Boss to Hitesh: “Hitesh, I need that document – yesterday!”

Client to Saumya: “Saumya Madam, where is that contract you promised me?”

Hitesh to Saumya: “I need four copies of the new client agreement. When can you send them to me?”

Such conversations are quite common in company settings. The problem is that these interactions often involve a lot of stress and friction, not only between employees and their superiors, but also between employees and clients.

The root cause of all this stress and friction? Old-fashioned paper-based documentation workflows!

Your customers expect to have easy interactions with your company. They want personalised experiences, seamless documentation workflows, secure documents, and fast agreements. And none of this is possible with paper-based documentation workflows. The good news is that all of this is possible with electronic signatures!

Electronic signatures – also known as e-signatures – can help streamline your company’s documentation workflows. And workflows matter! An easy workflow with simple steps can support your employees so they can get more done faster without getting buried under an avalanche of paper. They can serve clients better and maximise their overall productivity and efficiency. The end result: the organisation reach its business and profitability goals!

What is an e-Signature Workflow?

You might have updated many of your company’s workflows with digitisation and software in order to reduce the need for human intervention, minimise errors, and speed up outcomes. For instance, you may have implemented a CRM solution to manage customer data and relationships. Or your accounting team may have adopted a new software to streamline accounts receivables and payables.

You can achieve these same goals with an e-signature documentation workflow. This workflow is a systematic set of steps that makes it easy to sign and complete digital documents. With such a workflow in place, your staff and clients can digitally sign documents and effortlessly manage the document completion process from start to end.

An e-signature documentation workflow can automate the entire signing process so you can get more documents out faster. These documents and their contents will be completely secure and your recipients can easily authenticate your identity. All of this will increase process transparency and bring more trust into every transaction with every client and third party.

So how can you set up a user-friendly e-signature workflow that speeds up documentation and reduces friction between Boss, Hitesh, Saumya, and Client? Keep reading!

Key Steps in e-Signature Workflows

To automate the document signing process, your e-signature workflow should have all these elements/steps in place:

1. Sender creates documents

• Users upload the document to the e-signature solution. The document may be a contract, agreement, statement, form, or anything else that requires a signature and is intended for a particular recipient.
• They add the required data and signing fields.
• If the solution includes pre-built templates and pre-filled data fields, they can use them to speed up the workflows
  
  

2. Sender sends documents

• Users digitally send the prepared document to the recipient or recipients.
• Recipients receive the document for review.
  
  

3. Recipient reviews documents

• The recipient accesses and reviews the documents.
• If the document meets their approval, the workflow moves into the signature stage.
  
  

4. Recipient signs documents

• The recipient makes changes to the document if necessary.
• They then sign it and send it back to the sender or to other intended parties.
  
  

5. Document is completed

• The signed documents are stored in a secure location for future access.
• The authorised person sends links to access the finalised documents to other authorised parties.
  
  

Also read: A Brief Guide to the Different Types of Electronic Signatures

The Right e-Signature Solution Won’t Let You Go Bananas!

The right e-signature solution will help you set up a streamlined e-Signature workflow that’s customised to your company’s needs. Plus, it will run in parallel to business processes so staff don’t feel burdened by documentation or signatures. The solution will simplify the entire documentation workflow so they can complete and finalise all documents in the fastest possible time – without going bananas!

When researching an e-signature workflow for your business, make sure it includes all these features:

• Multi-format document support: If your company creates and uses documents in multiple file format, the solution should support all these formats. It should also convert any file format to PDF for easy storage, sharing, and retrieval.
  
  
• Easy-to-use signing options: The solution should guide signers at every step of the signing process so they can complete every document quickly and easily. It should include options like:
  • Drag and drop signature fields
  • Date fields
  • Data entry fields
  • Hyperlinks
  • Accept/decline options
  • Ability to assign one or more recipients
    
    
• Customisability: All your digital documents must adhere to your brand’s standards. This means the e-signature solution should provide personalisation, colour changes, font changes, and other features to ensure brand continuity.
  
  
• One-click signatures: The solution should provide recipients with a simple way to sign documents. It should generate a unique signing link in one click that can be sent to recipients via email or SMS.
  
  
• Auditable signing process: A built-in audit capability will allow you to see where a particular document is in the signing workflow. You can also send quick reminders to the relevant parties to speed up document completion and finalisation.
  
  
• Authenticity and security controls: Security and compliance are both crucial requirements in any document workflow so make sure to select an e-signature solution that includes security/authentication features like:
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • Knowledge-based authentication (KBA)
  • SMS links
  • Certificates of completion
    
    
• Easy storage and retrieval: It’s not enough to simplify the signing process. You should also be able to securely store all signed documents and retrieve them later whenever required. A solution that allows you to assign labels to completed documents will simplify both storage and retrieval so it should be part of your e-signature workflow.
  
  

In addition to all the above features, look for a solution that includes pre-built integrations with other popular applications. These integrations will further simplify your document workflows, and eliminate friction between processes and business units.

Conclusion

Are you looking for a way to automate your company’s document signature processes?

Want to save time and money?

Big bosses complaining about the cost of document storage, copying, and couriering?

Tired of listening to people complaining about lost documents and rework?

Try digital signatures!

By adopting digital signatures and setting up a streamlined e-Signature workflow, you can get more done within the organisation. Your people can focus on high-value tasks that improve customer satisfaction and increase billable hours. They can also close more deals faster and increase their productivity, efficiency, and profitability.

Also read: Cyber Security Best Practices for Small Businesses

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, official policy or position of GlobalLinker.