8 Ways using eSignatures can benefit your business
6 minute read
Digital transformation is a term that frequently surfaces when discussing the future of business. It refers to the integration of technology into various aspects of your business. One important digital transformation tool would be digital signatures – as they help to accelerate business transformation by providing a secure medium to virtually conclude business interactions.
SleekSign is a digital, legally-binding signature-based platform that allows you to electronically sign documents digitally instead of manually. This article shares more on what a digital signature is, and outlines 8 ways digital signatures can benefit your business.
Overview:
- What is a digital signature?
- #1: Enhanced security
- #2: Operational efficiency
- #3: Financial advantages
- #4: Speedy turnovers
- #5: Greater business mobility
- #6: Simplified HR process
- #7: Efficient contract management
- #8: Effective compliance
What is a digital signature or electronic signature?
Digital signatures are essentially signatures that have been expressed in an electronic form with an additional layer of security. They are a more secure version of electronic signatures. The technology responsible for executing digital signatures is known as asymmetric cryptography, also known as public-key cryptography. Sending a message on WhatsApp to a particular contact on your phone also utilizes the same technology.
In Singapore, the Electronic Transactions Act 2010 considers some types of digital signatures, including those executed through SleekSign, as legally binding alternatives to hand-written signatures. This legislation encourages and supports businesses to make the shift from physical to digital signatures.
Now that we know what makes a digital signature and electronic signature, let’s find out the ways in which digital signatures can aid your business for success.
#1: Enhanced security
Although we might consider written signatures (or perhaps a scanned copy of a written signature) as the golden standard of authenticity, digital signatures offer greater security. This additional level of security is procured through asymmetric cryptography and digital certificates.
To simplify, asymmetric cryptography ensures parties to a particular transaction are verified through the use of public and private key pairs; private keys are always kept confidential with the interaction taking place between the public key pairs of relevant parties. These keys effectively unlock and lock documents shared between parties. As public key pairs remain public, meaning that they could be intercepted by third parties, digital certificates help to further enhance the standard of verification. Accredited Certification Authorities (CA) issue digital certificates that help verify the authenticity of public keys, ensuring that a fraudulent party has not intercepted the public key. SleekSign offers this level of security as our contract management system uses digital certificates distributed by Netrust, the only accredited CA in Singapore.
Further, scanning documents might result in the fading of handwritten signatures. It also runs a greater risk of forgery with no efficient way to keep track of who has had access to relevant documents. Using a platform like SleekSign allows documents to be kept confidential and password-protected, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to them. It is also easier to create an audit trail of the signed documents as SleekSign informs you when documents have been accessed preventing any fraudulent activity and information leaks.
#2: Operational efficiency
Digital signatures enable faster approvals from clients and suppliers. It eliminates the tedious back-and-forth postage of hard copy documents required when relying on handwritten signatures. Digital signatures also support cross-platform mobility. As most business documents are drafted online, concluding agreements virtually allows you to seamlessly search, sign and send documents without having to print, manually sign, scan, and send them out to relevant parties.
The virtual nature of executing agreements allows for faster reviewing, signing, approving, and archiving of documents. In the event of a global pandemic, this is a significant advantage as it allows for business transactions to occur despite travel restrictions.
Customers and staff can sign fast – anytime, anyplace, and anywhere, irrespective of their geographic location. Additionally, digital signatures ensure all relevant fields have been filled before the agreement is executed. This eliminates instances where some pages of an agreement have not been signed due to human errors, allowing for a quicker onboarding process.
#3: Financial advantages
Digital signatures help reduce your costs significantly in three fundamental ways:
Minimise money spent on paper and headcount
Firstly, it helps to cut unnecessary costs incurred on paper, printing, and handling. You can save significant amounts spent on buying reams of paper and maintaining a fleet of printers and scanners. Digital signatures also help to reduce the number of employees required for menial office tasks such as printing, signing, scanning, emailing, tracking, distributing, and storing company documents.
Minimise money spent on archiving and storage
Secondly, with all documents stored virtually, you do not have to spend additional money ensuring that physical documents are stored securely. It should also be noted that the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA) applies to electronic and non-electronic personal data collection; this means that hard-copy documents such as employee contracts which contain details like an employee’s NRIC or FIN numbers are also included in this act. Section 24 of the PDPA imposes a Protection Obligation on companies, to protect personal data in its possession. Hence companies need to ensure that reasonable security measures are in place to prevent any unauthorised access, collection, use, copying, disclosure, modification, disposal or actions resulting in similar risks. Did you know? Did you know? SleekSign is a free-to-use PDPA compliant platform, this means that using our platform will save you on additional costs to remain PDPA compliant!
Time is money
Your business benefits from increased operational efficiency achieved through digital signatures that generate more efficient workflows. Digital signature tools can help to increase your business efficiency by reducing turnaround time by over 90%! By expediting sales cycles and purchase order processing times, using digital signatures to conclude contracts would scale up your overall business revenue.
#4: Speedy Turnovers
Switching to digital signatures helps employees conclude sales agreements quickly. You no longer have to wait on documents being delivered to clients as they can approve contracts within a matter of seconds when using SleekSign. This would also be the case if there were multiple parties to an agreement. Our platform allows you to notify a party to sign an agreement with a few clicks. A quick turnover helps to build a robust reputation for your company, vouching for your competency in your area of business expertise. Explore more on how adopting new digital tools can help your business to close deals faster.
#5: Greater business mobility
Digital signatures overcome physical barriers making you highly mobile whilst contributing to your business success. The virtual nature of digital signatures supports remote workers, digital nomads, and those on the go – with SleekSign you could quickly review a board resolution or employee contract online and sign it, while waiting in line for a cup of coffee!
#6: Simplified HR process
Adopting digital signatures adds an edge to your HR practices. Hiring a suitable applicant usually requires wading through dozens of documents such as job descriptions, applications, resumes and employment agreements. Rather than printing, scanning, and mailing forms and contracts to candidates, digital signatures help ensure a more efficient recruitment and hiring process, and helps your HR team stay on top of processes in an efficient and organized manner.
#7: Efficient contract management
Digital signatures support effective contract management by simplifying and automating processes. Using a free tool like SleekSign centralises contract management, making it convenient for you to observe the status of various agreements.You no longer have to worry about documents getting buried in inboxes and in-trays.
#8: Effective compliance
Companies need to juggle different statutory and regulatory requirements to remain compliant with the various internal and government agency standards. Digital signatures help companies remain compliant by providing a clear audit trail. For instance ACRA requires companies to hold an AGM at least once every 15 months after the first AGM has been held. Using a platform like SleekSign would allow you to keep track of when the last AGM was held by searching for last AGM minutes and for the company chairman to sign the next AGM minutes with ease should the meeting be held remotely.
Ready to plunge into digital transformation? eSignatures, along with other digital tools, is a practical way in helping you to kickstart business transformation.
Convinced yet?
At Sleek we use eSignatures to get companies up and running faster, daily. Introducing eSignatures into your business is an easy way to streamline your business – for free.
Get started on our platform today. Have other questions? Get in touch to find out more.
