From efficiency to greater security, there’s no reason to stay in the past.
When an organisation has to deal with a large number of documents, the validation and sign-off can be a time-consuming process. With various stakeholders, departments and perspectives involved, the approval step can prove to be a bottleneck that delays productivity and getting things done. Luckily, a solution exists.
Companies that use document management systems and file repositories such as SAP Extended ECM or have it integrated with SAP SuccessFactors often have to create, store and approve hundreds of documents on a weekly basis. Often, approval is completed upon the sign-off from the relevant validator to complete the process. However, physical signatures require that digital documents are printed before being approved and signed-off, adding a time-consuming activity that could result in lost files or damaged documents.
Digital signatures are the solution to this bottleneck. They speed up the approval process, pave the way for a paperless future and help your organisation become more productive, especially when dealing with extensive document management solutions like SAP.
Here are the top five reasons to use digital signatures if you have an expansive repository like SAP.
1 – Faster delivery and process using a premium digital signature platform
Employees who use traditional signatures must perform several steps before they approve or send a document for signature. For example, they have to receive the document, print it out, sign it, scan it and send it on towards publishing. Luckily, there’s a smarter and more complete solution that grants seamless integration between SAP Extended ECM and the world’s most widely used digital signature platform, SAP Signature Management by DocuSign®.
With Fastman Digital Signature Connector for SAP Extended ECM, users can get any type of document or contract signed with a click of a button. The pre-certified Fastman Connector makes deployment faster and introduces invaluable features not available out of the box including ad-hoc signing, xECM workflow signing, signing profiles, initiate from DocuSign template, anchor tags for NIGO error reduction, and more.
2 – It’s more cost-effective
Digitally signing offers a tremendous ROI opportunity with upwards of $36 in time and material saved per agreement. Paper documents are no longer necessary, cutting down costs on printing and shipping costs. Indirectly, digital signature applications also save on human resource-intensive activities such as filing, re-entering data, archiving, and other expenses related to the processing and security of confidential files. Using the Fastman Digital Signature Connector for SAP Extended ECM, organizations can avoid broken digital processes and achieve a higher level of end-to-end business process integration.
Digital signatures also cut down on environmental waste with the dramatic reduction of your organisation’s paper usage.
3 – Increases productivity
With lesser delays and better version tracking in SAP, digital signatures ensure better efficiency in your workflows. While traditional signatures could take weeks to months to be received, digital approval can take minutes because there aren’t any physical papers to lose, find or recover.
Another benefit to productivity is the fact that digital documents are up to 80% easier and faster turnaround time within SAP, and some solutions even send a reminder email for critical documents that have yet to be signed.
4 – Better security
The more physical documents are printed, the higher the risk of duplication or alternation of sensitive documentation. There are only limited measures for traditional signing procedures to ensure that signatures are verified and legitimate.
Digital signatures have digital encryption and audit trails to help keep your signatures secure, protect your company against fraud and keep your data safe. In addition to this, digital signatures alert users to documents that are changed after signing, providing further security and surety. Users of SAP Signature Management by DocuSign are already exceeding the most stringent US, EU, and global security standards.
5 – Enhanced customer relationship
With remote working and enforced social distancing, businesses have had to adapt from all industries. It is far more convenient and easier for customers to digitally sign deals, contracts, and other important documents than printing, scanning, and returning. In a market where customers are becoming ever more valuable, enhancing customer experience is essential to retention and business continuity.
A digital signature does not require your customers to download or install anything. They can simply approve documents from anywhere with an internet connection, simplifying the process of doing business with your company. Using SAP Signature Management by DocuSign, companies benefit from a trusted brand with the highest Net Promoter Score.
The Fastman solution for record management
SAP for Extended ECM can maintain thousands of documents at a time. If your organisation regularly processes documents, digital signature solutions can save your organisation a substantial amount of time, money, and effort. Fastman’s Digital Signature Connector is a solution created for and optimised for SAP Extended ECM / SAP SuccessFactors / S/4HANA.
Through Fastman Digital Signature Connector, you can use this advanced digital signing to streamline your validation and approval processes directly within your SAP Extended ECM platform. Now, you can approve and send signature documents remotely and from anywhere in just a few clicks. Simply select and digitally sign any document within your repository to gain a new, digitally signed version added to the original file and you’re done. It’s that simple to review, approve and validate work-orders, purchases, contracts, and more, completely remotely.
If you would like to find out more about Fastman’s solutions or Digital Signature Connector for SAP platforms as mentioned above, contact us today.
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