Electronic signature: definition, use, and advantages

What is it? How is it used? What are the advantages for my company?

An electronic signature is a tool used for its holder to confirm that he or she agrees with the content of an electronic document. If you have ever needed to sign an online document, you have probably encountered some form of electronic signature.

Due to the constant advance of technology, in which the use of computers and mobile devices becomes more and more widespread, the need for solutions that can replace actions previously exclusive to the real world, for the virtual world, has become stronger.

Therefore, many companies have adopted electronic signatures as a way to speed up their processes and reduce the bureaucracy inherent to their activities.

What is an electronic signature?

Basically, an electronic signature refers to any electronic means, not necessarily cryptographic, used to identify someone, whether by scanning a manual signature, fingerprint identification, or simply writing the full name to identify the sender of an electronic message.

Unlike a physical signature, which requires a trip to a notary’s office for recognition, the electronic signature receives its authenticity through the set of data collected as evidence that becomes associated with it, and thus ensures the integrity that the document was not fraudulent or tampered with. In other words, it is a combination of incontestable factors that certify the validity of an electronic signature.

How is the electronic signature used?

Signatures are present on many documents, from reports and ID cards to sales and purchase contracts. But signing documents by hand is no longer a practical solution in a world where both personal and professional relationships often take place digitally.

From this perspective, the electronic signature becomes an important instrument for modernizing the process of signing documents in public and private organizations. With it, companies don’t have to manage their agreements and contracts in paper form, nor require one or more individuals to travel to sign documents in person.

Thus, the electronic signature is the ideal solution to be used in several types of documents, such as:

• Contracts in general;
• Terms of adhesion;
• Home Office Agreements;
• Confidentiality Agreements;
• Pay stubs;
• Payrolls;
• Overtime approvals;
• Privacy Policies;

The advantages

One of the main advantages of using electronic signatures for documents is the significant reduction in the use of paper, and the associated savings in financial resources. As the documents become electronically signed, their entire life cycle can also be done this way, making printing, maintenance, and archiving expenses unnecessary.

Although having a paperless company is a big step towards streamlining your activities, since it’s possible to further increase the operational efficiency of your processes by adopting a management platform, which itself provides the following benefits:

• Streamlined access to documents with filters and advanced queries;
• Document organization with permissions and governance;
• Automated document and process management (EDM and BPM);
• Ability to access your documents from anywhere with mobile apps;
• Easy document publishing and e-signature request;

In addition, there are other benefits that can be gained by implementing the electronic signature in your company:

• Convenience: can be done from anywhere and at any time;
• Time savings: sign a document in a few seconds;
• Security: the entire process is encrypted and stored in history;
• Legal validity: the electronic signature has the same validity as the physical document;
• Environmental benefits: eliminates the need for printing;
• Less bureaucracy: electronically managed documents are stored and tracked more easily;

Native Electronic Signature on Fusion Platform

With all these benefits, the first step for an organization planning to optimize its processes with the electronic signature is to adopt a platform that offers this functionality.

Fusion Platform stands out in this regard because it is an ECM platform that natively contemplates electronic and digital signatures, and even allows document management and process automation through a robust BPM system.

With Fusion’s Electronic Document Management module, it is possible to configure the signatories during the document publication process, and also request the signature of people who do not have access to the platform, without the need to hire new licenses.

Moreover, with Fusion Platform, there is no need to worry about investments or integrations with third-party tools, and you can manage the entire lifecycle of your documents on a single platform.

Try Fusion Platform for free, or schedule a demo with our consultants to answer all your questions.