The coronavirus pandemic promoted remote work culture worldwide. Companies also cashed in on time and cost benefits by developing digital document infrastructure. Authorities in various countries have been promoting the broader use of GoSigner’s electronic signature app for PDF files.
You are here because you intend to choose the best PDF and e-signature tools for your organization. No worries, we have compiled the most valuable tips to guide you in decision-making.
- Assess your organization’s requirements
There is no other incredible resource like your team when it comes to finding out your business needs. You can conduct a survey and ask employees about their preferred tools to make office work faster and better.
Your firm’s sales team would want to access and let consumers sign files via mobile devices while on the field. The designing team might appreciate software that can compress PDF files and convert them to other formats before sending.
The human resources team wants the entire signing process to be digitized. Accounts and billing executives would appreciate the option to send invoices digitally to consumers for e-sign and payment.
How many documents do you plan to create and send for e-signatures daily? Do you wish to request payments from clients when you send invoices? Through which devices do you want your employees and clients to access, view, edit, and sign documents?
Have you prepared a list of forms, documents, agreements that you wish to send and get e-signed?
List of documents that most organizations wish to get e-signed:
- Letters of intent
- Internal compliance documents
- Vendor agreements
- Purchase orders
- New hire documentation
- Sales contracts
- Non-disclosure agreements
- Invoices
- Consider system integration needs
Seek advice from your IT team about system integration. Most e-sign software apps integrate with Quickbooks, Slack, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, SAP Ariba, Oracle Netsuite, Salesforce, etc. Several firms also offer APIs for custom integrations.
- Non-negotiable security features
The e-signature software will handle all your crucial documents, including invoices. You certainly want to ensure no one outside the organization gets access to records, edits them, or deletes PDFs. And this is where security features come into the picture.
Let’s take a look at essential features that every document management system should provide:
SSL encryption: You must have heard or read about SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption. The protocol ensures data transfer between two apps happens most securely.
Digital signing option: E-sign is a digitized version for handwritten signatures. It is legally binding in most countries. However, it’s not as secure as a digital signature. Now, you might wonder what’s the difference between both. Digital signature involves the use of keys or certificate-based IDs. The signature is validated based on these keys.
Digital seal: Also referred to as Advanced Electronic Signature (AES), the digital seal feature ensures every signature has an LTV timestamp. Auditors can authenticate each signature based on the timestamp and invalidate documents with tampered data.
Audit log: Often referred to as an audit trail, the feature automatically creates a record specifying when the document was accessed, edited, and signed. It highlights location, device details, and user IDs for each event. The function helps organizations in verifying and validating e-signs.
- Is the product compliant with regulations in your country?
There is ISO 27001 accreditation (international standard) that outlines best practices for information security. The United States has Uniform Electronic Transactions Act and Electronic Signature and Records Association Act. Most apps do comply with these standards. However, every country has strict regulations in place for software solutions that handle sensitive data.
The European Union has General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for data protection and privacy. The software you choose must comply with GDPR if your company or clients operate in EU nations.
Only documents signed with public key infrastructure (PKI) based e-sign systems are considered valid in some countries. So, ensure the app you choose does comply with local regulations for e-signatures.
- Check the level of customer support available for your team
Some software firms offer telephonic helpline, chat, and email customer support. Others have AI-ML chatbots that solve basic queries and raise a ticket for complicated issues. The waiting period for call-back post chatbot conversation may not be feasible for some businesses.
Instead, opt for a vendor who can provide priority support from executives who understand your business. If you intend to buy multiple licenses, the vendor should offer the communication channel of your choice.
Software firms and vendors assign a customer success manager to clients with multiple premium licenses. These executives can assist and train your teams in navigating the new software.
- How much are you willing to pay per license?
Budgeting is crucial for running a successful business. The cost for PDF and e-signing software can be considerably high if you choose products with high-end features. So, decide how much your organization can afford to pay for the software.
Create a list of associates in the organization who need access to the software for creating documents. Keeping headcount is crucial as you might have to purchase licenses depending on these numbers.
Purchase the minimum required number. Most e-signature products have flexible licensing options that enable you to upgrade if your team grows.
Which are the most popular pricing structures? The answer relies on the software firm and products you choose.
Several vendors offer special discounted pricing for consumers who opt for annual subscriptions. However, you must remember that it’s like a commitment to pay and use the product throughout the contract period.
Businesses prefer opting for a monthly subscription to use the software and explore its features before making a long-term commitment.
The endnote:
You can save a fortune by avoiding paper documents and manual signatures. There is no need for paper storage, scanning, disposal, delivery, and printing costs. Just ensure you choose the software that meets your operational and data security requirements.