Digital transformation is often just another buzzword for tech startups. But the public sector is also upping its game, looking for ways to shake off cumbersome paperwork and make everyday processes simpler, more transparent and secure. A great real-life example of this is Hafenbetriebe Worms GmbH and Stadt Worms Beteiligungs-GmbH. Both organizations faced a mountain of legacy contracts, some going back to the 1950s.
Lisa Köhler, responsible for the companies’ operations, was determined that there had to be a way to put an end to the endless searching through physical files once and for all. and they followed Inhubber. In this case study you will see how the switch to modern contract management for public administration actually works in practice, why the teams are saving hours of work every day and how the platform helps them to bring old agreements back into the light.
Lisa Köhler, Managing Director of Hafenbetriebe Worms GmbH and Head of HR and Administration at Stadt Worms Beteiligungs-GmbH, describes the situation before the introduction of Inhubber:
“At Hafenbetriebe, a large portion of our contracts still existed in paper form – many dating back to the 1950s or 1960s. There was no centralized digital storage, which made searching for and managing documents extremely difficult.”
Hafenbetriebe Worms operates the port of Worms, where cargo is handled both via waterways and the rail network. Despite having a relatively small team – six employees in operations and two in management – the contracts governing these activities are often long-term and complex.
The situation at Stadt Worms Beteiligungs-GmbH was slightly better:
“We had already digitized our contracts, but the existing tools were not designed for contract management. In particular, deadline tracking and task management couldn’t be handled efficiently,” Köhler explains.
For both organizations, it was clear: a comprehensive solution was needed to optimize administrative workflows and achieve long-term efficiency gains.
After evaluating several software solutions, the decision was made in favor of Inhubber – not only because it is a web-based platform that can be accessed from anywhere, but also due to its high flexibility in structuring contracts.
“We wanted the ability to organize our contracts in clearly defined categories and sections that fit our organization exactly,” says Köhler. “Inhubber offered exactly those customization options.”
Another key factor was security. As a municipal company, Hafenbetriebe Worms GmbH is subject to strict data protection regulations.
“Since I also serve as our data protection officer, it was important to me that we work with a German provider that meets the highest security standards,” explains Lisa Köhler.
Inhubber convinced the team with its blockchain-based end-to-end encryption, which securely and immutably stores all data.
The implementation of Inhubber went smoothly, and the first positive effects became apparent shortly afterward.
“The biggest improvement was that we now have all contracts digitally and centrally recorded. I know exactly where to look and can find the information I need with just a few clicks,” explains Köhler.
Inhubber offers Hafenbetriebe Worms and Stadt Worms Beteiligungs-GmbH not only a powerful full-text search across all documents but also a structured view of contract information using custom fields.
“We set up the contract information in a way that fits our needs perfectly. The search function makes our work so much easier – especially when dealing with contracts that have been around for many years,” adds Köhler.
After Hafenbetriebe Worms was fully convinced by Inhubber, Lisa Köhler decided to introduce the solution at Stadt Worms Beteiligungs-GmbH as well.
“We were already using a project management tool, but it didn’t offer the necessary functions for contract management. With Inhubber, we can store contracts centrally, extract relevant information, and set up automated deadline tracking – something the previous system couldn’t do,” she explains.
The standardization of processes and the ability to manage contracts efficiently across institutions led to further efficiency gains.
Close cooperation between the two organizations also made implementation easier.
“I was able to give my colleagues tips during the rollout that I had already learned from the Hafenbetriebe implementation. That accelerated the process significantly,” says Köhler.
The introduction of Inhubber at Hafenbetriebe Worms and Stadt Worms Beteiligungs-GmbH led to significant efficiency gains and a noticeable improvement in contract management. Especially in the public sector – where many contracts are long-term and often tied to complex conditions – digitalization enabled substantial process optimizations.
Before the introduction of Inhubber, many contracts at Hafenbetriebe Worms still existed in paper form. Some dated back to the 1950s or 1960s and were difficult to locate — a centralized digital archive was completely lacking. With the implementation of Inhubber, this issue was resolved immediately: all contracts were digitized and stored in a central location. As a result, search times were significantly reduced. Today, users can quickly and efficiently access the required documents — either via full-text search or through targeted navigation in clearly structured folders.
The digital storage of contracts in Inhubber offers the additional benefit of automating previously manual processes. In particular, automated deadline tracking significantly relieves staff workload. In the past, contract deadlines had to be monitored manually – a time-consuming process prone to oversights. As a result, important deadlines could be missed, or price negotiations might not be initiated in time.
“Without automated deadline tracking, we would have missed important adjustments, which could have had a negative financial impact,” explains Köhler.
Today, automated reminders and transparent tracking ensure that relevant deadlines are met on time and contract terms can be adjusted accordingly. Especially in public administration, where long-term contracts are common, this type of automatic monitoring proves especially valuable.
In addition to improved clarity and structure, the integrated e-signature feature plays a key role in increasing efficiency and significantly accelerating the entire contract process. Before the introduction of Inhubber, contracts had to be printed, manually signed, and then sent by post or internal mail to the relevant parties — a time-consuming workflow that often caused delays. With Inhubber, signatures are now fully digital and legally compliant. Contracts can be forwarded immediately to the responsible individuals for processing. This has not only drastically shortened turnaround times but also greatly improved collaboration between departments and subsidiaries.
In addition to saving a significant amount of time, Inhubber also brought considerably more transparency to contract management. Thanks to structured storage and the ability to view all relevant contract information at a glance, previously overlooked contracts and untapped potential were identified. This proved especially beneficial for Hafenbetriebe Worms — some contracts hadn’t been reviewed in decades. Thanks to Inhubber’s systematic organization and categorization, these contracts were reintegrated into the administrative workflow, leading to a noticeable improvement in contract oversight and control.
Data security was a key factor in the decision to choose Inhubber. As municipal organizations, both Hafenbetriebe Worms GmbH and Stadt Worms Beteiligungs-GmbH are subject to strict data protection regulations.
“Since I also serve as the data protection officer, it was important to me that we work with a German company that meets high security standards,” explains Lisa Köhler.
With Inhubber’s blockchain-based end-to-end encryption, all sensitive contract data is securely protected and immutably stored at all times. This gave both organizations the confidence to digitize even highly confidential contracts — without compromising on data security.
Another advantage that Lisa Köhler emphasizes is the scalability of Inhubber. Because the solution is web-based and can be flexibly adapted to different requirements, it was easy to expand the system from Hafenbetriebe to Stadt Worms Beteiligungs-GmbH.
“The expansion was seamless — that’s exactly how modern software should work,” says Köhler.
This flexibility also makes Inhubber an ideal solution for other public institutions looking to implement their digitalization strategies gradually and in line with their specific needs.
The example of Hafenbetriebe Worms and Stadt Worms Beteiligungs-GmbH proves that digitalizing administration does not have to be a headache. Don’t think of contract management in the public sector as simply a passive digital archive. “It’s really about giving employees a tool that really makes their day-to-day lives easier.
Now both teams have full clarity with Inhubber. Contracts that sat in the basement for decades can now be searched in seconds . With an intelligent contract deadline management system nobody needs to worry about missing an important cancelation or price adjustment date anymore. This prevents financial loss as well as takes the stress out of your day to day life. The best of all? The platform is running on highly secure German hosted blockchain encryption. This provides public institutions with the ironclad data security they require, without getting bogged down in rigid IT bureaucracy. In the end, Worms shows that if the software is intuitive and adaptable, teams love to use it and the move into the digital future is seamless and successful.
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