Videoconferencing, instant messaging, project management platforms… There are many tools available to professionals to enable them to pursue their activities remotely. Electronic signatures are just one of them.
Whether signing new contracts or validating amendments, dematerializing the signature process enables professionals to sign documents legally and securely, wherever they are. Discover the benefits of electronic signatures for your business in this article.
The electronic signature: how does it work?
Legal
Contrary to popular belief, the electronic signature has the same legal value as a handwritten signature since the law of March 13, 2000. Secured at three levels, the e-signatureidentifies the signatory and guarantees the integrity of the document.
Find out more: How do I create an electronic signature?
Reliable
Electronic signature providers guarantee the reliability of signatures by implementing IT security protocols. How does it work? The signatories use an online tool, certifying their identities, to transmit and sign a document. In most cases, electronic signature applications use e-mail to enable signatories to communicate. Depending on the level of certification required, signatory identification standards may vary.
Easy
Electronic signatures are very simple to set up, and only require an Internet connection to use. With just a few clicks, users can sign their documents securely, even remotely.
DiliTrust covers the entire contract life cycle, from drafting and signing to monitoring. Our online contract management and analysis software integrates electronic signatures into its functionalities, enabling users to speed up and simplify their transactions.
Save time and speed up transaction completion
By opting for the electronic signature, professionals can avoid having to go back and forth by e-mail, or by post, to collect their employees’ signatures on a contract. With a single click, they can add the signatories of their choice, who, once notified by e-mail, can sign the document. Everything is done electronically, with no need to download or print the document before signing.
Before the signature stage, there is the internal validation stage, which also requires numerous exchanges between employees to reach a consensus. To address this issue, DiliTrust provides its users with a validation workflow to automate approvals. Whether sequential or parallel, users can notify their collaborators to submit the contract for approval. Here again, professionals save time by simplifying their exchanges concerning contractual documents.
Necessarily, this time-saving allows users to speed up their transaction processes with suppliers and customers. A considerable advantage for the company, at a time when business time is more than ever at stake.
???? With DiliTrust, you can securely track your contracts. You can easily find all your contractual information: by whom the contract was signed, where it is located, what validations or signatures are missing, and so on. Your contractual data is thus secure, both for the legal expert and for operational staff, who can be sure that the legal department and management have validated the contract before sending it to their partners.
Guaranteed security for your contracts
The electronic signature is more than just an image of a manual signature. As stated in the French Civil Code, an e-signature has the same legal value as a handwritten signature. The latter is secured at three levels defined by the eIDAS regulation, all of which are admissible in court.
By dematerializing the signature process, you ensure theidentity of the signatory, theintegrity of the document and its non-repudiation (irrevocability of the signature). Compared with handwritten signatures, this greatly reduces the possibility of signature imitation or falsification. What’s more, once signed, the document cannot be altered. DiliTrust works with DocuSign and HelloSign, both of which guarantee the integrity of contractual information after signature.
The General Regulation on the Protection of Personal Data (GDPR) is also likely to apply, as surnames, first names and e-mail addresses are transmitted to the service providers supplying the electronic signature.
Learn more about online software security? Read our article.
Business continuity guaranteed
Digitizing signature processes not only saves time, it also guarantees business continuity (commercial, legal, financial, etc.). All it takes is an Internet connection and a computer to sign a document, regardless of the number of signatories or their place of residence. This ensures greater collaboration between employees who, with a simple e-mail, submit a contractual document for validation and signature.
Essential for international companies with employees all over the world, this is also useful in the current context of containment linked to the coronavirus crisis. Employees need to be able to work efficiently from home, and have all the digital tools at their disposal to enable them to continue carrying out their duties under the best possible conditions. Electronic signatures therefore enable business continuity, while complying with legal and security constraints.
Would you like to find out more? We’d love to hear from you!
