Sometimes small changes make a huge difference – like replacing manual processes with digital tech like e-signatures. According to the Electronic Signature & Records Association, companies using this technology have seen an 83 per cent performance improvement in getting approvals, and an 86 per cent savings in document costs.
E-signatures may not yet be the standard when people are asked to sign a document, but in an increasing number of cases where someone would personally sign something “wet” with pen and ink, an e-signature is more than enough.
Many historians trace the signature back to a Sumerian clay tablet from around 3100 BC bearing the markings of the scribe Gar Ama. However, the standard signature marker known to people in the modern world has its true origin in an act of the English Parliament of 1677 that made the signature the accepted marker it is today.
Briefing: E-Signatures: A 45-Minute Workshop
Signature evolution is ongoing. What was originally a series of symbols and markings became the “wet” signature we now commonly use. E-signatures are the inevitable next step in this evolution, and there are many good reasons for their introduction, including:
- Simple and intuitive – This is one of the biggest points in favour of electronic signatures: You upload a document, declare signers and recipients, and send a secure link to the recipient who signs the document to complete the process.
- Highly secure – Documents with an electronic signature are actually more secure than conventional paper documents because there is a strong “chain of custody.” You get not only the signature, but also who signed it, when they signed it, and where.
- Cost-effective – You save on paper, postage, envelopes, etc.
- Faster processing – The fact that people can provide a digital signature from anywhere, anytime means a much Faster turnaround. No printing or scanning is required, and a signatory can use any one of multiple devices.
- Convenience plus – E-signatures can be given “anywhere and anytime”
When communications became digital almost overnight in early 2020, digital signatures quickly gained notoriety and widespread use. This does not mean that electronic signatures were not requested and given before the pandemic, but the need for such technologies to secure digital communication and interaction has increased dramatically over the past year.
Whether you are an enthusiastic user of e-signature technology or someone with a keen interest in it, you’ll find E-Signatures: A 45-Minute Workshop an excellent use of your valuable time. In this May 6th afternoon session, David Gaudio and Francois Leblanc from OneSpan will run you through the basics of e-signatures, and demonstrate how e-signatures can help your business through multiple B2B, B2C, and B2E use cases.
Following the discussion, you will have the opportunity to ask questions about security and the integration of e-signatures into existing systems.