SaaSam have been delivering the Agiloft Contract Lifecycle Management platform to New Zealand businesses for over a decade. Here, we explore how implementing a contract management platform can create better contract visibility and reduce risk to New Zealand businesses.
Why Better Contract Visibility is the Key to Reducing Risk in NZ Businesses
Risk management isn’t just for banks and insurers—it’s a core priority for any New Zealand business aiming to grow sustainably and protect its bottom line. From missed deadlines to unfavourable terms buried in the fine print, poorly managed contracts can expose businesses to a range of avoidable risks.
Yet for many organisations, contracts are still scattered across inboxes, hard drives, and filing cabinets. They’re hard to find, harder to track, and even harder to act on proactively. That’s where contract management software (CMS) comes in—giving businesses centralised visibility and control over their most critical agreements.
In this blog, we explore how CMS empowers New Zealand businesses to mitigate risk, improve accountability, and regain control over their contracts.
The Visibility Problem
For businesses across New Zealand—from small accounting firms in Tauranga to manufacturing companies in Christchurch—the visibility of contracts is often lacking. You might know a contract exists, but:
· Do you know where it’s stored?
· Can you easily access the latest version?
· Who is responsible for the obligations it contains?
· When does it expire or auto-renew?
· Are there clauses that could expose the business to legal or financial risk?
If you can’t confidently answer these questions, you’re not alone. A lack of visibility leads to a reactive approach to contract management—one that’s vulnerable to surprise costs, missed obligations, and unnecessary exposure.
Why Risk Management Starts with Contracts
Every contract represents a bundle of promises, rights, and responsibilities. These might relate to payment terms, service-level agreements (SLAs), intellectual property rights, confidentiality obligations, or termination clauses. Failing to monitor and manage these properly can lead to:
· Breach of contract claims
· Missed revenue opportunities
· Unplanned auto-renewals of unfavourable terms
· Regulatory non-compliance
· Damaged business relationships
In short, unmanaged contracts are a hidden risk to your business—and that risk grows with each new agreement.
How Contract Management Software Strengthens Risk Control
Contract management software is designed to surface the information that matters and make it easy to act on. Here’s how it helps:
1. Centralised, Secure Repository
CMS stores all contracts in a single, secure, cloud-based platform. This eliminates the risk of contracts being lost, duplicated, or stored in personal inboxes. Staff can quickly access what they need—whether it’s a client agreement, supplier contract, or NDA.
2. Powerful Search and Reporting Tools
Need to find all contracts expiring this quarter? Or identify which agreements contain force majeure clauses? CMS makes it easy to search contracts by keyword, tag, expiry date, counterparty, or risk level—helping you identify and respond to risks faster.
3. Automated Reminders and Alerts
CMS platforms automatically send alerts ahead of key dates—such as renewal, review, or termination deadlines. This prevents auto-renewals of unfavourable contracts and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
4. Role-Based Access and Audit Trails
Only authorised users can view or edit contracts, reducing the risk of accidental changes or unauthorised access. Full audit trails track who viewed or modified a contract and when, improving transparency and accountability.
5. Risk Categorisation and Contract Scoring
Some CMS tools allow you to assign risk scores to contracts based on criteria like value, jurisdiction, or contract type. High-risk agreements can be flagged for additional oversight or executive approval before being signed.
Real-World Scenarios for NZ Businesses
Let’s take a practical example. A growing Auckland-based import/export business enters into a range of supplier agreements, some of which contain auto-renewal clauses and foreign jurisdiction terms. Without CMS, these contracts might sit unread until a problem arises—such as a supplier failing to meet expectations, or a legal dispute emerging overseas.
With CMS in place, the team can:
· Quickly identify all contracts with auto-renewals due in the next 90 days
· Filter for agreements with international parties or offshore jurisdiction clauses
· Flag high-value contracts for quarterly reviews
· Set alerts to ensure renegotiation discussions happen in advance
This shift from reactive to proactive risk management gives the business greater control—and peace of mind.
Visibility = Control
Risk isn’t just about the unknown—it’s often about what’s known but not seen. By improving contract visibility, CMS helps businesses stay ahead of potential issues and make informed decisions. You can see what you’ve agreed to, where the risks lie, and what needs action.
This level of control is especially important during times of change—whether that’s growth, restructuring, economic uncertainty, or regulatory reform.
A Smarter Way to Manage Risk
Contracts are too important to be buried in folders or forgotten after signing. With contract management software, New Zealand businesses gain a clear, centralised view of their agreements—alongside the tools to manage them more intelligently.
The result? Lower risk, fewer surprises, and a more resilient business.
Final Thoughts
In a world where risk is ever-present—from cyber threats to supply chain disruptions—your contracts should be a source of clarity, not confusion. Contract management software gives you the visibility and control needed to manage risk effectively and protect your business interests.
If you’re still relying on manual methods, now is the time to consider a smarter, more proactive approach. Because when it comes to contracts, what you don’t know can hurt you.
About SaaSam
SaaSam is a global software consulting and implementation provider, with a proud association and history of delivering solutions through software. SaaSam has been leveraging some of the world’s most innovative no-code and low-code software platforms that empower our customers to drive business outcomes.
SaaSam is headquartered in Cambridge, New Zealand. We have a team of 26 expert employees spread across five company offices in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Union (Ireland), and the United States. SaaSam has long-standing relationships with a diverse range of successful organisations across the following industries: IT and Telecommunications, Finance and Banking, Primary Industries (mining and horticulture), Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, Utilities, Government bodies and many others.
Our culture, driven by values of Integrity, Innovation, Commitment, Passion, and Accountability, embodies the Kiwi spirit.
