Summary
Ascent, a key training partner for the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), manages some of the most complex and high-stakes defence contracts, which span decades and comprise tens of thousands of pages. Traditional contract management tools couldn’t keep up, leaving teams struggling with slow research, fragmented information, and compliance risks.
Affinitext changed everything. By turning static, disconnected documents into a unified, intelligent system, Ascent gained instant access to obligations, seamless cross-referencing, and real-time tracking. The result? Faster decisions, stronger compliance, and complete control over contractual commitments.
The challenge
Ascent faced critical contract management challenges that traditional tools simply couldn’t address:
- Overwhelming complexity – With contracts exceeding 25,000 pages, tracking amendments, dependencies, and obligations caused logistical problems. Without fully conformed versions, understanding what was actually in force was time-consuming and error-prone.
- Obligation blind spots – Years of amendments and evolving commitments made it nearly impossible to get a clear picture of active obligations, increasing compliance risks and slowing response times.
- Slow research, high risk – Finding critical contract information was labor-intensive, delaying decisions, increasing exposure to risk, and impacting operational effectiveness.
- Traditional CLM? Outmatched. – Standard contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools weren’t built for Ascent’s scale and complexity. They lacked the ability to manage interconnected obligations, track evolving commitments, and provide real-time cross-referencing.
“Managing 25,000+ pages of complex defence contracts was a major operational bottleneck, until Affinitext.”
The Affinitext solution
"Affinitext is a lifesaver. It enables us to navigate highly complex defence contracts quickly and efficiently, ensuring compliance and informed decision-making.” Andy Baker, Ascent
Affinitext redefined contract management for Ascent by delivering a fully structured, digitized, and interactive approach. No more static PDFs or disconnected documents, just fast, precise, and intelligent contract access.
- Intelligent, seamless navigation – Fully interactive contracts with powerful search, cross-referencing, and real-time pop-up definitions. No more wasted hours hunting for critical clauses.
- Real-time obligation management – Obligations were extracted, linked, and made instantly actionable, ensuring full compliance without manual tracking.
- Speed and efficiency gains – Research and issue resolution took minutes instead of hours, reducing costly misinterpretations and delays.
- A single source of truth – No version confusion, no outdated documents, just 100% clarity and accuracy.
Stronger collaboration: Teams, stakeholders, and advisors accessed the same live contract, ensuring transparency, alignment, and rapid decision-making.
“From complexity to clarity, Affinitext transformed how Ascent manages contracts, turning static documents into live, navigable intelligence.”
The impact and outcome
With Affinitext, Ascent has achieved transformational improvements in contract management:
- Faster, smarter contract navigation – Teams spend significantly less time searching for information, freeing teams to focus on high-value tasks instead of document hunting.
- Stronger compliance, less risk – Structured, real-time tracking of obligations ensures adherence to commitments, seamless compliance and reduced risks.
- Confident, informed decision-making – Teams work faster and smarter, with instant access to the latest contractual information.
Seamless navigation across multi-year MOD contracts has revolutionized the way Ascent operates.
Before and after Affinitext
- Before – Slow, manual, error-prone contract management. Teams struggled with outdated documents, inefficient research, and compliance risks.
- After – Afully interactive, structured, and navigable contract system. Information is instantly accessible, obligations are clear and traceable, and teams make decisions with confidence.
What’s next?
Ascent continues to collaborate with Affinitext to unlock the next evolution of contract intelligence, further streamlining compliance, accelerating decision-making, and maximizing the strategic value of its contracts.
