Are You Still Signing Documents the Regular Way?
Or have you moved on to eSignatures?
Signing documents electronically has long been commonplace in the United States, but most companies in Germany still rely on the classic written form. As a result, a process that technically only takes a few seconds – signing a contract or document – often gets dragged out over multiple weeks. Documents need to be printed out, sent by snail mail, and, if a digital company archive is being used, scanned back in. Moreover, if the responsible parties are out of office (on vacation, for example), the signature process gets delayed even further.
Arvato Systems has taken the digitalization of its processes one step further to curtail this particular process; the company has been successfully using the digital DocuSign platform to electronically sign contracts since October 2017.
This electronic approach is far more convenient and mobile: All the signer needs is an end device with Internet and e-mail access. A link sent via e-mail leads to the digital document, and the signer provides their signature with just a few clicks – and it’s legally watertight. This saves time and therefore money, and creates clarity at all times as to which business partner still needs to sign a given document. Moreover, e-signatures also make media interruptions a thing of the past. Once it’s been signed, the document is immediately ready for digital archiving.
Electronic signatures have let Arvato Systems reduce the processing time for contractual offers for all procurement and sales processes – from proposal submission to storage in the contractual archives – from three months on average (prior to introducing the e-signature solution) to a span of three hours to three days. Electronic signatures also entail a significant increase in quality, since process steps such as printing, scanning, re-printing, and re-scanning have now been eliminated.
The feedback from business partners and Arvato Systems colleagues has been extremely positive. Arvato Systems has set itself the goal of carrying out 99 percent of all signatures electronically in the future. Clients who insist on the ‘analog’ written form will be able to continue to use it.
To wrap things up, here’s a summary of the many advantages of e-signatures:
- They save time: Contracts can be very quickly and easily signed, from practically any device with an Internet connection.
- They cut down on process costs: Printed contracts don’t need to be sent by snail mail and then scanned back in.
- They provide security and are legally binding: The platform selected by Arvato Systems fulfills the requirements of the eIDAS regulation as well as certified standards in the U.S. and Europe so that information is protected, encrypted, and secured.
- They create transparency: It’s easy for all participants to track a contract’s current status to ensure that no documents or data are lost.
- They increase ease of operation: The solution’s Web-based user interface is very simple and user-friendly. Simple explanations guide signers through the process.
- They boost efficiency: Contracts can be electronically processed and immediately saved without additional manual steps. This reduces the administrative workload.
- They’re environmentally friendly: Eliminating printed and sent material, as well as transport costs, protect valuable resources.
- Signing is free of charge: It’s always free of charge to sign a document with DocuSign.