Streamline Sign-off and Approval Processes with Digital Signatures and PDFs.
Time really is of the essence in any document approval and sign-off process. Delays in getting approval and signatures on documents and contracts are not only frustrating, but they can also cost you and/or your business financially.
Using digital signatures or electronic signatures and PDFs makes the process quick and efficient and able to be achieved in minutes, rather than days or weeks.
What you’ll learn.
- Explain how digital signatures and PDFs can transform the way you work.
- Cover a few tips and best practices for working with digital signatures and PDFs.
- Link you to potential product solutions that you can customize for your needs — no matter your business size or location.
Digital signatures transform the way you work.
The use of electronic or digital signatures has transformed the way businesses operate in recent years. However, when you do sign or have something signed electronically, not only to you do you want the process to be as efficient as possible, but you also want it to be secure.
The use of PDFs to obtain signatures has you covered on every front —
- Shareable and accessible – Portable document format (PDF) files are designed to be easily shared and accessed from any device and can be signed with a free PDF reader on mobiles, laptops and/or desktops anywhere, from in your office to remotely around the world.
- Security — Digital signatures in PDFs are trusted, and secure, and contain layers of protection and measures to verify the identity of signatories and prevent unauthorized access or tampering with document contents.
- Trackable and manageable — PDF documents out for signature can be tracked and managed in real time with notifications and reminders.
- Customizable — PDF templates can be set up and reused for many types of documents — contracts, forms, agreements, applications, policies, orders, NDAs, and so forth.
- Time and resource-efficient — Using PDFs reduces the need for physical printing, signing, scanning, and storage of paper copies. They’re sustainable, smart and PDFs can significantly improve business workflows and increase efficiency.
Tips and best practices for PDFs with digital signatures.
Implementing a few best practices for using digital signatures and PDFs can significantly boost your efficiency in document approval and sign-off processes. They also ultimately make it a trusted and easier process for all parties involved. Try some of the tips below to help with faster turnaround times, improved accuracy, enhanced security, better collaboration, and cost savings.
Create and convert documents to PDF format.
Creating and converting documents to PDF can greatly streamline any document approval process by ensuring everyone is working on and agreeing to the same version of the document. PDFs can range from plain text documents to dynamic, interactive, and fillable forms — you name it.
Standardise workflows and PDF templates.
Create standardized workflows and use templates for frequently used documents to save time and ensure consistency. Provide training to employees on how to use the PDF solution you choose and how to use digital signatures to ensure smooth adoption and use. There’s a lot you can do within PDFs along with editing and creating templates. For example, if you’ve got lengthy documents, maybe split your PDF into sections or different sign-off pages, or extract PDF pages.
Share and collaborate on PDF documents.
Sharing and collaborating on documents is essential to streamline approval processes. Digital signatures and PDFs make this effortless. Explore the different options for sharing and collaborating on PDFs in real-time within your IT system, via email, online or in cloud document management platforms.
Explore different digital signature options in Acrobat.
Make the most of the features in Acrobat to add an obtain digital signatures. Select from options such as Fill and Sign to add fields for crosschecks, checkmarks, initials, and signatures at various places within documents. Customize the Add Signature feature to allow signatories either type a full name, draw a signature with a mouse, or upload an image of their signature. You can even drag and drop a PDF for signature online and send it to others.
Monitor and analyse approval processes.
Monitoring and analysing the approval process can help identify areas for improvement, increasing efficiency in the long run. Use tracking features when you request signatures in PDF to monitor the completion and return of signed documents, send reminders, and keep an audit trail of approvals and changes.
Ensure security and compliance.
Ensuring the security and compliance of digital documents is of paramount importance in any industry. Always ensure that your digital signature software is secure and meets industry standards. You not only want to protect your content from any tampering, but you also want to obtain tamper-proof signature processes that provide authenticity and integrity to signed digital documents.
If you are working with sensitive or personal information in PDFs, it’s also vital that you follow any local privacy and electronic communication laws and regulations. Consider which levels of password protection you need, and always review permissions and enhanced security settings.
Understand the differences between e-signatures, digital signatures, and online signatures.
They sound similar, but there are some differences in the use of the phrases such as digital signatures, e-signatures and online signatures that are important to understand.
The terms e-signatures, electronic signatures and online signatures are commonly used in general terms when talking about the act of ‘signing’ anything in a digital format. That could include simply typing a name into a form field, or in a section of a Word document, dropping in a copy of a scanned signature, or clicking on an ‘I agree’ box within a document — like the way you would sign in ink or write your name on a paper copy.
The term digital signature is used when electric signatures are backed by encrypted digital certificates within the document. Digital certificates in PDFs are unique to users, validate the identity of parties, and comply with international document security regulations.
Be proactive and forward-thinking.
The world becomes increasingly digital in every way, every day. The use of digital signatures and PDFs in approval processes is expected to grow as a secure and efficient alternative to traditional paper-based workflows. Digital signatures and PDFs offer just that, allowing for streamlined approval processes that can save time, reduce errors, fit seamlessly into remote and hybrid work options, and be easily sent worldwide. As advancements in technology continue, keep up to date with improvements in the functionality and security of these tools to ensure they remain a valuable asset for businesses moving towards paperless and sustainable operations.
Solutions to suit and streamline your approval processes.
To streamline your approval processes with digital signatures and PDFs, start by choosing a reliable solution that integrates with your systems, other apps, and different sectors and types of industries.
Check out the free trials on Acrobat products and packs that can be customized to your needs — whether you’re a small one-man or one-woman band, a start-up among friends, a medium-sized business, or already working with a global reach. These include —
Signing off on the dotted line with electronic signatures.
Streamlining document sign-off and approval processes with digital signatures in PDFs can save time, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. PDF digital signatures are widely accepted in terms of being secure, compliant, and a trusted way of signing off on agreements and contracts. Digital signatures are easily integrated into PDFs in formats to suit your business needs.
Frequently asked questions.
Are digital signatures legally binding?
Digital signatures are generally considered legally binding and enforceable in most countries. However, countries may have location-specific standards and variations. This can include requirements on the types of documents that can be digitally signed, and the level of detail needed around names, dates, terms of agreement, and digital signature validation. In Australia, legally binding electronic contracts are covered under the Electronic Transactions (ET) Act 1999, the Electronic Transaction Regulations, and local State or Territory laws. So, depending on your industry location, be sure to check your documents they meet all necessary legal requirements.
