DocuSign Melds Process, Paper, Technology into Management Solution - User Configurations
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Users will need to
configure the client with the appropriate credentials. Here, DocuSign offers
tools to create valid electronic signature elements, which are protected by
several layers of encryption. Digital signature credentials are managed by the
product's "Role Sets" applet, which maintains digital signature
associates and incorporates password protection to guarantee user identity. All
workflow transactions have an auditable time line, which verifies who has
routed what to whom and why.
One of the more
interesting aspects of the routing process is the use of definable rules. Here,
contract administrators have granular control over the progress of a contract,
allowing certain steps to be accomplished only after the requirements of the
defined rules are met. Those rules can be as simple as requiring a signature
before routing or as complex as notifications combined with required form
elements and time-sensitive actions.
While DocuSign makes
perfect sense for the larger enterprise with a large contracts department, one
can't help but notice how radical an impact the product could have on a very
small business. It comes down to the fact that enterprises have always had the
staff and budget to operate and fund the contracting process, while small
businesses have always had to take an ad hoc approach to the contracting
process.
When implemented in a
small business environment, DocuSign can help with the checks and balances to
keep transactions fully legal and create an appropriate audit trail. That gives
the small business owner the same advantage that an enterprise has when it
comes to maintaining and executing contracts.
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