4 min

Published on Nov 14, 2024

Top reasons to adopt Electronic Signatures in your company

Comment la signature électronique facilite la gestion de la paie
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Yousign

@Yousign

Summary

The use of electronic signatures, or e-signatures, has changed the game for many companies. It helps them work more efficiently and stay ahead. 

As more businesses move towards a paperless office, knowing the benefits of e-signatures is key for any business looking to the future.

This article will show you why your company should use electronic signatures. You'll learn about the benefits like better business efficiency, security, and cost savings. 

What is an Electronic Signature?

Electronic signatures (e-signatures) serve as digital alternatives to handwritten signatures, enabling secure document signing across electronic platforms. These signatures offer enhanced efficiency and security compared to traditional methods, providing authentication and document integrity. 

Type of Electronic Signature

Description

Simple (SES)

Basic level with optional OTP authentication. Ideal for daily work and routine document signing.

Advanced (AES)

High security with instant ID verification. Designed for sensitive documents requiring extra protection.

Qualified (QES)

Ultimate legal validity with video ID verification. Equivalent to handwritten signatures across EU/UK.

Providers like Yousign offer all these signature types, from simple to qualified digital signatures, ensuring businesses can choose the right level of security for their needs.

Understanding Qualified Electronic Signatures

Qualified electronic signatures (QES) represent the highest security level for digital signing. With the same legal weight as handwritten signatures across the EU and UK, QES is essential for high-value contracts and regulated industries.

YouSign's QES solution verifies signer identity through real-time video verification, making it ideal for banking agreements, real estate transactions, and legal documents requiring maximum security.

Why businesses are moving towards Electronic Signatures

Businesses are rapidly adopting electronic signatures, with the number of organisations using e-signatures increasing by 50% since the pandemic. This move is part of a broader digital transformation that's changing many industries. It helps them work more efficiently and stay competitive.

The need for remote work solutions is a big reason for this change. More people are working from home or on the move. Electronic signatures make it easy to sign documents without needing paper, helping teams work together smoothly.

But there's more to electronic signatures than just remote work. They also help businesses cut down on paper use. This saves time, money, and resources. It also makes their practices more sustainable and paperless.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made electronic signatures even more important. With offices closed, they've become key for keeping work going. They help ensure important documents are signed on time, even when people can't meet in person.

Driving factors for Electronic Signature adoption

Key benefits

  • Digital transformation
  • Paperless workflows
  • Remote work solutions
  • Improved efficiency and productivity
  • Enhanced security and fraud prevention
  • Cost savings on paper, printing, and storage
  • Greater accessibility and flexibility for remote teams

Key benefits of adopting Electronic Signatures

Electronic signatures enhance business process optimization, document security, cost reduction, and remote collaboration capabilities.

Improved efficiency and faster transactions

Electronic signatures get rid of the need for paper, making signing easy and quick. You can share, review, and sign documents from anywhere. This means faster deals, better productivity, and a more flexible business. In fact, research from Forrester shows that organisations relying solely on manual documentation risk losing 44% of their customers and 51% of their revenue.

Enhanced security and fraud prevention

E-signatures have strong document security features. They include tamper-evident seals, advanced encryption, and audit trails. These features lower fraud risks and keep your documents safe. This builds trust with your business and clients.

Cost savings on paper, printing, and storage

Switching to electronic signatures cuts down on paper, printing, and storage costs. This saves money and supports green business practices. U.S. businesses spend $8 billion annually managing paper documents and so by using e-signatures, they can save an average of $28 per signed agreement. It's good for your wallet and the planet.

Greater accessibility and flexibility for remote teams

E-signatures let your team sign documents from anywhere, anytime. This boosts productivity, makes workflows smoother, and improves communication. It's a must-have for teams that work remotely or on the move.

By using electronic signatures, your business can enjoy more efficiency, security, cost savings, and teamwork. This leads to better business processes and sets your company up for success in the long run.

Where are Electronic Signatures used?

Electronic signatures power transactions across diverse business sectors.

For example, financial services rely on e-signatures for loan agreements, account openings, and investment documents. Human Resources departments use them for employment contracts, onboarding paperwork, and policy acknowledgments.

Real estate professionals streamline property transactions with e-signatures on lease agreements, purchase contracts, and tenant documents. Professional services firms, including legal and accounting practices, use electronic signatures for client agreements, tax documents, and regulatory filings.

Healthcare organisations implement e-signatures for patient consent forms, while educational institutions use them for enrollment documents and academic records. Sales teams accelerate deal closure with electronic signatures on proposals and contracts.

Common use cases include:

  • Sales contracts and proposals
  • Employee onboarding documents
  • Legal agreements and NDAs
  • Purchase orders and invoices
  • Customer service agreements
  • Insurance policies and claims
  • Rental and lease agreements
  • Financial service documents

How Simple Electronic Signatures work in practice

E-signature processes modernise document workflows. Digital signatures facilitate secure, efficient contract and agreement management.

The digital signature verification process includes:

  1. Document Preparation: Converting documents to electronic formats (PDF, Word)
  2. Signature Invitation: Sending electronic signing requests to signatories
  3. Secure Authentication: Verifying signer identity through secure login or two-factor authentication
  4. Signing the Document: Executing legally binding electronic signatures
  5. Verification and Audit Trail: Maintaining secure records with comprehensive process documentation

Yousign simplifies this workflow with automated authentication, detailed audit trails, and secure document storage - all available through its simple electronic signature solution, with enhanced security options when needed.

Compliance and legal considerations for Electronic Signatures in the UK

With more businesses using electronic signatures it's important to know the laws in the UK about this. The eIDAS Regulation and the UK Electronic Communications Act set rules for digital documents and electronic signatures.

Understanding UK Laws

The eIDAS Regulation establishes EU-wide electronic signature standards applicable to UK businesses. This framework grants electronic signatures equal legal status to handwritten signatures for most business transactions.

The UK Electronic Communications Act provides additional electronic signature regulations, addressing authenticity, security, and non-repudiation requirements.

Ensuring compliance and validity of digital documents

Compliance strategies include:

  • Following eIDAS Regulation and UK Electronic Communications Act requirements
  • Selecting certified electronic signature providers like YouSign
  • Implementing reliable identity verification and authentication
  • Maintaining comprehensive documentation and storage systems

Yousign ensures built-in compliance with both EU and UK regulations, simplifying the legal aspects for businesses.

How to use Electronic Signatures with Yousign

YouSign offers three signature levels to match your business needs - from simple daily documents to legally binding contracts requiring the highest security.

Key features and benefits of YouSign

Yousign adapts to every signing requirement with three distinct signature levels. 

  • The Simple Electronic Signature handles daily operations efficiently.
  • The Advanced Electronic Signature adds instant ID verification for sensitive documents.
  • For the highest legal standing, the Qualified Electronic Signature provides handwritten signature equivalence through video verification.

Security stands at the core of Yousign's service. Built to European data protection standards, the platform ensures complete eIDAS compliance, maintains detailed audit trails, and provides secure document storage. 

This commitment to security makes Yousign a trusted choice for businesses handling sensitive documents.

Using Yousign for document signing

  1. Choose your signature level based on document sensitivity
  2. Upload documents through the platform or API
  3. Select authentication method (OTP, ID verification, or video verification)
  4. Send signature invitations to all parties
  5. Track progress through automatic notifications
  6. Access completed documents with comprehensive audit trails

Why Yousign stands out for UK businesses

Yousign’s scalable solutions accommodate everything from basic signing needs to enterprise-level implementations, supported by a dedicated expert team that helps optimise your signature workflows.

Yousign makes secure electronic signatures accessible for businesses of all sizes through cost-effective pricing models - whether you need simple user accounts or full API integration.

Ready to transform your document signing process?

FAQ

  • What are the main benefits of adopting electronic signatures in my company?

    Electronic signatures streamline signing processes, accelerate document turnaround, and reduce paper usage. They offer enhanced security through digital certificates and qualified electronic signatures, while delivering significant cost savings and improved workflow efficiency.

  • How do electronic signatures enhance document security?

    Electronic signatures use advanced security features including electronic identification, trust services, and digital certificates. Through signature creation devices and verification processes, they ensure document integrity and authenticity. YouSign offers multiple security levels, from simple to qualified electronic signatures, meeting various business needs.

  • Are electronic signatures legally binding?

    Yes, electronic signatures hold legal validity under major regulations including the eIDAS in Europe and UK Electronic Communications Act. Qualified electronic signatures carry the same legal weight as handwritten signatures. However, specific requirements vary by document type and jurisdiction.

  • What types of documents can be signed using electronic signatures?

    Electronic signatures work for most business documents including contracts, employee agreements, financial documents, and legal paperwork. The appropriate signature level (simple, advanced, or qualified) depends on the document's importance and legal requirements.

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