Everything is very high-tech these days and businesses that fail to keep up with current technological advances will simply find themselves left behind. One such innovation is the electronic signature, and if used wisely, e-signatures can be a real boon for your business going forward. With keeping up with the times in mind, let’s take a look at some of the key advantages to using e-signatures in your business and day to day life, so you can see why they are such a great idea and a very handy innovation that every business should adopt.
E-Signatures Are Fast
The “E” in “e-signature” simple represents “electronic”, and the idea of this technological innovation is to make the process of signing documents fast and convenient so everything can be done online. We live in a “now” generation, where everyone expects everything in real-time. It’s an impatient world out there and nobody likes to wait. While paper documents still have a place in business, many documents are now sent electronically, so it only makes sense to be able to sign those documents electronically as well.
As an example, you have a client who is willing to sign on the dotted line today. You email them the contract, they sign immediately using e-signature technology and email the signed document back. The deal did in no time. However, without giving your clients the option to sign electronically, they would then have to print the document, sign it with a pen, scan the document and then send it back.
That’s time-consuming and also gives the client a chance to go cold. E-signatures allow you to close deals on the spot.
Imagine if you still had to send these documents by snail mail, wait for them to be signed and then mailed back? Electronic documents and e-signatures now make this slow process virtually instantaneous.
Simplify Your Work Flow
With your employees having to spend less time chasing up clients and customers for their signature, they’ll have more free time to focus on other tasks, along with having a simplified and more organised workflow. The storage of documents can all be electronic when signatures are electronic as well. No more storage rooms stacked high with boxes and document folders.
You and your staff can simply access documents on your computer at the click of a mouse or touch of a button. In days gone past, searching through stacks of folders in a filing cabinet or storage box was the only way to locate a document. Now it can all be done electronically, and e-signatures play their part in this streamlined process.
E-Signatures Will Ultimately Save You and Your Business Money
We are all aware that time equals money, so the fact that esignatures save time equates to saving money as well. You get more value out of your staff as they can get more done in a day, and when you save time for your customers, that keeps them happy and coming back. Then there are other things like less ink and maintenance for your printer or copier, as well as having to buy less paper. This saves your business cash and helps out the environment in a small way at the same time.
Have Peace of Mind That E-Signatures Are Secure
Just in case you have concerns about the security or validity of an electronic signature, rest assured they are just as secure (if not more secure) than the traditional handwritten signature. One way they are more secure is an e-signature has data attached to it, unlike a physical signature written with a pen; information to verify who signed the document, at what time and where they were located. You don’t get any of that with a pen on the paper signature, and you really have no way of knowing who really signed a paper document.
The Takeaway
When you sum it all up, e-signatures make great business sense in many ways. Your operations will be more streamlined, your customers will be happy and your staff more productive. Along with that, your business looks modern, high-tech and current, keeping you a step ahead of the competition rather than falling behind.