONLY create value when they are actually followed, analysed and used as management information.
FRAMEWORK
From contract archive to financial control
ShareControl Contract is built up in three connected levels. First you gather the contracts as structured data, then you use that structure for control, and finally the data foundation creates real financial value.
1. Insight
Gather contracts, suppliers, categories, values, due dates and obligations in a structure that can be analysed.
2. Control
Use the insight to secure framework agreements, reduce off-contract purchasing, consolidate suppliers and follow up on responsibilities.
3. Økonomisk verdi
Improve forecasting, realise volume benefits, reduce cost leakage and strengthen the basis for decisions.
CUSTOMERS
Companies using ShareControl Contract
A selection of the customers who have chosen ShareControl Contract. What the portfolio has in common is that it covers both listed groups and large private enterprises, with contracts across multiple suppliers, currencies and jurisdictions.
THE PROCESS
Full control across the entire contract lifecycle
A modern contract management system must first and foremost support what the business expects of a complete CLM process. ShareControl Contract covers the entire contract lifecycle in Microsoft 365 — from registration and approval to follow-up, reporting and renewal.
1
Creation and registration
2
Approval and documentation
3
Signing and activation
4
Follow-up, renewal and contract compliance
5
Reporting and insight
Step 1
Creation and registration
The first step in the CLM process is to register the contract in a structured system with the right metadata. Whether it’s new agreements or an existing portfolio to be imported, the contract owner, categorisation and responsible persons must be set from day one.
What ShareControl Contract handles
- Registration of new contracts via a guided form with standardised metadata fields
- Import of existing agreements from Excel and other systems
- Categorisation by type, category, department, cost centre and project
- Definition of contract owner and responsible persons
- Lookup against the Brønnøysund Register Centre for automatic retrieval of the counterparty’s company data (PRO)
- Auto-ID for an automatically generated unique agreement number (PRO)
THE IMPACT
Consistency: the same data fields and categorisation across all contracts
Traceability: contract owner and responsibility documented from day one
Overview: one central contract database, not agreements scattered across folders
Efficiency: existing contracts can be imported in bulk at startup
Step 2
Approval and documentation
Before a contract is activated it must go through structured approval. Who has the authority to approve which contract types, and what documentation must accompany them, are rules that must be followed consistently to ensure internal control and audit readiness.
What ShareControl Contract handles
- Structured approval flow before contracts are activated
- Version history on all changes to contract drafts
- Attachments and supporting documentation stored on the agreement
- Assigned approver per contract type or amount threshold
- Complete audit trail from creation to signing
THE IMPACT
Control: no contract is activated without documented approval
Compliance: approval rules are followed automatically per contract type
Audit-ready: all decisions and changes documented in SharePoint
Risk reduction: fewer contracts signed without the proper authority
Step 3
Contract signing and activation
Digital signing is standard for modern contract administration, but the signature alone is not enough — the contract must be archived, the status updated, and the responsible persons notified, all as an automated flow once the signature has been obtained.
WHAT SHARECONTROL CONTRACT HANDLES
- Integration with DocuSign for digital signing
- Automatic archiving of signed contracts in the customer’s Microsoft 365 environment
- Status update from draft to activated upon signing
- Storage of the signed PDF with a signature log
- Automatic notification to the contract owner and responsible persons on activation
THE IMPACT
Speed: digital signing reduces time from negotiation to activation
Traceability: signature log and signed document stored together
Data sovereignty: signed contracts are stored in your own M365 tenant, not with a third party
Standardisation: the same activation flow for all contract types
Step 4
Follow-up, renewal and contract compliance
After activation begins the phase of the contract lifecycle where the most value is lost — milestones are forgotten, obligations aren’t followed up, and framework agreements are bypassed. Active follow-up with notifications and tracking is the difference between passive contract storage and active management.
WHAT SHARECONTROL CONTRACT HANDLES
- Notifications before key milestones — termination deadlines, renewal dates, price adjustments
- Follow-up of contractual obligations and delivery requirements
- Reminders to responsible persons via Outlook and Teams
- Tracking of contract compliance — is the agreement used as intended?
- Identification of contracts that aren’t followed (purchasing outside the framework agreement)
THE IMPACT
Fewer forgotten deadlines: no contracts renew automatically without evaluation
Better compliance: framework agreements are used as intended, not bypassed
Early warning: responsible persons get reminders before decisions must be made
Active management: contracts become management information, not passive documents
Step 5
Reporting and insight
Contract data only creates value when it can be analysed across the portfolio, suppliers and categories. Good reporting turns a contract database into strategic insight — about cost trends, supplier structure and future obligations.
WHAT SHARECONTROL CONTRACT HANDLES
- Structured contract data available for reporting
- Segmentation by supplier, category, region, department, cost centre or responsible person
- Cash flow and cost forecasts based on existing contracts
- Supplier analysis — overlapping suppliers, fragmented volume, consolidation opportunities
- Power BI dashboards for visualisation (PRO)
- Forecast module for future obligations (PRO)
THE IMPACT
Basis for decisions: management gets fact-based insight on suppliers and costs
Forecasting: future contractual obligations visible before they occur
Consolidation opportunities: overlap and fragmentation are identified
Adaptability: reporting evolves as the business learns where the challenges lie
REPORTING
Reporting that ties contract management together with finance and procurement
For many businesses, reporting is the biggest weakness in contract management. The contracts exist, but the insight is too limited, too static or too hard to adapt. ShareControl Contract turns contracts into structured data that can be used by finance, procurement and management.
Cash flow and cost forecasts
See future financial obligations across specific or all contracts. Use contract data as a basis for forecasting, budgeting and liquidity planning.
Supplier and contract analysis
Identify overlapping suppliers, fragmented purchasing volume, contracts that aren’t used optimally, and opportunities for consolidation.
Metadata-based reporting
Segment reporting by supplier, category, region, department, cost centre, contract type, project or responsible person.
Power BI dashboards
Visualise contract values, obligations, renewals, supplier distribution and cost trends in reports that give management a better basis for decisions.
Reporting can evolve in step with the business’s needs and maturity. As you learn more about where the challenges lie, the solution can be adapted further.
PRO ADD-ON
Extended functionality for complex contract portfolios
ShareControl Contract PRO is an add-on product that extends the standard solution with four advanced features. Each feature can be selected individually as needed, or ordered together as a package.
PRO
Forecast module
A forecast module that calculates future contract costs and financial obligations based on existing agreements, giving the finance department a solid basis for budgeting and liquidity planning.
PRO
Auto-ID for contracts
Automatic generation of a unique agreement ID for each contract, traceable throughout the entire lifecycle — from registration to renewal or termination.
PRO
Brønnøysund lookup
Lookup against the Brønnøysund Register Centre automatically retrieves the organisation number, name and address when registering a new contract — so metadata stays consistent and up to date.
PRO
Power BI integration
Direct integration with Power BI for visualising contract data, supplier distribution, cost trends and renewals in interactive dashboards.
All four features are included in the ShareControl Contract PRO add-on, or can be selected individually as needed.
COMPARISON
Why traditional contract management often isn’t enough
A contract database with search, document storage and notifications is important. But for businesses with many contracts, several suppliers and a mature finance and procurement function, this alone isn’t enough.
The real value comes when contract data is used to understand costs, supplier structure, future obligations and contract compliance. ShareControl Contract helps the business move from passive contract storage to active financial and commercial management. The table below shows how this creates Insight, Control and Financial value in practice.
ShareControl Contract compared with traditional contract management
| Area | Traditional contract management | ShareControl Contract |
|---|---|---|
| Insight | ||
| Overview of the contract portfolio | Agreements scattered across several systems, folders and people | One structured portfolio with metadata across companies |
| Management’s insight into obligations | Ad-hoc Excel compilation takes days when the question arises | Power BI dashboard showing obligations, supplier distribution and cost trends |
| Visibility into supplier structure | Overlap and fragmentation discovered by chance | Identified systematically — consolidation opportunities are visible |
| Control | ||
| Compliance and responsibility | Someone ought to follow up — it often doesn’t happen | A responsible person per contract is defined, notifications come automatically |
| Deadlines and renewals | Agreements renew automatically or expire without evaluation | Early warning well before expiry, with a basis for decisions |
| Off-framework purchasing | Happens because the framework agreement isn’t visible where the purchase is made | Identified — negotiated terms are used as intended |
| Financial value | ||
| Forecasting and liquidity planning | Future obligations are unclear — guesswork in budgeting | Cash flow and cost forecasts based on actual contract data |
| Negotiating position at renegotiation | Based on expiry date and intuition | Based on actual use vs. agreed volume — a stronger negotiating basis |
| Strategic value for finance and procurement | An archive — a passive cost | A data source for supplier strategy and cost planning |
Security
Data stays in your own Microsoft 365
ShareControl Contract is not an external SaaS service. The solution is installed on the customer’s own Microsoft 365 platform and inherits the security and access regime the company already has in place.
Where are our contracts stored?
In your own Microsoft 365 tenant. Not with ShareControl, not with a third party.
Who is responsible if something happens?
The company itself, through its existing Microsoft agreement. No new data processing agreement is required.
What about GDPR and Schrems II?
All data processing takes place within the EU/EEA, within the framework the company already has for Microsoft 365.
Integrations
Integrations with the tools you already use
ShareControl Contract lives in Microsoft 365 and integrates with the services involved in contract work — from digital signing to lookups against public registers.
Integrated with Microsoft 365 and other Microsoft products
Integrations with CRM, ERP and other external systems
Customisation and development of integrations as needed
Why ShareControl Contract
Why businesses choose ShareControl Contract
1. It covers the CLM process the business expects
Registration, approval, signing, follow-up, reporting and renewal are handled in one structured solution.
2. It provides better financial and commercial insight
The solution helps finance and procurement see contracts in the context of costs, suppliers and future obligations.
3. It is built in Microsoft 365
The business can build on its existing IT environment, security model and Microsoft expertise.
4. It can be adapted as you learn more
Reporting and structure can evolve as you identify new problem areas and improvement opportunities.
5. It reduces the need for a heavy external system
For many mid-sized businesses, ShareControl offers a more practical route to contract management than large, complex SaaS platforms.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Who is ShareControl Contract for?
ShareControl Contract is especially well suited to mid-sized businesses and subsidiaries with many contracts, several suppliers and a need for better financial control, forecasting and contract compliance. The solution works best for businesses with a certain maturity in finance, accounting, procurement and IT — and that already use Microsoft 365 as a central part of their digital workspace.
Finance and accounting
Get a better overview of future obligations, cost trends and contract-based forecasting.
Procurement
Follow up on supplier agreements, framework agreements, contract compliance and consolidation opportunities.
Management
Get a better basis for decisions about suppliers, costs, risk and improvement opportunities.
IT
Build contract management on Microsoft 365, with familiar security, access management and lower platform complexity.
GETTING STARTED
How to get started
Because ShareControl Contract is installed on existing Microsoft 365, no new infrastructure, new servers or a separate user database are required. A typical setup is completed within a few weeks, and consists of four steps in which the ShareControl team works together with the company’s finance, procurement and IT functions. Training and documentation are included in the delivery, and customers receive ongoing support from the specialist team after implementation.
Define
Configure contract types, metadata, approval rules and reporting requirements to the company’s needs.
Data transfer
Existing contracts are imported into ShareControl with metadata and categorisation. We assist with the transfer and quality assurance.
Integration
Optional integration with DocuSign for digital signing, the Brønnøysund Register Centre for counterparty lookups, and Power BI for reporting.
Training and support
Training is included in the setup. Customers gain access to a knowledge base and ongoing support from our specialist team.
Contact us and get more value out of your contracts
Contracts shouldn’t just be stored. They should contribute to better decisions, stronger control and higher financial value.
Book a demo and see how ShareControl Contract can give the business better insight into contracts, suppliers and future obligations.
Contact our specialist
Get answers on how ShareControl Contract solves your contract administration needs.
Book a demo
Book a demo and see how Share Control Contract can solve your contract management needs.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about contract management
Download the ShareControl Contract Guide
Get an overview of all the features that help you with professional contract management.
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