The digital landscape has seen an explosion of activity over the last few years. More and more businesses are looking at ways to make their processes simpler, more efficient, and less paper-intensive. The rising popularity of remote and hybrid operating models has only further accelerated this trend toward digitalization, resulting in a shift in priorities for CEOs.
Recent reports suggest that it has led most companies to "engage and enable all employees with collaboration and mobility tools, no matter their location, in order to optimize productivity and drive CX (customer experience)."
Electronic signatures are increasingly seen as one way to deliver on these demands, prompting many companies to explore the benefits of e-signature solutions.
But today, there's more to e-signatures than just putting the digital pen on the electronic dotted line.
The technology has matured to encompass a wider range of functionalities and security features, and the market is now flooded with new vendors and products.
With all this activity comes a lot of confusion about what's available and how to find the right solution for your business.
So, what should you consider when evaluating e-signature solutions? Here are 8 factors to help you along:
1) Can it ensure authentic and original signatures?
E-signatures, however convenient they may be, present challenges in terms of authentication: Was your document signed by the intended recipient? Or was it signed by someone else? And if so, how can you prove it?
This is the first thing you need to consider when looking for an e-signature solution—whether or not it can ensure the authenticity and originality of your signed document. For businesses that deal with sensitive files, such as legal documents or contracts, that could be used for fraud, this is a must.
SelfieSign's innovative e-signature technology can help you avoid these problems because it was specifically designed to address these needs.
Through its real-time video recording feature, SelfieSign captures 4 biometric traits, like your image, video, voice, and electronic signature, during the signing process to provide indisputable proof that all parties willingly and knowingly entered the agreement.
You can, therefore, be sure that your document was indeed signed by the right person while ensuring that your clients stay away from fraud with authentic and original electronic signatures.
2) Is it tamper-proof?
Keeping your signed documents safe from tampering is another important aspect to consider when choosing an electronic signature provider.
If the signature can be easily tampered with, it may not hold up in court in case of disputes, and the document's integrity is compromised.
So, protecting your signed documents from unauthorized changes is critical to maintaining their integrity, legal validity, and trustworthiness.
SelfieSign uses a patented SVS (Selfie Video Signature) file that is embedded with the signing process video recording, electronic signature, location, timestamp, and hash code to guarantee the non-repudiation and immutability of the document signed.
Having such a detailed record of the electronic signing process makes it simple to verify the legitimacy of the signatures.
3) Is there a transparent audit trail?
If you're handling confidential documents, you need to be able to track the signing process and have complete control over your documents, even after they have been distributed or shared with other parties.
An audit trail helps you record every action taken with regard to a document, allowing you to see who did what and when it was done. This will help you prevent fraud, monitor compliance with business policies, and steer clear of discrepancies.
SelfieSign not only shows you a comprehensive audit trail of each signature but also gives you a video record of the signing process, creating indisputable evidence.
This makes the platform particularly useful for complex processes like consent digitization and contract management, which inherently involve higher risks. Because, with SelfieSign, you get dual evidence and four times the security of traditional e-signature solutions.
As a result, your electronic documents and consent forms carry more legal weight than handwritten ones in a court of law.
4) How compliant and secure is the platform?
Poor compliance can open the doors to fraud and legal battles, compromising the trust and confidence of your customers and stakeholders.
Hence, an e-signature platform that is compliant with the laws of your country and industry is required to establish strong levels of digital trust and secure personal data.
The signed .SVS file of SelfieSign is compiled in an XAdES format and is compliant with the Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) requirements set by the eIDAS regulation. Meaning, anyone using SelfieSign can safely carry out digital transactions across all European Union member states.
Similarly, SelfieSign is ISO 27001:2013 certified and meets GDPR requirements. It also employs AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 256-bit encryption, upholding the highest security standards throughout data collection, processing, and storage.
The Electronic Signature Law of Taiwan further makes clear that electronic signatures are legally binding and have the same effect as a handwritten signature, laying a solid foundation for the use of e-signatures.
5) Can it integrate with existing systems?
Digitalizing your document workflow shouldn't have to involve a complete overhaul of your IT infrastructure because that is neither sustainable nor economical.
Which is why, whether your tech stack leans towards legacy systems or embraces cutting-edge core technologies, you need an e-signature solution that can play well with your existing technologies.
SelfieSign provides system integration services, SDK development kits, and API connections, allowing you to embed its components inside your system and design your own workflow to go paperless.
It seamlessly integrates with your existing systems (ERP, HIS, CRM, APP, etc.), speeding up your digital transformation and reducing workflow disruption.
6) Can it help you efficiently manage your documents?
When you're dealing with hundreds of documents each day, managing and storing documents is no longer a simple task. The best e-signature solutions are not just about digitizing paper documents; they help you manage your paper trail more efficiently.
SelfieSign enables you to manage all your business's internal and external documents that go out for signing in a centralized repository with easy folder-wise classification, advanced search, live tracking, simplified access control, etc.
The activity log of a document is also recorded with details like when it was sent, who signed it, and where it was signed.
Likewise, the platform is equipped with versatile design capabilities. Not only can users customize the signing sequence, but they can also customize the library of ready-to-use, free templates or create templates via drag-and-drop.
Users can additionally add fields like signature, text, date, picture, checkbox, radio button, and dropdown list to a document.
This paves the way for quick document creation and streamlined processing, which ultimately leads to faster turnaround times.
7) Is it mobile-friendly?
With everyone using a smartphone these days, a mobile-friendly platform is essential to truly realize the convenience and flexibility of digital document signing.
SelfieSign is one such platform that works on any mobile device and lets users sign and access documents on the go.
It has an e-signature app for both iOS and Android, making it very easy to sign from anywhere at any time.
8) Is it scalable?
One of the key considerations when choosing an e-signature solution is whether it can be scaled.
As your business grows and your priorities change, you may need a tool that can accommodate the increasing number of documents that need to be signed and offers additional features to improve efficiency.
So, a platform like SelfieSign that delivers multiple levels of service with pricing based on the number of documents that need to be signed is ideal.
SelfieSign's advanced integrations include:
Face OTP - To effectively deter hackers trying to steal OTP with extra layers of security: OTP, facial recognition, body liveness detection, and video recording of the password-entering process.
iMeeting - Real-time online meeting to confirm contracts and sign documents while recording the signing process to ensure the validity of the signature.
This gives you more control and flexibility over your electronic documents and helps maintain a smooth workflow.
SelfieSign – The Ultimate E-Signature Solution
Thus, SelfieSign is at the forefront of a digital revolution, redefining the way individuals and businesses sign documents.
The dynamic platform goes beyond the ordinary, offering court-admissible e-signatures supported by 4 biometric traits: video, image, voice, and signature, for a trusted e-signature experience.
A triple-layered security system further protects every electronic document signed with SelfieSign.
First, your unique e-signature becomes the foundation, serving as a distinctive mark of authenticity. Second, a video recording captures the entire signing process, preserving a visual record of every moment. Third, an audit trail is generated, providing a transparent and tamper-proof history of the document's journey.
This makes SelfieSign the perfect choice for industries where safeguarding sensitive information is paramount (banking and insurance), as well as for the ones where the convenience and efficiency of e-signatures are indispensable (real estate and sales).