eSignature Implementation: Best Practices

eSignatures have come in handy in cases when the physical presence of a signee has been impossible. Their time-saving ability allows the parties to remotely sign agreements and documents. eSignatures do this from anywhere and still maintain the legitimacy required. Especially now with the onset of Covid-19, eSignatures are the main link between companies and their clients. It is important to embrace them and use them appropriately to ensure that you achieve the legally binding aspect of the documents. The vitality of the eSignature, therefore, requires some understanding. The best practices can ensure the use of eSignature meets its optimum capabilities in terms of efficiency. We have put together the top five practices in eSignature use that will turn around your experience and provide the efficiency you need.

Awareness of the Expiration of Electronic Certificate

eSignatures are as legal and binding as any other signature. Some organizations and companies need access to documents for a long period of up to 70 years. At that time, the certificate will have expired. However, the validity of an eSignature remains. It is not limited to the validity of the electronic certificate linked to it. Some electronic certificates are valid for up to three years. It’s worth noting that a document does not lose its legal value even upon expiration. If the certificate was valid at the time the eSignature was submitted, the document will hold in a court of law as a binding agreement. You can however renew short-term agreements now and then. By doing this, you eliminate the process of having to recover the certificate if the need arises.

Choose an eSignature That Will Detect an Attempt to Tamper

eSignatures with underlying security technology are essential in detecting forgery and fraud attempts. This keeps out the third parties that should not have access to the documents. Any such detection will render the signature null and void, thus protecting you from loss or exposure of any kind. In comparison to physically signed documents, eSignatures give clients an upper hand. They guarantee more security. Additionally, eSignatures are easily traceable and one can recover them in case of loss. At the same time, they give authorization for work to proceed.

Ensure the eSignature Technology You Choose Has High Standards

For a critical activity like signing legally binding documents, what you need is a trusted service provider. This is to both secure sensitive documents from possible loss and to ensure the legitimacy of the eSignatures. A technology that upholds standards has several advantages to the users. These include guaranteeing traceability, recovery in case of loss or tampering, verifiability, and legibility of your documents. Your eSignature, therefore, abides by the laws that govern the electronic signature field. The technology has either local or global recognition by the state and can prove as evidence if required. High standards of technology will also win over the trust of the clients since they tend to be based on reliable security. And nothing takes care of business like trust between parties working together.

Select an eSignature that Works With Several Content Applications

Choose a system that works with your Excel, Word documents, PDFs, InfoPath, and more. This will ensure that your eSignature experience is efficient and effective. Requiring a signee to install or download a new application just for the signing process has its downsides. It can discourage clients or customers from engaging in business. A broad-scope eSignature is also more trustworthy because of its legitimacy across a wide variety of platforms. Here, you will eliminate the need to print certain documents for signing due to eSignature incompatibility. The option to allow multiple parties to sign the document simultaneously is also an advantage. It eliminates the need to draft different documents for different stakeholders. There are new applications in the market every day. It is essential to consider a technology that can easily adapt to the market to serve diverse clients. Industries can also reduce the paperwork that fills files and shelves. they can do this by storing their signed documents on their computer systems. This eventually reduces overhead costs and saves money.

Make It Easy for the Signatories to Sign the Document

Making it easy for signatories to sign doesn’t mean that anyone can easily sign the document. It means that the authorized party can have quick access to easily sign. It saves their time and clears their workflow. eSignatures that provide customizable signatures and batch-signing are more appealing to clients. Multi-lingual support is also an added feature than can create more efficiency and diversity. The ability to sign via phone or the web is also a diversification that can attract customers. The less tedious it is for signatories to sign the documents, the more efficient your system is. The platform should also allow for an easy reject option with feedback. This is in case the signee has queries or misunderstandings. They can resolve the matter before signing. It is a legally binding document, and therefore the parties need to be as comfortable and clear as possible on what they are signing into.

The Best eSignature Practices Are Client-Centered and Efficient

The reason why industries are going paperless is for efficiency. It then makes sense that eSignature technologies provide that and more as per market demand. The best eSignature practices have various characteristics. They are the ones that ensure maximum security of documents, are easily accessible to signees, and can serve for a long period. More companies now trust and use eSignature platform daily which means their use can only expand. eSignatures are valid in so many sectors now and have eased the burden of paperwork on companies. Lightico upholds the validity and reliability of eSignatures. The platform boosts your productivity and reduces the turnaround time, creating an efficient signing process for the parties involved. Learn about and experience Lightico's eSignature capabilities, digital payments, and more at Lightico.com.