Got a vendor contract? There’s a review for that

As Asante continues to grow, so do the number of contracts flowing through the system. To ensure those contracts are properly reviewed, Asante Legal oversees a systemwide Contract Governance Committee.

The committee is a multidisciplinary group with representatives from Legal, Human Resources, Purchasing, Finance, Project Management and ITS.

The Contract Governance Committee is designed to be a resource for approving and managing contracts. These contracts may involve equipment or software purchases, consulting services, provider agreements, online subscriptions and the like.

“The purpose of submitting a contract request is to ensure that all components of the contract have been reviewed by subject-matter experts,” said Phillip Koenig, a contract administrator with Asante’s Legal department.

For example, if a contract contains a technical component, the ITS representative will review and note any potential system or security concerns. There may also be instances in which a requested contract duplicates a service already provided by another vendor.

“In that case, we would work with the contract owner to resolve the issue before advancing the contract review,” Koenig said. “This review process also allows Asante to secure the right vendor at the best price, which could save Asante a lot of money.”

All contracts, regardless of cost, must go through the Contract Governance Committee. Even a low-cost contract may contain terms and conditions that would put Asante at risk of compliance issues or other potential liability.

The committee meets weekly to review up to 20 contract requests that are submitted each week. Requests may include new contracts, amendments, addenda/statements of work, renewals or extensions and even contract terminations. Contract requests are typically submitted by Asante executives and leaders or their delegates.

If you have any questions regarding the contract management system, you may reach out to Koenig. He can schedule one-on-one time online to discuss the contract management system.

To learn more, read Asante’s Contract Process Policy and Procedure, which describes the overall contract review process at Asante. If you have questions, email us at Co****************@as****.org.

How to request a contract

• You must be an Asante executive, leader or authorized representative.
• Submit a contract request in MyTech, under Help & Services.
• You will be prompted to provide supporting information.
• A reviewer will look over the contract to ensure it meets contracting standards and is in Asante’s best interests.
• If any financial component or compliance issue triggers a red flag, the contract owner will be notified and the next steps will be mapped out.