Introduction
The dependence on paper-based processes in business operations is rapidly declining in this digital age. Most businesses and organizations are revolutionized, shifting toward digital workflows or operations for security and efficiency. People now operate and transact digitally, leaving the normal conventional paper-based way of processes or transactions. An example of this revolution of leaving paper-based processes to digital workflow is the shift from paper documents and handwritten signatures to the adoption of Digital Signatures. This shift has enhanced productivity, efficiency and security, making business operations seamless for all.
One key player on the edge of this revolution is GetAccept, a platform that supports modern enterprises in proper documentation by offering digital signatures.
This article will delve into the decline of paper-based processes and the evolution of digital signatures. It will also explore how GetAccept supports businesses in this evolution.
The Decline of Paper-Based Processes
Paper documents, as well as handwritten signatures, have long been in use and were the backbone of business operations and transactions. However, paper documents and hand signatures lacked many things, such as transparency and quicker authentication of deals. Also, this method was inherently slow and susceptible to errors and loss.
However, the advent of digitization and changing patterns of modern work led to the decline of paper-based processes, paper documents and handwritten signatures. Nearly all business processes, from customer onboarding to legal agreements went digital, seeking more transparent, verifiable, secure and truthful signatures. This ushered in the rise of digital signatures.
What Is a Digital Signature?
Digital signature is an e-stamp that verifies authenticity, origin and integrity of a document. It is a legally binding encrypted stamp on documents that identifies the owner and agreements reached by two or more parties. This type of signature is always more secure than a handwritten signature.
Benefits of Digital Signatures
- Security of Documents: Digital signatures use advanced encryption to protect documents and sensitive data from unauthorized persons.
- Efficiency: The use of digital signatures mitigates delays in business or transaction processes by speeding up contract approvals, hiring processes, and more.
- Cost Reduction: The use of digital signatures reduces costs expenses such as expenses that businesses can incur from printing, mailing, and storage.
- Legality: Digital signatures show the legality of documents as they are in compliant with global regulations. The legality associated with digital documents surpasses that of handwritten signatures, as they cannot be tampered with.
- Fraud or Cyber Crime Reduction: Using digital signatures on documents reduces the issue of fraud among business partners. Some platforms like GetAccept use security tools to trace documents and monitor how a partner interacts with them. Apart from signing a document, if a partner changes the document’s contents, the sender gets a notification of the effect. This is also applicable in the case where a receiver or even sender changes the original document.
The Legal Backbone of Digital Signatures
The authenticity of digital signatures is guaranteed when done in compliance with global regulations like UETA, U.S. ESIGN Act, and the EU’s eIDAS Regulation.
These regulations ensure that digital signatures on digital documents are as enforceable as handwritten signatures and are legally recognized globally. GetAccept ensures that digital signatures offered to businesses are in line with these global laws.
Why Businesses Choose GetAccept
Most people leverage GetAccept in their business operations because the platform is at the forefront of digital signatures. What separates GetAccept from other similar platforms is that it is an all-in-one platform that offers many services to businesses such as secure signing, document tracking, fraud mitigation, cyber attacks blockage and automated workflows.
Here are some of the benefits and features of GetAccept that make it a must-choose platform for seamless workflow and proper documentation.
Key Features and Benefits of GetAccept
1. Free eSignature
GetAccept offers free e-signature. This feature is ideal for start-ups or new businesses that seek cost-effective way to authenticate their operations.
Many individuals or businesses are constrained from getting digital signatures because of the cost. But businesses take advantage of GetAccept’s free esignature, without compromising on security or compliance. GetAccept ensures that these free e-signatures are in compliance with all major international laws and regulations.
2. Document Tracking
Apart from offering digital signatures, GetAccept helps businesses to track their documents by providing real-time notifications that show what a document recipient does with the document. For instance, a sender receives a notification of the actions of a receiver, like when recipients receive, open or read the documents.
This feature helps businesses to monitor their documents. This is also helpful in HR departments of an organization and Sales industry as GetAccept tools help them to monitor engagement, both in human management and deals alike.
3. Automated Operations
With GetAccept automation tools, delays in deals, decision making and business execution are mitigated. This feature enables faster operations.
4. Secure Document Signing
With GetAccept, every document is secured, and users’ information is privately saved. This platform uses standard encryption and multi-factor authentication to ensure that all documents signed are protected from unauthorized access by third parties. This mitigates fraud or cyberattacks.
5. Ease of Use Across Devices
GetAccept platform is optimized for easy use. Its interface is user-friendly. This makes it easy for everyone to use the platform effortlessly. Even less tech-savvy people can easily access the platform and get their digital signatures.
The platform is also mobile-friendly, people can sign documents on mobile phones or on any device, apart from laptops and other personal computers.
6. Seamless Signing of Word Document
Most people find it difficult to sign Word documents. Signing on Word document has become the most frequently asked question on digital operations because many individuals use Microsoft Word or packages for their daily operations. However, with GetAccept, learning how to sign a Word document has become a seamless process. Here are ways GetAccept made it easy for people to seamlessly sign Word documents.
- Users are to upload the Word document to GetAccept site.
- Drag and drop the signature fields.
- Send out the Word document to the recipient for the digital signature.
- Receive notification when the recipient signs the document.
7. AI-Integration: GetAccept integrates advanced AI tools that help to track business documents and get to know the interactions on them.
Real-World Use: Where Digital Signatures Can Be Applied
- Sales: Most companies use digital signatures to close deals faster. Instead of printing paper documents, wasting money and time to send them for signatures, businesses can send digital documents for contract signing and further track the documents.
- Human Resources: Digital Signatures can be used by human resources companies in recruitment. Instances where this can be used are offer or appointment letters, or even termination letters. This helps to simplify the onboarding process.
- Legal: For legal operations and notices, digital documents are used for originality. This ensures full compliance and security of documents.
- Hospitals: For faster medical services, most hospitals use digital signatures for documents pertaining to patients. This ensures authenticity and originality of the content.
- Banks or Financial Institutions: Digital Signatures are used in financial institutions to reduce fraud. This can be applied to documents on loans. Using a digital signature on bank documents ensures that whatever written agreement on the documents cannot not tampered with without due process.
Conclusion
Lapses in handwritten signatures and the advent of the digital world paved way for digital signatures. Digital Signatures have marked a new era for modern businesses. Unlike the traditional route of paper and pen signature, the shift to digital signature brought efficiency and security in the business world, rather than the issues of fraud, errors and other complexities of paper workflows and signatures.
As paper-based operations are on high declining rate, replaced by digital alternatives, businesses that want to stay on top of their operation are leveraging GetAccept for digital signature, document tracking solutions and security.
Whether it is a seasoned business that needs a digital signature or document tracking, a new business or a small-medium scale start-up that needs a free e-signature or someone wondering how to sign a Word document, GetAccept is the solution. The platform simplifies all these operations.
As the world is going paperless, you too can take a step NOW toward a paperless future with GetAccepts and get the best globally recognized digital Signature for your Business.
