Why combine Electronic Signature with a Document Management System (DMS)?
Using an electronic signature solution can considerably save time and authenticate signed documents. As an innovative provider of Document Management System solutions, Open Bee platform not only includes an electronic signature module but also offers direct integration with our secured document management platform.
By embedding our electronic signature into the core of the DMS, businesses can ensure complete document security and maintain legal compliance regarding document retention. Let’s delve into this article to see how merging these technologies is a significant advance towards an optimized and secure document management process for your organization.
Highlights:
1. The strategic alliance between DMS and Electronic Signature (e-Signature)
2. Meeting legal requirements for archiving with probative value
3. Streamlining audit and control procedures
The strategic alliance between DMS and Electronic Signature
Eliminating manual steps
Incorporating electronic signatures within a Document Management System (DMS) fully automates the document signing process. The DMS workflow establishes validation circuits to involve all relevant parties, set deadlines, and send reminders. Subsequently, documents are stored in the DMS with their own lifecycle based on document types, thus allowing storage space optimization.
This complete digitization of the signing process shortens document’s validation times. The seamless integration of the e-signature solution into the DMS enables swift signing, regardless of the stakeholders’ location.
Enabling fully electronic document management
Thanks to electronic signatures integrated into your DMS, your organization transitions to 100% digital management of documents. Every step, from creation to signature, and through to storage, is conducted digitally.
For instance, in the Human Resources department, this means all employee-related documents (contracts, addendums, payslips, etc.) can be managed from start to finish without any need for paper. Documents are digitally created, electronically signed, and archived in the DMS, accessible at any moment for any parties.
This digitization enhances the user experience for both employees and clients. Interactions with documents become smoother, without the need to print or physical transfers. The DMS offers functionalities that cater to every service.
To understand, here is what the combination of electronic signature and Open Bee DMS solution allows you to achieve:
- Full digitalization, signing, and storage of documents is done at 100% digital format.
- Smooth document transfers, which can be integrated with your business applications.
- Automated sharing and archiving of signed documents, with specific access rights for enhanced security.
- Improved collaboration through the centralization of all documents within the DMS.
- Archiving with the digital safe module: a digitally signed document becomes a legally and regulatory compliant version in the eyes of the law.
- The ability to automatically file paper-format documents into Open Bee in digital versions via the Smart Capture module.
Meeting legal requirements for archiving with probative value
The integration of electronic signature with a DMS gets you one step closer to the creation of a legally compliant electronic archive. With the digital safe feature, it’s possible to ensure that documents with a legal requirement to be preserved on the long-term remain unaltered from the day of their signing and are stored. This ensures the integrity, permanence, and accessibility of archived documents in compliance with legal requirements.
Streamlining audit and control procedures
Maintaining a comprehensive history of signatures and document versions
The electronic signature solution, when integrated into your DMS, also allows you to keep a detailed history of each document. Every step of the signing process is recorded and time-stamped, as are the different versions of the document.
For instance, consider a contract undergoing several negotiation phases; within the DMS, you can find all the interim versions of the document, complete with the time-stamped signatures of each party involved. This provides you with a full view of the final version of the contract.
Such a log journal offers a complete audit trail, crucial for validating the integrity of the signing process or any document. In the event of a control or audit, this enables you to easily trace the journey of each document and demonstrate procedural compliance.
Also to be discovered
Understand everything about the electronic safe
Discover how electronic signatures can benefit your business
Download our ebook
Easing access to signed documents for auditors and regulatory authorities
When a document is electronically signed and then stored within the Document Management System, it remains readily accessible for auditing and regulatory checks. The time when you needed to sift through filing cabinets or physical archives for the signed paper version is now over.
With intelligent categorization within the DMS, any signed document can be easily located and exported. Specific access rules can be established for auditors or regulatory authorities, allowing them to directly access the documents they require. This provides auditors and regulators with all the necessary evidence: the signed document, proof files, timestamps, etc., greatly simplifying and expediting the audit and control processes.
In summary, the integration of the electronic signature into the DMS significantly transforms your document management. By speeding up your document validation processes, safeguarding your signed documents, ensuring legal compliance, and streamlining your audits, this combination saves valuable time and provides peace of mind.