July 22, 2021 by Admin

Best eSignature practices to adopt in pandemic times

It is commonplace now to use digital tools and virtual processes for almost anything and everything. This keeps eSignature processes not far away from the common practices. To file taxes returns, bills, contract management, and organization uses, eSignature is being used everywhere. To make things easier for everyone to complete Signature processes without having to use paper and wet ink, an eSignature software is a handy tool.

Just to refresh your understanding of what’s a eSignature?

An eSignature is a symbol or other data in the digital form attached to an electronically transmitted document as verification of the sender’s intent to sign the document. According to the legal definition, an eSignature can be categorized as anything related to technology and/or is digital.

The ESIGN Act 2003 defines it as, “The term ‘electronic signature’ means an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.”

Now that this is out of the way, a quick recap of eSignature history would throw light on the pertinence of signatures in general and that electronic means of signatures have successfully completed 10 years of their existence since June 30th, 2000, the time eSignature was legally accepted.

Before the pandemic the top three reasons for adapting eSignatures were:

Cut to the pandemic phase and each of us is heavily dependent on virtual mediums to conduct and conclude professional and personal activities. Document exchange and attestations are nowhere exempted. Virtually signing documents, submitting signed copies for filing and other purposes is the mandate as of today.

While big enterprises have already been using eSignature tools it's time that small and medium companies also adopt an affordable eSignature tool for their business operations.

Here are the top best practices of eSignature to help us through the pandemic:

1. Security: Make sure the eSignature tools that you are using are maintaining utmost security on par with industry standards that cater to banks, health care sectors, and allied sensitive information transacting sectors.
2. Pre-define e Sign governance: Build a well-defined eSignature governance structure which is inclusive of:
   - Industry the company belongs to
   - List of approved signers and authority of their signing capacity
   - Order of approved signers in which the Signatures should be taken
   - Types of eSignatures like name, scanned signature, written signature using a mouse or finger or touch screen
   - Streamline documents in order of relevance, processes, and urgency.
   
   
3. eSignature software criteria: Maintain an exclusive eSignature software criteria which should consist of security, integration, scalability, storage, accesses, and affordability. Only when each item on this list is ticked off, opt for that particular software.
   
   
4. Regulatory and compliance checklist: always keep a state-wise approved regulation and compliance checklist in place to keep a tab on what is allowed and what is not pertaining to usage of eSignatures for conducting business. This will eliminate most legal issues that may crop up due to negligence.

If you are an individual or a small and medium scale enterprise, look no further to jump into the eSignature bandwagon today.

Go ahead and just experience the Zust Sign comfort!