It’s an exciting time when a new technology or process is implemented…
We’re amazed at the ease, convenience, and “cool factor” of its use. Yet, the true goal of any new business initiative—whether it’s a company acquisition, changing HQ locale, or purchasing new software—is to generate ROI.
Many times, the ‘newness’ of a process can blind us to its true potential. Then, before you can blink, it’s been five years and you’ve settled in your ways. Digital solutions are often capable of much more than we first realize…
Consider the utilization of Salesforce for example. Companies utilize this CRM as an effective tool to collect and store customer data. Yet, this CRM’s maximum potential goes untapped, leaving its ROI at a fraction of what it could be.
Robust APIs, application synergy, custom linking, page layout optimization… all unique and innovative CRM features that often go untapped.
Some organizations turn to capable consulting firms to discover ways they can further benefit from Salesforce (or Dynamics 365 for you Microsoft fans).
The same premise holds true when reaping an ROI from your eSignature solution. However, you can often identify and implement additional use cases for your electronic signature solution without the price tag of an outside consultancy.
Every business can benefit by learning how to use electronic signature and adopting an electronic signature platform, but it’s the companies that invest in expanding their use cases that reap the most benefit. And, thanks to the ESIGN act of 2000 and UETA, nearly every business process can be digitally transformed and enhanced with electronic signature.
While eSignature’s time, cost, and customer experience benefits span all industries, its use differs based on unique business needs. For example, one-way companies in the insurance space commonly use eSign externally with client policy agreements and renewals; however, businesses in manufacturing often utilize eSignature for internal uses, such as inventory site transfers or BOMs.
Because of the myriad unique needs among businesses and industries, we developed a step by step guide for finding your unique eSignature use cases!
How to use electronic signature: Industry use cases
To start, let’s look at some of the most common ways eSignature is utilized.
We collected some of the most common ways businesses use the Nintex AssureSign® electronic signature tool and segregated them by industry:
Retail sales
- Sales/Purchase Orders and Invoices
- Licensing Agreements
- Company/End-User Agreements
Human resources
- Onboarding
- Acknowledgment statements
- Timesheets
Legal services
- Class Action Communications
- Retention/Fee Agreements
- Confidentiality Agreements
- Power of Attorney Agreements
Insurance
- Policy Agreements and Notifications
- Claim Processing Documents
- Policy/Service Renewals
Finance
- Account opening and maintenance
- Loan Applications
- Disclosures
Your business likely falls into one of these five industries, so you may have already begun brainstorming how to use electronic signature within your business. This is a great start to discovering hidden benefits of eSignatures within your organization.
But because we want to help you make the most of your electronic signature venture, let’s look at how you can continue your journey to earning the greatest return on your investment.
Finding your unique eSignature use cases
How is this done? In her seven years working for Nintex AssureSign®, our VP of Customer Success, Andrea Schwartz has helped numerous businesses maximize their eSign potential by discovering use cases within their specific business processes. She’s developed a “how to use electronic signature” roadmap that existing Nintex AssureSign® customers describe as “simple, yet extremely helpful” in finding additional eSignature use cases.
Here’s an outline of Andrea’s roadmap:
Step 1 – Outline
This step looks different depending on the process, workflow, or department you are attempting to outline. Utilizing a flowchart may be helpful, but make sure to organize your layout in a way that makes sense for your business model.
For this step, focus on mapping out your digital, or potentially digital, business processes:
- Internal document executions
- CRM/DMS/ERP and document workflows
- Interaction with external systems and/or customers
Step 2 – Analyze
Now, using the outline you crafted from step 1, your goal is to find scenarios where implementing an eSignature process can contribute to efficiency and productivity. To find these use cases, ask questions that produce the information you’re looking for. Every business is unique, but these questions will give you a place to start:
- How do your employees interact with your CRM/DMS/ERP?
- Are external or internal approvals part of your workflow(s)?
- Should external or internal approvals be part of your workflow(s)?
- How are incoming documents currently processed?
- What are the inefficiencies of this process, workflow, or department?
Don’t forget to include your most valuable resource in this step… your employees! No one is more intimate with your business than you and your staff. Set some time aside to break out the whiteboard and have a 20-minute “how to use electronic signature” think tank… they’ll thank you later!
Step 3 – Research
If you’re not sure where to begin with this one…we’ve got you covered!
For those new to the eSignature world, our “Getting Started with eSignature Technology” eBook is an extremely helpful (and free) resource. Regardless of which eSign vendor you select, this eGuide showcases how businesses like yours utilize eSignatures and will help to identify helpful resources as you plan for your implementation.
Step 4 – Redesign
Once you’ve outlined and analyzed your current processes and researched implementation strategies, it’s time to redesign the systems that should be replaced with eSigntures. Again, don’t be afraid to utilize your resources. Ask your employees to help brainstorm ways you can redesign current steps, or better yet, ask a business that successfully implemented electronic signatures within their organization.
Implementing eSignature use cases
Finding initial and additional eSignature use cases isn’t rocket science when you have the right resources at your disposal. Using this idea mapping strategy to identify both common and unique electronic signature makes maximizing eSignature an easy task.
Want to try out Nintex AssureSign® for yourself? Click here to request a free trial.
