10 questions to ask your electronic signature provider

Are you in the process of choosing an e-signature software provider for your company or your personal use? When you are choosing and comparing e-signature software, there are some key criteria that should form part of your decision.

We recommend that when you're reviewing electronic signature providers and their features, you should first write down some key elements of why you want to use the software.

Here are some questions that might help prompt what you or your business needs.

• What types of documents do you need to sign? Does the provider support the types of documents you need to sign in your industry? For example, do they already have templates and workflows set up for sales, HR, legla, procurement, IT, finance or other industries you're close to?

• Does your company have a high volume of documents to sign? If you have a high volume of documents to sign, automation is more important to you, and so is scalability. You should consider the areas you want to automate and the scale you need from your provider.

• How many users will you have, and how often do you need to sign documents? If you have a high number of users, training and adoption of e-signature will be important and you will need to review how your provider will support your team.

• Do your documents require a higher level of security? For example, you might need a digital signature that uses identity verification to ensure the signer is precisely who they say they are for maximum protection. You will then need your provider to support methods like Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES) and Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES).

• What other business systems do you use? Electronic signature adoption in an organisation works best when it integrates seamlessly into workflows your organisation already uses. We recommending reviewing the systems you're already using so you know where you need support.

• How well does the provider integrate with your current systems for ease and simplicity of processes?

In addition to considering individual or company needs, you might want to ask potential electronic signature providers some key questions. Here are 10 things you need confirmation on when choosing an e-signature provider.

Every buyer should understand the outcomes of these questions as part of their decision-making criteria:

1. Does your electronic signature company follow best-practice compliance and security standards?

A good electronic signature provider has a strong audit trail and protects data with data encryption that authenticates the signer.

You could be tempted to scan and upload the image of a hand-signed document and call it a day, but if you do, you might be missing out on essential layers of security and authentication that protect your agreements and contracts. With some electronic providers, your contracts come with audit trails and proof of transactions that can make it easier to show they were legally executed should they ever be challenged in a court of law.

It's essential to check if your provider meets global security standards and uses strong data encryption technology. In addition, it's important to ensure your software complies with legal regulations such as the eIDAS regulation in the UK and the EU.

An application that pastes a signature into a document is a security risk because it's not linked to any assurance that it was signed by a particular person or provides proof that the signature is legally binding.

2. Contract signing - what type of electronic signatures does your provider offer?

While many documents are legally binding with an Simple Electronic Signature (SES), others require a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) or an Advanced Electronic Signature (AES).

Not all electronic signatures are the same; some agreements require higher security and authentication than others.

Discover more about SES, QES and AES types of signatures. A QES offers the highest level of trust through a face-to-face ID verification process by a Qualified Trust Service Provider.

3. Will my electronic signature be safe?

Electronic signatures can be more secure than wet signatures. An electronic record serves as an audit trail and proof of the transaction. The audit trail includes the history of actions taken with the document, including when it was opened, viewed and signed.

Suppose one of the signers disputes their signature or has any questions about the transaction? Detailed certificates of completion can include specific details about each signer on the document, including the consumer disclosure indicating that the signer agreed to use e-signature, the signature image, key event timestamps, the signer's IP address and other identifying information. Documents are digitally sealed using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), an industry-standard technology. This seal indicates the electronic signature is valid and that the document hasn't been tampered with or altered since the date of signing.

Discover more about safe electronic signatures.

4. Will the electronic signature platform integrate with the systems I already use?

Employees are more likely to adopt electronic signatures if they integrate with the systems they already use. It's advantageous if they can take action directly from applications like Microsoft, Google, Apple and Salesforce. Check what systems your electronic signature provider integrates with.

5. Digital document signing - how does the platform verify and validate signatures?

E-signature technology can use multiple options for verifying a signer's identity before they can access the document and sign, including email addresses, access codes and ID verification. For situations where additional levels of signature validity are necessary, some providers offer two additional levels of e-signature. The QES and AES digital signatures as mentioned earlier. Your provider should also provide a chain of custody and an audit trail.

6. What benefits do existing customers see using the electronic signature platform to sign online documents?

Seek out what other customers are saying about using the electronic signature platform you are considering. Most providers should be able to share customer case studies. Find out if customers often start in one area of their business and then continue to roll out to other areas after successful testing.

7. What support and training can the provider offer your team and users?

If you are looking to integrate an electronic signature solution across several users, teams, or departments, proper training is crucial to increase adoption. Ask if your electronic signature provider offers online tutorials and videos, support teams, and instructor-led training.

8. Which areas of business does your electronic service provider support?

Do you work in legal, finance, HR, marketing or sales? Find out which area of business your electronic service provider supports and if they have experience creating workflows related to your business function.

9. Do you provide industry-specific software?

When evaluating a supplier, you can see if they have experience creating similar workflows to those you wish to automate. Some electronic signature providers have workflows for specific industries, such as HR, procurement, legal, finance, sales, and more.

10. Is the platform easy to use for anyone that needs to sign documents?

A seamless user experience is crucial for ensuring agreements move forward quickly and efficiently.

So, there you have it. 10 questions to help you find a great e-signature provider, but what actually makes a good electronic signature provider? A summary of what to look out for below:

What makes a good electronic signature provider?

There are several things to look out for when you are choosing an electronic signature provider:

• Be sure to look out for those providers that comply with industry-recognised standards, such as SOC 1, SOC 2, and ISO 27001.

• Ensure that the services provided comply with eidas regulations and other relevant regulatory requirements for your industry, such as Know-Your-Customer regulations in finance.

• A good electronic signature solution will provide a good user experience throughout the signing process, especially on mobile devices. Agreements that are easier to read and sign on mobile have better completion rates from recipients.

• Ensure the electronic signature integrates with the other key software you use in your company, such as Microsoft Word, Google Drive, Salesforce, and other third-party applications. Existing integrations with your existing systems are among the best ways to make electronic signature adoption easier for all users.

• The ability to scale as your business scales. You may begin by using an electronic signature on something simple like sales contracts and scale up to offer it in other areas of your business, like using it for HR, legal and purchase orders. A good provider will help provide templates and automation as you scale your business.

• Can the provider offer a digital signature? For higher-value contracts that require more security, it is important to have access to different signing features, such as a Qualified Electronic Signatures and Advanced Electronic Signatures.

What is the best electronic signature software provider in the UK?

Several choices exist regarding electronic signature software providers, including Docusign, Dropbox Sign, Adobe, and PandaDoc. Here are some useful comparisons between Docusign and other providers. Docusign is often recognised as a leading provider because of its integration with other business tools, ease of use, and strong security and compliance protocols.

Docusign versus Dropbox Sign

Docusign versus Adobe Sign

Docusign versus PandaDoc

Electronic signature FAQ

How do I get an electronic signature?

You can sign up for a free trial of electronic signature software with a provider like Docusign.

How do I create an electronic signature?

You should navigate to your chosen service's 'create a signature' section. If you are using Docusign, you can follow this step-by-step guide to creating an electronic signature.

How do I sign a document electronically?

To sign your document electronically, just load it into your electronic signature platform. Log in to your account, choose envelopes, and send an envelope. Then select 'upload' to upload a document from your computer. You can then add a recipient to the document, create an overview email, and add signing fields for recipients to complete in your document, including signature, initial, and date of signing.

What are the platform-specific features of Docusign?

Docusign eSignature has many features that can help organisations save time and money and improve existing processes. It supports all levels of signatures outlined by eIDAS, offers a responsive mobile user experience, and offers enterprise-grade security and compliance controls.

It also allows users to easily integrate their agreements with their apps of choice, including Salesforce, Microsoft, Google, Zoom and more.

Docusign goes beyond the signature by streamlining every step of the agreement process, from creating and committing to agreements to managing them, all within one AI-powered platform.

What's more, more than 1 billion people and 1.7 million customers trust Docusign.

Can I create a free electronic signature?

Yes, you can create a free electronic signature with Docusign by signing up for a trial.