GlobalConnect: Digitalising broadband contracts

Paper contracts – “a poor solution”

To get cable installed in a home, the owner needs to sign a contract. Since the cable might pass through several properties, each of these landowners need to sign a separate contract and each of these contracts contain individual parts of information and a unique map. As updates in the terms of agreements are common, a contract can exist in as many as six versions.

Before Scrive’s partner Columbus stepped in to help, the contract process was a hassle: The paper contract would be sent to a customer, say in Arjeplog, where it hopefully would be signed but a reminder would often need to be sent. The owner would then mail it back to the relevant local office.

The accounting department would want a copy, so the contract would be scanned and sent to accounting and customer services. The excavator operator in Arjeplog would then receive a copy and finally be able to get started.

Since the process sometimes took several weeks, circumstances could change. The contract would have to be adjusted and the excavator may well have started digging before mistakes had been discovered. This could then be the start of a long and costly process to deal with the discrepancy.

Columbus had the solution: Scrive and M-Files

It all started with M-Files, a solution for document management that gives GlobalConnect complete version control meaning the right people get access to the right document. Hans explains: “It was a digital boost. M-Files alone had been a revolution for us, and when Columbus proposed Scrive, we immediately saw that this was our next step.”

Scrive’s electronic signature solution is both secure and creates a better customer experience. The combination of M-Files and Scrive synchronises the document flow, and the customer can sign the same day. In the same instant, the contract becomes available to accounting and customer services.

Outcomes exceed expectations

GlobalConnect had expected that they would get benefits such as increased speed and greater efficiency and the result was approximately 80 hours saved per week! What they did not expect, though, was the additional positive effects. Higher security and speed help staff feel more confident in the process, and it reduces stress levels. Customer relationships improve thanks to faster service and fewer mistakes, and productivity goes up.

Hans Enston believes the implementation of M-Files went so seamlessly because Columbus listened to their needs and were able to present the right solution from the start. The Scrive solution wasn’t part of GlobalConnect’s original order, but this is where Columbus proactively stepped in. 

Hans Enston explains: “They presented the best solution for us, and were able to install it in no time. We got a return on our investment, in time and money, in just a few months. Columbus is helping us gain even more benefits than we had initially imagined.”

Digital service strengthens the brand

Hans Enston describes paper contracts as a thing of the past. The company makes fewer mistakes, has more satisfied customers, happier employees, and better profitability. Last but not least, it clearly has a sustainability impact.

“I can’t think of a single drawback”, says Enston. “Everybody in our company just loves it. At GlobalConnect we are digitising Sweden, so working digitally with customers naturally aligns with our brand. Digital contracts are part of the customer experience.”