1. Negocios

I’m sure everyone reading this will know the scenario where you’ve been
collaborating on an online document with others, adding in clauses and details,
sending it back and forth. But then the document goes missing, or a version gets
overwritten.
You end up having to redo the document, wasting time and money in the process.
In fact, it is the lack of controlled process that causes most of the headaches
around document creation, management and completion. If you add electronic
signatures into the mix, then you have another layer to worry about in getting from
start to finish in one fell swoop.
If you instead, take all the aspects of a document or contract lifecycle, and package
them up into a digitized process including electronic signatures, you end up
with a controlled e-signature workflow which can revolutionize the way you
handle contracts and documents.
If we look at some of the facts around document workflow, you can see how much
lack control in document management costs.
Analysts IDC found that people spend nearly 9 hours each week just searching for
documents. The same study found that if companies used digital documents,
rather than printing them out, and used document workflow systems, they saved
25% in associated costs.
Industry body, Workflow Management Coalition (WFMC) found a 30% increase
in productivity when even a simple workflow process was used to manage
document lifecycles.
What are the elements of an e-signature workflow process?
The jury is in, having a workflow process in place to control documents that need
digital signatures, will save you time, money, and make you more productive. But
what exactly does this entail? We can break the process of electronic signature
workflows down into its constituent parts which are:
1. Create a document or use a template to generate a contract. E-signature
solutions like ApproveMe offer document templates that let you create a
document, ready for workflow distribution, with pre-configured signature
fields to make electronic signature application easy.
2. Invite Part of an electronic signature workflow process is readying
signatories for the workflow to start. Signatories can be contacted via email to
access the document or contract. The email can contain a direct link to access
the document. They then just access, click and sign.
3. Access is an essential part of the workflow event. Signatories will receive their
invites but the electronic signature platform also needs to control access to the
document. Access can be controlled using a number of methods, including
having a second factor to access a document, for example a special access code.
This is useful for documents and contracts which contain sensitive information
and personal details.
4. Review of documents is allowed once access is gained. Users can go to the
centralized document repository and check out the document before signing –
no out of sync version issues.
5. Digital signature collection. For greater control automation of the flow of
digital signatures, from user to user should be accommodated in the workflow.
ApproveMe lets you set up events that trigger actions. It allows you to create a
logical flow to go from creation, to review, signing, and acceptance. You can even
set it up to allow people sign in a particular order.
6. Consent and acceptance. The act of signing using a compliant electronic
signature solution, like ApproveMe, automatically assigns acceptance of the
contract T&C’s:
a) Protection of the reviewed document – compliant digital signatures that
adhere to standards like UETA and ESIGN will ensure that no unauthorized
changes can be made to the document after it’s been signed without being
picked up by the process.
b)Reminders – the key to successful electronic signature workflow processes is
to keep them flowing. A electronic signature solution that sends out automated
signing reminders will make sure this happens.
7. Customise your workflow – you may find that you need to tailor a workflow to
your specific needs. For example, you may want the process to work with your
Dropbox account and sync the documents. Or keep documents in pdf format. Not
all solutions allow you to configure a workflow to fit your conditions, check out that
this is possible when looking for a solution
8. Audit should be offered throughout the workflow, events should be audited to
generate an audit trail. You can look back on this checking the process works well
and you can even use it to tailor your workflow to optimize it.
9. Completion: Once the document is agreed, and the electronic
signatures applied by all parties, it can then be finalized. The signatories can be
automatically sent a URL link to the completed document, making sure that
everyone is in the loop and alerted to its completion.
The thing about getting all our digital ducks on order is that it means you can sit
back and get on with your real work. Letting workflow solutions, especially those
with built in e-signing capability to automate each part of the lifecycle of a
contract or signed document, is an empowering and freeing way to get contracts
and documents signed off and completed. It reminds me of the revolution in
people’s lives that happened when ‘white goods’ like automatic washing
machines came into our lives. We can’t imagine a world where we had to wash our
smalls using a kitchen sink like our relatives in the 1930s did; they would spend a
whole day of each week washing clothes. The same thing is happening with
digitization of electronic signature workflow processes, they are letting us
take lengthy, onerous processes, and wrap them up into a seamless platform that
does the legwork for us.
Article Resource: https://www.approveme.com/e-signature/simple-guideelectronic-signature-workflows/