Of all the business operations we fulfill every day, signature requests seem so ordinary we rarely give them a second thought. Yet it’s precisely because they are common—a regular part of just about every business activity or process—that they impose so many costs, obstructions and delays. Within the following pages, you’ll find case-by-case examples of business benefits, simple methods for calculating the ROI of digital signatures, and a checklist to help you define the right solution for your enterprise. Whether you read, skim or scan Think Twice Before You Sign Anything Again: 12 Business Cases for Digital Signatures, you’ll never think of a signature in the same way again.

1. Think Twice
before you sign
anyThing again
12 Business Cases for Digital Signatures

2. Handwritten signatures are
strangling your enterprise.
Fortunately, there’s an easy
way to break free.
Of all the business operations we fulfill every day, signature Printing pages at $0.03 a sheet
requests seem so ordinary we rarely give them a second thought.
Yet it’s precisely because they are common—a regular part of just routing costs, via fax, mail, couriers and overnight shipping,
about every business activity or process—that they impose so that range from $0.05 to $42.55 per deliverable
many costs, obstructions and delays. scanning and archiving costs at about $1.33 per document
Research shows that 80% of all business processes rely on forms. Loss and reproduction costs of roughly $20.00 for each loss
And most of these need to be signed, initiating an expensive and $40.00 for each reproduction
“cost cascade.” While not every company is exposed to all of
indirect costs in delays, lost deals, workflow obstructions,
the following expenses, organizations that trim or eliminate any
declines in customer or partner satisfaction, and just plain
of these expenses will realize measurable benefits to their top
wasted time.
and bottom-line operations. Expenses that can be avoided with
digital signatures typically include:
The picture is clear: while signing one document hardly seems
burdensome, copying, collecting, storing, distributing, process-
ing and scanning thousands of documents requiring signatures
1 is an expense no enterprise can afford to ignore.

3. That’s why thousands of enterprises use digital signatures because every signature is made on the bottom line
Digital signatures capture signatures without the expenses of A simple signature becomes a complex cost when it The 3 “i”s of a
paper, yet with a degree of security, reliability and simplicity interferes with the otherwise efficient flow of transactions True Digital signature
unmatched by other signing technologies. among company employees and between the company and
What makes a digital
Digital signatures provide critical competitive advantages by its partners, vendors and most importantly, its customers. signature the “gold standard”
reducing operating costs and increasing trust and control in the world of electronic
My colleagues and I at ARX have written Think Twice Before signatures?
over internal operations and external business processes for
greater customer satisfaction, stronger partner collaboration, You Sign Anything Again: 12 Business Cases for Digital Look to the “I”s:
and increased sales efficiency. With the right digital signature Signatures to cut through the confusion and demonstrate the
technology, businesses can: practical business value of implementing digital signatures. iDenTiTy
Each user gets a unique,
digital “fingerprint” that
accelerate workflows that are currently jammed by signature Within the following pages, you’ll find case-by-case examples serves as his identification.
delays of business benefits, simple methods for calculating
the ROI of digital signatures, and a checklist to help you inTenT
guarantee confidence in the validity of the signer and of the define the right solution for your enterprise. A digital signature with the
signed document right procedures in place re-
quires a user’s attention, mak-
close more deals faster by allowing customers to approve Whether you read, skim or scan Think Twice Before You Sign ing it difficult for users to make
Anything Again: 12 Business Cases for Digital Signatures, subsequent claims of being
deals online or your sales staff to capture signatures when
“unaware” that they had signed
enthusiasm is at its peak you’ll never think of a signature in the same way again.
a given document for a specific
reason or purpose.
enhance collaboration across departments, vendor networks Sincerely,
and multiple offices by distributing and fulfilling signature inTegriTy
requests, fast Once signed, the document
Boaz Lantsman
cannot be changed or altered
VP Marketing, ARX. without detection. Any manipu-
create customer and partner portals that facilitate sales and
boazl@arx.com lation immediately invalidates
project coordination electronically
the signature and triggers a
visual change that alerts
comply with regulatory requirements for documented readers, stakeholders and/or
approvals that can be obtained, stored and retrieved examiners.
quickly and easily.
Manage paperless contracts and invoices to accelerate work
processes and make archiving easier
realize the full value of your document management tech-
nologies, by eliminating dependence on “wet” signatures
reduce dependence on IT by using a standard technology that
does not require special downloads or proprietary software
2

4. 1
FuLFILL PROMISES OF
Digital signatures allow CPI to realize the full
PAPerleSS AutomAtIon InveStmentS value of its SharePoint solution
To facilitate collaboration throughout the enterprise, many organizations C&P Inspection (CPI), an inspection and quality assurance
have embraced electronic document management (DM) solutions, such firm, made a bold leap from paper-based document man-
as Microsoft® SharePoint®, to give employees easy ways to share crucial agement to electronic workflows by investing in Microsoft’s
information, fast. SharePoint solution. Its intention? To make it easier for
CPI’s worldwide team of inspectors to submit reports
from customer locations across the globe.
But signature requests compromise electronic solutions at the “last mile”
But to its dismay, CPI found that a considerable amount
in the process. When documents need to be printed, signed, scanned, faxed
of paperwork kept creeping back into the process, de-
and/or delivered, they reintroduce costs the DM solution was intended to
feating the purpose—and the value—of its SharePoint
remove. By deploying digital signature capabilities with document solution. CPI IT Manager Carsten Peyk investigated the
management systems, organizations can realize the full value of their situation and uncovered the core problem: the engineers’
automated-workflow investments. reports required authenticating signatures, forcing the
reintroduction of printed documents into the workflow.
“Adding digital signatures to our SharePoint deployment has Carsten addressed the problem by incorporating a digital
signature solution that allowed engineers to complete the
changed the way we’ve done business. It has saved us money “electronic loop” without paper printouts. By installing
and significantly improved our customer service.” the digital signature component to the workflow, not only
did CPI save an estimated $3,000 in paper-related costs
HAnS CHrIStAnSEn, CEO Of CPI per signer, per year, it completed the last link in the
electronic document process and allowed CPI to reap
the full rewards of its SharePoint investment.
3

5. 2
EnSuRE ComPlIAnCe
PareXeL cuts signing process from
two weeks to twenty minutes
Whether it’s to ensure conformance of externally imposed regulations,
evidence of compliance is key in many industries, particularly in life As a leading provider of Clinical Technology Services to
sciences, healthcare, engineering, government and financial services. the pharmaceutical industry, ClinPhone (a subsidiary of
PAREXEL, a leading clinical research organization) is
under pressure to demonstrate compliance with FDA 21
Digital signatures bring certainty to the process, providing users with CFR Part 11 requirements while expediting paperwork
a fast way to approve forms while satisfying all authorities that the across offices around the globe.
signatures are valid. In a global economy, it is especially important to
Moving papers from continent to continent cost ClinPhone
keep up with various international standards, such as the Eu Directive
a lot of money—and up to four weeks of time. The company
on Electronic Signatures, that allow documents to cross borders without installed a digital signature solution that changed all that,
putting your enterprise in the regulatory authorities’ cross-hairs. even before investing in an expensive document manage-
ment system. Once they went electronic and started using
“to obtain an approval on a project required us to fax documents digital signatures, ClinPhone got the compliance it needed
while getting the speed it wanted: now, all offices can com-
from our HQ in the uK to branches around the world. It could plete the necessary signatures within twenty minutes.
take anywhere between three to four weeks to get signatures
from all parties. today, however, the process is completed
in 10 minutes. Digital signatures paid for themselves just in
terms of increased productivity.”
DALjIt S. CHEEmA, DIrECtOr, CLInPHOnE
4

6. 3
COLLECT APPROVALS
ACROSS multIPle loCAtIonS
Many important documents require signatures from participating
parties who may be operating in disparate offices, and often in
different countries. On paper, these remotely located signers add
routing and printing costs (multiple copies distributed to additional
signers), not to mention painful delays.
Digital signatures leverage the power of electronic document manage-
ment solutions by giving signers, regardless of location, an easy way to
add their official approvals to any document, from any office, that, in
turn, may be routed to any additional locations as needed.
South Carolina Department of mental Health attains more than 9,500 signed
forms a day across 21 locations
Responsible for twenty-one hospitals and community health centers throughout
the state, the South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) found itself
deluged with complex forms that had to meet HIPAA and GPEA regulations.
In addition to requiring the signatures of 3,500 medical staff, most of the docu-
ments needed signed authorizations from patients or patient guardians at various
locations. SCDMH arrived at a system of digital signatures that allowed patients
to sign at “point of service” via kiosk signature pads, with subsequent physician/
nurse digital signatures serving as notarization. The digital signature solution
not only made it easier to collect approvals from various locations in the SCDMH
system, it simplified the entire process of obtaining sequential approvals from
the patient or patient guardian to the supervising medical staff.
5

7. 4
SECuRE AuTHORIzATIOnS FROM
exeCutIveS on tHe move
Many executives travel extensively, yet need to sign approvals while
on the road to avoid accumulating piles of documents that await their
signatures upon their return. Otherwise, important approvals, work
orders and deal documents may be shifted into the slow lane—or
neglected altogether. Paperwork delays can be further compounded
by the time it takes to identify the locations of traveling executives
and to route the documents appropriately.
Digital signatures move the workflow online, allowing all parties
to distribute and sign documents instantly, via ordinary and widely
available network connections, or even smart phones, regardless
of location.
Italian Senate coordinates signatures on the move
In addition to its law-making powers, the Italian Senate
provides guidelines for government action and holds the
government to account. With such broad responsibilities,
the 315 senators and their staffers are frequently travel-
ing. Yet their correspondence must be signed to meet
Italian regulations.
The Senate’s digital signature solution overcomes
the challenges of physical distance, allowing Senators
and staffers to create and distribute signed memos
from any location, and on the move, without imposing
time delays or delivery costs.
6

8. new Flyer soars over capacity strains
A leading manufacturer in the heavy-transit market,
new Flyer coordinates Engineering Change Orders
5 (ECOs) from more than 100 engineers. Each order
requires five CAD drawings plotted for TIFF and
vectorised PDF, approved and signed by three
different employees.
Paper orders made matters even more complicated,
as many of the orders were generated from a
remote office, then physically driven to headquarters
for plotting. new Flyer resolved the problem, and
MAnAGE multIPle APProvAlS increased the productivity of its designers, by
incorporating digital signatures into the electronic
In many complex industries—such as engineering and manufacturing—
stream that produces the drawings. now new Flyer
operations cannot proceed without sequential approvals from multiple
manages 250–350 ECOs per week without printing
authorities. When these are paper-based, the costs in time and speed and scanning costs, and without distribution delays.
are obvious. But when they also require sophisticated documentation,
such as CAD drawings, the drain on resources becomes onerous.
Digital signatures not only eliminate the slow distribution of approved “ new Flyer was looking to implement an end-to-end
documents, they make it easy for all participating parties to contribute digital sign-off process to keep up with its high
their authorizations without requiring multiple printouts and routing. pressure engineering and manufacturing environ-
ment. using digital signatures allows our engineers
to electronically add their signatures and professional
seals to CAD, microsoft Word, excel, and Adobe® PDF
documents, significantly enhancing our processes
—reducing paper, scanner and labor costs and
eliminating about 25% of the time we needed in
the engineering release process.
DAvE frASEr, CAD SyStEmS mAnAgEr, nEW fLyEr
7

9. 6
COLLECT rePortS From FIelD StAFF
meDrAD brings online 15,000–20,000 digital
Gathering signatures within the same building is an inconvenience. reports from the field
But collecting them from employees who fulfill their duties out in the
As a leading, worldwide provider of medical imag-
field is an outright headache—and an expensive one as well. ing devices and services, MEDRAD was responsible
for complex, FDA-required service reports gathered
Whether necessary for billing, contracting or compliance, field reports from numerous field service representatives. In the
fulfill a critical role within the operations of many far-flung organizations. FDA market, companies typically spend hundreds of
Fortunately, digital signatures eliminate the need for costly express thousands of dollars annually just on priority mail-
delivery services by collecting documentation electronically—and ing of signed documents from field staff to the home
instantly—through secure, online applications. office or to clients. According to MEDRAD records,
that meant controlling between 15,000 to 20,000
Field Service Reports that had to be signed and
“through our use of a digital signature solution, meDrAD routed to clients and FDA auditors.
significantly cuts costs in shipping, paper-related products
By using a digital signature solution to complete the
and workload, producing an estimated annual savings of “last mile” in the electronic document management
over $150,000. Additionally, our field service representatives process, MEDRAD eliminated an enormous paper
burden while accelerating the speed at which impor-
are now able to concentrate on work, not paperwork.”
tant records are signed, routed and archived.
AngELA gASPEr, It PrOjECt mAnAgEr, mEDrAD
8

10. Globalvetlink is off to the races with an online
7 certification process
GlobalVetLink (GVL), a service enterprise for animal
health providers in north America, operates in a
strict regulatory environment that carefully monitors
animal movement. When horses change ownership,
stables or are transported across state lines, a
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) must complete
and sign Official Certificates of Veterinary Inspection
CREATE A CuStomer PortAl (OCVI) and Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) certifi-
cates before the animals can be legally moved.
As we all know, every customer interaction we move online improves
customer satisfaction, accelerates sales and reduces expensive direct
For GVL, the answer was an online customer portal
customer service costs.
backed with a digital signature solution that removed
paper from the process. With a few simple clicks,
But movement to full-service customer portals can come to a dead the signed certificates can be shared instantly
halt when signatures are required. Suddenly, the service chain among the DVM, horse owners and animal health
becomes interrupted with a process that must shift to paper. authorities. By launching an efficient online portal
Every action required from a customer can lead to delays—or and enhancing it with compliant digital signatures,
worse. If customers are required to sign and fax a form, they may GVL captured a market leadership position.
defer action, get second thoughts, or change their minds—deals
could be lost altogether.
Digital signatures can break up the logjam, allowing portals to collect, “ I was seeking to deploy a new business model
with a simple click, the unique identification (under guaranteed data that extended access to the Certificate of
integrity), that the courts, regulators and other authorities demand Health beyond the veterinarian directly to the
while facilitating customer action when they are most enthusiastic animal owner. By using digital signatures to
about closing the deal.
ensure we stay in compliance while helping
improve efficiency in all aspects of animal
health and movement records, we became a
reputed leader, enabling us to move from
hundreds to thousands of users.”
KEvIn mAHEr, PrESIDEnt, gLOBALvEtLInK
9

11. 8
EXPEDITE ServICe rePort turn-ArounDS “Digital signatures work seamlessly with the
PDF-based reports created in our workflow.
In many service industries, the primary deliverable is a signed report maxxam’s project managers sign and seal
that verifies, evaluates, assesses or qualifies an issue of both business
around 15,000 reports every month.”
and legal significance for the client. The faster these reports can be
SOrIn BOBArIu, APPLICAtIOn-DEvELOPmEnt mAnAgEr, mAxxAm
submitted, the greater the perceived value to the client and the better
the positioning of the vendor.
Digital signatures remove the delivery delays associated with paper
(printing, hand-signing, faxing, mailing, hard-copy archiving), allowing maxxam Analytics distills report delivery from
3 days to instantaneously
companies to share signed reports immediately.
Project managers in fifteen labs throughout Canada
create and submit reports for Maxxam Analytic’s cli-
ents in environmental sciences, petroleum testing,
food safety and forensics. Each year, they test more
than 1,500,000 samples for everything from food
contamination to determining paternity.
naturally, Maxxam’s clients are eager for the lab
results. But the necessary signatures must stand
on their own without requiring additional software
for validation, and must meet legal requirements to
stand as evidence in court. By moving to digital sig-
natures, Maxxam not only met all of these require-
ments, but cut report submission times from 3 days
to instantaneous delivery, giving them a consider-
able advantage over their competitors.
10

12. 9 oglethorpe Power saves over $300,000 in its
first year of digital signature implementation
Based in Georgia, Oglethorpe Power Corporation
(OPC) is one of the largest power supply coopera-
tives in the united States. To accelerate project
workflows and reduce costs, they invested in a
contract management application that would turn
approvals into an electronic process.
MAnAGE PAPerleSS ContrACtS
Signature obligations, however, interrupted the
For enterprises with numerous clients (such as B2B service providers, workflow at the “last mile.” By integrating a digital
utilities, insurance firms, etc.), contract management can become a signature solution with its contract management
complex, expensive and time-consuming affair. To drive efficiency, application, OPC keeps the electronic workflow
intact. In just its first year of implementation, the
many of these enterprises are turning toward electronic contract
company saved over $300,000 and made a complete
management systems that can reduce paperwork and delays.
return on its investment in just three to four months.
But signature requests can disrupt the contracting process and re-insert
paper into the otherwise digital chain. Digital signatures can help
enterprises maintain the electronic integrity of the contracting process,
eliminating obstacles to achieving the efficiencies they seek.
“Digital signatures have enabled us to realize a truly
paperless process. Without the digital signature solution,
we would still be hindering organizational processes by
reintroducing some form of paper into our workflow for
contract approvals.”
jOHn LAuEr, It mAnAgEr, EntErPrISE SErvICES,
OgLEtHOrPE POWEr COrPOrAtIOn
11

13. 10
uPS Israel differentiates itself with electronic
invoicing for customers
Although it’s recognized as a leading carrier re-
InVOICE eleCtronICAlly nowned for quality service, uPS refuses to rest on
its reputation and continually seeks ways to improve
Today, an ever greater portion of business is conducted, and the customer’s experience.
even fulfilled, electronically. With the Internet as the leading
uPS Israel turned to digital signatures to give
business driver, enterprises must be prepared to submit, transmit
customers the option of receiving invoices electroni-
and receive invoices electronically, via Web forms or emails.
cally, rather than by paper. Based on a standard
technology available with the free Adobe Acrobat
Digital signatures allow you to work with electronic invoices without
Reader, the digital signature didn’t require any
compromises in security or issues with acceptability by the customer. special verification software. Within the first month,
Fortunately, today’s digital signatures (unlike previous generations of a much larger number of customers than expected
electronic signatures) are standards-based, meaning that they do not chose the electronic option. The new service helped
require proprietary software nor downloads on the recipient’s part. expedite payment collection for the company’s
accounts receivable department while giving
customers a convenient way to reduce their
dependency on paper.
“ uPS Israel prides itself on using innovative
It solutions to differentiate itself from its
competitors, improve its customer services,
as well as reduce bottom line expenses.
migrating to e-invoicing with a digital
signature solution is another example of
how uPS obtains competitive advantage.”
EyAL mAyO, uPS ISrAEL
12

14. 11
CAPTuRE SIGnATuRES At tHe PoInt oF SAle
AIG-Israel collects signatures at its
Carpe diem or “seize the day”: it applies as much to business as it customers’ homes
does to classical philosophy. When the customer is ready to sign on Insurance is a very personal matter. In fact, AIG-Israel,
the bottom line, you don’t want to endure any business delays imposed a leading insurance and financial services company,
by paper contracts. completes many of its consumer sales off-site, in the
customers’ own homes. In this context, excess paper-
When much of your sales force is in the field, however, paper contracts work is not only an inconvenience, but an impediment
must be circulated by fax or mail. Digital signatures provide the alter- at the least opportune moment—when customers are
native: as legally-binding as “wet” signatures, they have the important ready to sign.
advantage of immediacy. Once a document is signed, it can be instantly
submitted to initiate action. AIG-Israel chose a digital signature solution that
easily integrated with its central computer facilities
for rapid imaging and storage. Accessible via laptops
“Digital signatures have reduced the time it takes
and cellular connections, the solution has allowed
for the organization to complete a sale by 50%. By AIG-Israel representatives to capture secure and
combining digital signatures with mobile technologies graphical signatures that are completely compliant
with Insurance Commissioner and regulatory agency
and integrating them into our business process we
requirements.
were able to improve data accuracy, speed processing
time, and reduce operational costs.”
EtzIOn yAtSIv, CIO, AIg ISrAEL
13

15. 12
COLLABORATE WITH PARTnERS onlIne
Duke realty builds an online portal for its
Just as multiple office locations require an efficient way of distributing construction partners
and approving documents, partners from different organizations need With more than 144 million square feet of office,
a timely and cost-effective way of collaborating with each other. industrial and healthcare properties under
management, Duke Realty is one of the largest
Any collaboration, however, requires contracts, change orders, project real estate companies in the united States.
requests and other approvals that must be signed in order to initiate In its roles as Design Builder, General Contractor
work. Some smart enterprises are creating online portals, accessible or Contract manager, Duke Realty oversees
via the Web, to help partners manage the paperwork electronically. thousands of contract partners on behalf of its
By adding a digital signature solution to the portal, required approvals clients.
can be securely recorded for all official documentation.
Wisely, Duke Realty built an online portal,
Construction Connect, where the company can
“Kudos to Duke! the money and time this easily manage communications, contracting,
saves Ace Air is very much appreciated!” reporting and more with its partners. Adding
the digital signature solution component to
mArEttE EKArt, ACE AIr (A DuKE rEALty PArtnEr)
the portal eliminated paper from the process,
allowing Duke Realty to take advantage of an
efficient, entirely electronic, collaborative tool.
14

16. tAKe A HArD looK At tHe numBerS
Think signatures are a soft issue? You may be in for a For the purpose of the following calculations, we’ll work with
surprise when you take a close look at the hard numbers. a hypothetical company, ValueMax, that has a modest profile:
Even when qualitative issues (such as workflow delays,
200 employees who regularly sign documents
legal hassles and reputation risks) are set aside, the
directly measurable factors expose the startling costs 500 documents signed per employee, per year
associated with paper-based signatures. (or 2 documents each working day)
A document size of 2 pages amounts to 200,000
pages per year
Printing costs routing costs scanning costs Paper archiving costs Document loss and Total costs for
reproduction costs ValueMax
It’s not just paper, One way or another, To save on storage If half of the documents
but toner and ink as documents must move and handling costs, are scanned for elec- It shouldn’t happen Keep this in mind:
well. On average, the from the signer to many archives today tronic archiving, what but it does: documents we took a conservative
sum of their expenses elsewhere, whether are electronic, rather about the other half? get lost, necessitating approach using reduced
is $0.03 per page. to other signers, other than physical. Suppose It’s even more expensive: searches and, if these figures and a modestly-
departments, or exter- ValueMax scans just fail, reproduction of the sized enterprise. Yet the
ValueMax’s annual nal partners, vendors half of their documents ValueMax’s annual missing item. numbers are staggering:
printing costs: or clients. using employees who paper archiving costs:
make $10/hour: ValueMax’s annual loss All told, ValueMax’s
200,000 pages x $0.03 Let’s say only half of 50,000 documents x $0.83 and reproduction costs: annual cost of paper-
= $6,000 ValueMax’s signed ValueMax’s annual = $41,500 based signatures
documents (50,000) scanning costs: $120,000 + $60,000 = $650,000
need external routing = $180,000
by mail, courier, 50,000 documents x $0.50 That means:
shipping or faxing. = $25,000
Average cost per paper-
Even if only 10% of its
based signature:
documents are delivered $650,000/100,000
by overnight shipping, = $6.50 per signature
the total costs are huge:
Annual cost per signer:
ValueMax’s total
$6.50 X 500
annual routing costs
= $3,250
= $438,300
15

17. but wait, there’s more. Much more.
We’ve tallied the expenses that are relatively easy to quantify. Both the quantifiable and qualitative expenses of
But many of the most expensive costs associated with paper-based paper-based signing impose huge—and unnecessary—
signatures elude direct measurement.They may not be readily burdens on your organization.
quantifiable, but they are certainly very real:
For more insight on costs, download the free white paper:
environmental costs. An estimated ¾ of a barrel of oil, half a tree,
and 150 pounds of carbon emissions, per signer, per year Calculating the roI of digital signature implementation
opportunity costs. Lost business due to delays in signing agreements
brand costs. Damage to reputation caused by lost documentation or
documents that cannot be authenticated
roi costs. Failure to realize the full potential of your content manage-
ment system
16

18. tHe toP ten DIGItAl
SIGnAture CHeCKlISt
1 Does it seal documents with a unique “fingerprint”?
Many programs, such as Microsoft Word, allow users to add an electronic
Which digital signature solution really delivers? signature to a document. But as long as these documents can be altered without
changing the signature, the document isn’t truly sealed. A secure digital signature
solution seals documents with a tamperproof digital “fingerprint” unique to both
In the preceding pages, you’ve seen evidence for the
the signer and the document; any changes whatsoever immediately—and visibly—
real business benefits of digital signatures: eliminating invalidate the signature.
the costs associated with paper, moving documents
instantly across offices (or even continents), accelerating 2 can it support multiple applications across the organization?
workflows and fulfilling the potential of your document Solutions for Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat® are common. But to facilitate
management system. movement through your workflows, your digital signature system must work
with numerous applications, including popular office apps such as Microsoft
Word, Excel®, PDF and AutoCAD®. In addition, the technology should support
Yet not every electronic or digital signature solution
signatures in document management and workflow systems such as
can truly deliver on its promises. Before you invest Microsoft SharePoint.
in a digital signature system, apply the following
Top Ten checklist. If the solution you’re considering 3 will it let you see a graphical signature?
can satisfy all ten requirements, then it’s In electronic documents, the real security is provided by the underlying technology.
likely to provide the benefits you want— But what we actually see is a visually convenient way of recognizing identification.
Look for digital signature solutions that allow you to apply and see a graphical
and satisfy the most demanding
representation of the traditional “wet” signature.
expectations of all—yours.
4 can it record more than one signature?
Many of the most important documents, like contracts, require more than one
signature. Yet some electronic systems have no means for accommodating
more than one valid signature per document. The right solution allows more
than one person to sign in more than one place while maintaining the validity
of the document.
5 can it run without iT management?
Who hasn’t been burned by digital “solutions” that have become massive
administrative headaches? Many of the electronic signature systems out there
depend on proprietary software that requires intensive IT management for
installation, management, control and troubleshooting. You want one that runs
simply from day one—a solution that’s easy to use without lengthy learning cycles.
17

19. 6 Does it comply with all legal requirements?
If the signature doesn’t stand up in court, it can’t meet your business
standards. Your solution must meet the following basic requirements:
• Authenticity: the signature is uniquely linked to the signer
• Integrity: any tampering to the document can be detected
• Enforceability: signatures must be verifiable by all parties
• non-refutability: the signature cannot be denied or disavowed
7 can it be verified anytime, anywhere, by anyone?
You’ve assigned your signature with your system. But will the receiving party
be able to verify it without installing the same digital signature software?
An effective solution allows recipients to see and verify unaltered signatures
with the ordinary document software, such as Microsoft Word or Abobe
Acrobat, they already have.
8 Does it allow seamless user sign-up?
no user should have to use a wizard or call a help desk to sign your docu-
ments. Instead, the assigning of digital certificates should be easy, fast and as
transparent as possible. Once the digital signature system is deployed, neither
the users, or IT people, should be aware of the underlying technology.
9 is it simple to use?
A “wet” signature requires pen and paper—simple. But a digital signature
system that insists on multi-step, wizard-like processes is anything but simple.
The acid test? The right solution should take no more than 10 seconds or 1-2
mouse clicks to ensure that a document is signed, sealed and legally compliant.
10 Does it have a low total cost of ownership?
Look under the hood for hidden costs: complex software installations,
additional staffing requirements, help desk demands, registration and/or
renewal fees for digital certificates, and more. The digital signature solution
you want should solve problems, not impose new costs.
18

20. See WHAt A GreAt DIGItAl SIGnAture
SolutIon reAlly looKS lIKe
What does a system that satisfies all of the above requirements look about arX—The Digital signature company
like? In a way, you already know—all of the case studies in this ebook
feature clients who use CoSign® as their digital signature solution. ARX’s CoSign digital signature solution automates approvals
But you can learn more in this brief video. And if you like what you affordably in a compliant manner, allowing organizations to go
see, we invite you to try CoSign for a month, free of charge. paperless, expedite business processes and reduce costs. CoSign
is the only digital signature solution that is seamlessly integrated
To learn more about how a digital signature solution can reduce with Microsoft SharePoint and other popular DM/ECM solutions.
costs, accelerate workflows in your enterprise and improve For reliable control of signature privileges and ease of administration,
relationships with customers and partners, contact the experts signatures are managed centrally through the organization’s user
at ARX at ebook@arx.com or by phone at (415) 839-8161. directory. Just as importantly, CoSign signatures are globally accepted
by external partners without the need for proprietary validation
software. Learn more about the CoSign digital signature solution at:
www.arx.com
You may post this ebook on your blog or email it to whomever you
believe would benefit from reading it. Thank you!
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