eSignature - airSlate Blog How far ahead can workflow automation get your business? The airSlate blog is here to keep you up to date on all the latest developments in digital process automation and team collaboration. Wed, 10 Apr 2024 08:51:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 /bloghttps://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 San Diego’s NewSchool of Architecture and Design uses airSlate to automate student registrations /blog/airslate-workflows-newschool-architecture-design/ /blog/airslate-workflows-newschool-architecture-design/#respond Thu, 17 Nov 2022 21:00:00 +0000 /blog/?p=658 Located in the design district of downtown San Diego, NewSchool of Architecture & Design is a globally recognized and award-winning design university with a vision to be a leading provider of architecture, design, and construction management education. The university is known for its forward-thinking professors, top industry connections, and collaboration opportunities.  Though innovative at their... Read more

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NewSchool of architecture and design company card

Located in the design district of downtown San Diego, NewSchool of Architecture & Design is a globally recognized and award-winning design university with a vision to be a leading provider of architecture, design, and construction management education. The university is known for its forward-thinking professors, top industry connections, and collaboration opportunities. 

Though innovative at their core, NewSchool lacked a modern and efficient way to register and admit students. 

airSlate completely transformed that process. We chatted with Allen Mutchler, NewSchool’s Registrar, to learn more.

A complicated paper trail

NewSchool used a traditional pen and paper method to process student applications. While commonly used, relying on students to completely fill out an application leads to headaches such as missing fields, illegible handwriting, and a buildup of hundreds of sheets of papers. 

Mutchler commented that the admissions office had to hire somebody whose sole responsibility was to scan and file a seemingly endless flow of documents. Furthermore, incomplete forms meant that employee time was wasted attempting to identify applicants and track them down to collect missing information. 

This all translated to a loss of productivity for staff and a convoluted process for students.

Using airSlate to transform NewSchool’s workflows

Mutchler sought a digital solution that would streamline the registration and application process for his university and discovered that airSlate had the capabilities he needed.

“The first thing we did was take our forms and put them online,” explained Mutchler. “We were able to build required rules directly into our forms that are forwarded to the approving department and then back into our Customer Management System. This has eliminated any need for scanning files and uploading them into our system manually.” 

Aside from the gain in staff productivity resulting from an automated workflow, airSlate helped make things quick and easy for students as well.

“With airSlate, we can create static URLs for each form we use. Because of that, we were able to make posters to put up around campus with a QR code for each form, giving students instant access to what they needed.”

— Allen Mutchler, Registrar at NewSchool of Architecture and Design

NewSchool students are loving their greater ease of access and the Registrar’s Office now has the ability to track where each form is during the process of being completed. 

Still doing all this manually? It’s never too late to automate document routing

airSlate’s unmatched capabilities

A unique feature that Mutchler and his staff use most often is conditional routing, or the Send Slate with Roles Bot. 

The Registrar’s Office must send most transactions out for approval, but the approver could change based on the program the student is enrolled in, or even the course the student is taking, making the routing process somewhat complicated. 

“Because there are several factors determining the approver, we needed the form to be able to automatically tell documents where to go,” said Mutchler. “This is an airSlate feature that we have not been able to identify in any other competitive software.”

“airSlate is paying for itself with the positive impact we’ve felt across our institution.”

— Allen Mutchler, Registrar at NewSchool of Architecture and Design

The changes since implementing airSlate have been tremendous, with other notable impacts including:

  • Forms that are completely filled out 
  • Significantly faster response times 
  • Form routing based on student data (easily implemented by NewSchool staff thanks to airSlate’s no-code set up)
  • Greater workflow visibility that allows staff to step in quickly and efficiently

“We’re now able to use airSlate to track forms, collect student and faculty signatures, and get notified immediately via email at every step of the approval process,” remarks Mutchler. “airSlate is paying for itself with the positive impact we’ve felt across our institution.” 

So, what does the future look like for NewSchool? Currently, only the Registrar’s Office is using airSlate, but they’re in the process of bringing other departments online. Their productivity can only go up from here.

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5 Ways eSignature optimizes document workflow automation /blog/5-ways-esignature-optimizes-document-workflow-automation/ /blog/5-ways-esignature-optimizes-document-workflow-automation/#respond Tue, 15 Mar 2022 13:18:12 +0000 /blog/?p=3488 Enroll in free eSignature courses to upskill with the airSlate Academy

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Enroll in free eSignature courses to upskill with the airSlate Academy

Businesses around the world are working at the speed of now to satisfy demand and delight customers by optimizing workflow automation with eSignature. The ability to generate electronic signatures is a critical component that goes a long way towards improving processes, boosting efficiency, and keeping business moving forward. 

With so many eSignature alternatives out there, finding a solution that works for your team and/or business can be a real challenge. Recent adopters of eSignature often need an effective learning aid that can help them choose, deploy, and scale electronic signatures. With this in mind, the airSlate Academy is proud to present its free courses – eSignature: Let’s Get Started and signNow Fundamentals Certification to help you master key eSignature skills. 

In this blog, you’ll learn how eSignature optimizes document workflow automation for teams and businesses of all sizes. We’ll also walk you through the essential skills and tools needed to ensure the most effective use of eSignature technology. Let’s get started!

eSignature — an essential tool for your digital transformation

Ernoll in FREE eSignature courses to learn essential digital skills with the airSlate Academy

Companies of all sizes and industries are turning to digital transformation to speed up their business processes. Using electronic documents and eSignatures saves time, money, and resources. It eliminates the need to print, scan, mail, and wait to receive a wet ink signature. eSignature plays an influential role in the digitalization of teams and businesses

What if you could go beyond using electronic signatures to automate the entire document workflow process and seamlessly integrate it into your everyday work routines?

With airSlate, you can add eSignature functionality into your business workflows to automate processes and get more work done faster. Easily and securely manage your documents and workflows from start to finish – anytime and anywhere. Not only that, but businesses can enjoy the advanced functionalities of the airSlate Business Cloud, including PDF editing with pdfFiller, streamlined eSignature with signNow, and access to over 85K industry-specific forms with US Legal Forms

Let’s look at how eSignature improves your document workflow automation with airSlate. We’ll also review the real-life use cases to learn how higher education institutions and sales teams use eSignature creation to speed up business processes.

Using eSignature to streamline and automate workflows

We know HR departments spend hours on recruiting and onboarding workflows, property managers juggle rental agreements and maintenance requests, and healthcare staff are busy with patient intake forms and physician licensing – just to name a few examples. 

Now, more than ever, it’s essential to have streamlined document processes so you can collaborate as a team, provide a great customer experience, and stay productive – whether you prefer to work in-person, remotely, or in a hybrid workspace.

This is why so many organizations are incorporating eSignature solutions into their business workflows to digitally transform processes, boost efficiency, and meet customer needs – wherever their day takes them. 

Before we jump in, let’s start with these two questions: what is an eSignature, and how to create an e signature?

What is an eSignature?

Electronic signatures are a method for validating electronic documents as authentic. Whereas, to define a wet signature, it’s simply a “wet ink” signature using paper and pen.

eSignature solutions like signNow make it easy to create an online signature from any desktop or mobile device. But signNow is more than just creating an eSignature. Implementing digital workflows produces a repeatable, scalable process and establishes best practices for every business document.

On the benefits of signNow’s eSignature solution—with its help you can: 

  • Send and sign documents anytime and anywhere
  • Save time and hassle by streamlining document workflows
  • Reduce document errors and quickly collect signatures
  • Improve customer satisfaction with a consistent signing experience
  • Keep your data safe and secure.

Do your business workflows involve multiple people, repetitive tasks, or steps that are triggered or dependent on one another? If so, you could benefit from streamlining document processes with eSignature and airSlate’s automated workflows.

How to create eSignature in airSlate

Ernoll in FREE eSignature courses to learn essential digital skills with the airSlate Academy

airSlate helps you streamline and speed up your document processes with workflow automation – from document organization, file management, contract negotiation, and more – it’s an end-to-end, no-code solution.

airSlate empowers you to incorporate eSignature and PDF editing into your workflows and utilize no-code bots to handle routing and document management. For added functionality and greater flexibility, adaptability, and scalability, airSlate integrates with the solutions you already know and love – like Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Google, and more.

Whether you’re a recipient or signer, electronic document signing is easier than ever. The signing guidance walks you through a document to avoid missing a field. Select the Signature field to generate eSignature – this is where you can type, draw, or upload your signature. Complete all the required data in your document and click Save. That’s how you create a virtual signature!

Suppose you want to send out a document to request a recipient to sign electronically. In that case, you can upload your document in airSlate, then use signNow’s eSigning functionality to drag and drop fillable fields like name, date, and signature. Add your recipient’s email and assign fields or signing roles and orders, as needed. You can customize a personal message and then click Send.

eSignature solutions are an easy way to start digitizing processes. With signNow and airSlate, you can go beyond eSignature to transform how you do business. It’s no secret digital transformation positively impacts team productivity, efficiency, customer experience, and boosts workplace performance. Find out 12 ways to boost employee morale in 2022 in our recent blog.

Next, let’s look at why adding eSignature into your document workflows influences business transformation and operations.

5 Ways to optimize document workflow automation using eSignature

eSignature solutions empower organizations and teams to improve the effectiveness and productivity of business processes – from legal teams creating NDAs and banks automating new account applications to nonprofits streamlining volunteer forms.

eSignature workflows reduce document lifecycles, speed up document completion, and eliminate manual errors and repetitive tasks. Are you ready to boost productivity and drive your digital workflows forward?

Here’s how you can optimize your eSignature document workflows with airSlate:

  1. Customize and automate document workflows – Make signature and data collection easy with signing roles and orders. Automatically send signed documents to specified recipients and store completed documents in the cloud. 
  2. Easily track documents – Increase the visibility of your document workflows with automatic email notifications and a detailed, court-admissible Audit Trail.
  3. Automatically update records with data-binding – Integrate airSlate with your preferred CRM to easily update customer records with airSlate’s push-pull data technology. 
  4. Create a reusable template – Collaborate on forms and create reusable templates from your most used documents. Add fillable fields and send out documents individually or in bulk to save time.
  5. Keep your documents secure – Feel confident airSlate is keeping your data safe with industry-leading compliance standards and security features like two-factor authentication, encryption, and password protection.

Workflow automation use cases 

Colleges and universities are digitizing and automating their end-to-end document workflows with airSlate to eliminate paper-based processes and speed up document turnaround with eSignature. airSlate makes it easy for Higher Education institutions to improve data accuracy, efficiency, and compliance.

airSlate for Higher Education use cases:

  • Financial Aid applications
  • New staff onboarding
  • Student club forms
  • Program applications
  • Course change requests
  • Student-athlete compliance forms
  • Enrollment verification
  • Code of Conduct Agreement

For example, let’s look at how Claremont Graduate University uses airSlate to automate adjunct contracting and student application processes. Claremont’s former process was expensive and time-consuming as sending paper contracts back and forth often resulted in missed signatures or data errors. Using airSlate’s workflows, Claremont can now send and collect signed contracts faster with eSignature, eliminate redundant paperwork, and keep data secure with multiple digital backups. 

Claremont reduced document completion times from three weeks to just days. They’ve experienced greater productivity across several departments, and staff are empowered to build their own Flows as needed. 

That’s the power of a tool like airSlate. You can have your staff focus their creativity on bigger problems. Without having them caught up in process and procedure and the way you’ve always done things because once that ball gets rolling, it’s an invaluable tool. I can’t say enough about that.

 – Eric Werner, Academic Affairs Analyst at CGU

Sales teams also benefit from airSlate’s document workflow automation

Sales teams of all sizes can streamline and automate document management and easily collect approvals with airSlate. 

Challenges before using airSlate:

  • Creating contracts, quotes, and order forms was complex and time-consuming
  • Manually updating customer data was cumbersome and riddled with errors
  • Managing documents with missing information and tracking down signatures was a hassle

What airSlate offers sales teams:

  • Quickly generate documents using CRM data
  • Use data-binding to update customer records automatically
  • Add fillable fields and assign signing roles and orders

Results using airSlate:

  • Streamlined document creation and signing processes
  • Faster document turnaround times
  • Reduced document errors and missed signatures
  • Improved efficiency and customer satisfaction

airSlate makes it easy for sales teams to automatically create and update customer records, streamline document routing, and generate document packages. With airSlate, there is no need for dual data entry. Sales teams can save time creating and sending custom documents – airSlate handles the document routing from there.

Enroll in free eSignature courses to upskill with the airSlate Academy

Ernoll in FREE eSignature courses to learn essential digital skills with the airSlate Academy

Want to learn the essential skills needed to use eSignature efficiently? Check out our airSlate Academy courses on eSignature to learn how to automate your eSignature workflows with signNow. Our airSlate Academy courses are designed to help you digitally transform your business by taking a deep dive into automated workflows, legally-binding eSignature, and PDF editing. Complete courses and earn certifications and badges – all for free! 

Click the links below to learn more about our eSignature course offerings:

1. eSignature: Let’s Get Started 

This course covers the concept of electronic signature, its key features, and its benefits. In this course, we’ll debunk the most common misconceptions about eSignatures and demonstrate how they work in practice. By the end of this course, you will be able to choose the eSignature solution that delivers the most value to your business.

2. signNow Fundamentals Certification

This program is aimed at those eager to simplify and streamline business processes related to signing documents. You will learn how to save time, streamline document workflows, and get the most out of the signNow eSignature solution. The program consists of three courses: Introduction to signNow, signNow Documents from A to Z, and Mastering signNow documents and teams.

Are you ready to jump right in? Register for an account at the airSlate Academy or start with a free trial and discover how you can digitally transform with eSignature workflows today! 

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RentTango enhances eSignature for real estate with the award-winning signNow solution /blog/esignature-for-real-estate-airslate-renttango-partnership/ /blog/esignature-for-real-estate-airslate-renttango-partnership/#respond Mon, 29 Nov 2021 12:14:00 +0000 /blog/?p=2890 airSlate has announced its partnership with RentTango, a leading real estate software provider, to make the execution of lease agreements easier and more efficient.

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airSlate is proud to partner with RentTango, a leading real estate software provider, to make the execution of lease agreements easier and more efficient. RentTango can now use signNow’s eSignature for real estate workflows from anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Register for a free webinar on December 8, 2021, at 4:00 pm ET to learn how the RentTango/signNow integration works.

“RentTango is thrilled to provide eSignature capabilities to our real estate customers through signNow, as it aligns well with our ethos of delivering a robust technology solution that is supported with a collaborative, attentive partnership.”

Paul Zullo,

co-founder of RentTango

RentTango streamlines rental processes for tenants and landlords

The RentTango SaaS platform simplifies the residential leasing process for both tenants and property managers. RentTango’s suite of innovative features provides real estate professionals with a centralized platform to manage and monitor their marketing and leasing operations – from creating listings to signing leases. The platform’s sophisticated design is AI-powered with customizable workflows. This built-in automation delivers a new level of methodology for closing real estate contracts. 

The use of eSignature and document management capabilities allows RentTango to support every step in the life cycle of a lease agreement. signNow regularly wins awards for its ease of access and security features that protect the confidentiality of users. Visit RentTango to explore the platform’s capabilities for your business. 

RentTango showcases signNow in the Let’s Lease Together webinar series

RentTango is happy to announce its new webinar series – Let’s Lease Together – the first webinar will showcase RentTango’s integration with signNow.

The webinar is scheduled for December 8, 2021, at 4:00 pm ET. Register today to secure a spot. Registrants will receive a link to the Webinar on-demand.

In this webinar, you’ll learn:

  • How to easily generate customer-driven and flexible workflows
  • Quickly create and send leases, mid-term documents, and renewals
  • Ensure the security and compliance of digital signatures at the federal and local level
  • Leverage technology to deliver a modern customer experience.


The webinar will demonstrate how the RentTango/signNow integration goes beyond digital signing technology by providing automated workflows that address deal terms, legal requirements, and more. RentTango uses signNow to accelerate compliant lease preparation and execution in a matter of minutes compared to the hours and sometimes days it used to take.

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How digital adoption helped US businesses pivot through COVID-19 /blog/how-digital-adoption-helped-us-businesses-through-covid-19-and-beyond/ /blog/how-digital-adoption-helped-us-businesses-through-covid-19-and-beyond/#respond Tue, 10 Aug 2021 07:09:58 +0000 /blog/?p=1891 Last year, businesses were deeply concerned about how to survive COVID-19. In many instances, the fast-paced adoption of digital technology turned out to be a working business survival strategy. As 2021 marches on, and with more people getting vaccinated globally, it’s important to assess how long the post-COVID recovery will take for small and medium-sized... Read more

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Last year, businesses were deeply concerned about how to survive COVID-19. In many instances, the fast-paced adoption of digital technology turned out to be a working business survival strategy. As 2021 marches on, and with more people getting vaccinated globally, it’s important to assess how long the post-COVID recovery will take for small and medium-sized businesses in the United States. This is impossible without understanding how seriously the pandemic has affected business operations or looking into the areas that were hit the hardest.

In previous airSlate surveys, we focused on various aspects of how businesses pivoted during the pandemic using specific digital technologies. You can learn more about how US businesses and individuals were using eSignature during COVID-19. Before that, airSlate also looked into how consumers prioritized cloud collaboration amidst remote work. We continue to explore the impact of COVID-19 by providing insights into the pandemic survival of SMBs.

Our team at airSlate recently surveyed 500 US business owners (aged 18 – 65+) on the challenges they faced during the pandemic and how the digitization of their most important business processes helped them survive. In this post, we’ll highlight our key findings in the survey by Dynata.

Survey results: how US businesses pivoted during the pandemic using digital solutions

In this survey, we were looking to answer one specific question – has digitization helped US businesses survive the global health crisis? And what types of digital solutions were the most beneficial?

Research indicates that prior to the pandemic, 52% of business owners had not digitized their businesses processes, nor had plans to do so. As a result of not having the tech in place to digitize and due to being dependent on walk-in customers, 74% of businesses had to shut down during the pandemic.

Early investment in digitization of the most critical business processes could facilitate faster recovery for 55% of business owners. In fact, only 53% of businesses were digitized prior to the pandemic, with most digitization happening for orders, purchasing, and sales (43%). On top of that, 54% of businesses implemented eSignature during the pandemic, noting that its increased efficiency and productivity benefited their business.

Were US businesses ready to face the pandemic?

66% of business owners believed they were prepared to survive the pandemic - comparative diagram
66% of business owners believed they were prepared to survive the pandemic

Let’s start by looking into whether US businesses were ready to face the crisis. According to our data, 66% of business owners believed they were prepared to survive the pandemic. Yet, 52% of respondents experienced issues while servicing customers during the lockdowns, and only 29% of respondents said they weren’t affected.

5 reasons why most US businesses closed during the pandemic

74% of businesses had to close down due to not having the tech in place to digitize - comparative diagram
74% of businesses had to close down due to not having the tech in place to digitize

When asked why their business closed, 74% of cases accounted for not having the tech in place to digitize and were dependent on walk-in customers. Other reasons included the high cost of resources required to stay open (10%), dependence on manual, paper-based processes (25%), and employee resignations/filing for unemployment (12%).

How many US businesses were digitized before the pandemic?

According to our data,  53% of businesses were digitized prior to the pandemic, meaning they automated manual and/or paper-based processes using digital/online solutions.

43% of business processes that were digitized before the pandemic, accounted for orders, purchasing, and sales - comparative diagram
43% of business processes that were digitized before the pandemic, accounted for orders, purchasing, and sales

For particular business processes that were digital or online prior to the pandemic, 43% accounted for orders, purchasing, and sales. In addition, 21% of businesses invested in digitizing customer service, 12% digitized their employee management and hiring. Another 24% of respondents didn’t specify the areas their digitization initiatives concerned.

Employee onboarding was indicated as the most critical business process for digitization - comparative diagram
Employee onboarding was indicated as the most critical business process for digitization

Employee onboarding and conferencing ranked among the most critical processes to have been digitized during the pandemic. Next followed collaboration and project management, HR and employee management, customer service, and purchasing and sales.

55% of US businesses said they would be back up and running immediately had they digitized pre-COVID - comparative diagram
55% of US businesses said they would be back up and running immediately had they digitized pre-COVID

The impact of digitization is hard to overestimate as 55% of US businesses said they would be back up and running immediately had they digitized their critical processes beforehand. 28% believed the recovery process would take up to two weeks. Finally, 9% said it would take them a month, while the least optimistic 7% of respondents said they’d be back to normal within two months.

How did going paperless help US businesses navigate the pandemic?

Before the pandemic, only 28% of businesses were completely paperless, while 25% said they were partially paperless. As of today, 66% of respondents admit that they still require physically signed documents. And yet, despite significant institutional inertia surrounding the transition to a paperless office, many businesses did implement eSignature over the course of the pandemic.

54% of businesses leveraged eSignature solutions - comparative diagram
54% of businesses leveraged eSignature solutions

According to our data, 54% of businesses leveraged eSignature solutions, while 38% deployed video/virtual conferencing capabilities. PDF editors turned out to be less popular – only 35% of respondents said they implemented these solutions. Workforce collaboration (20%) and workflow automation (17%) tools were the least popular of the bunch.

Digitizing video/virtual conferencing capabilities is a priority for 56% of respondents - comparative diagram
Digitizing video/virtual conferencing capabilities is a priority for 56% of respondents

Of those interested in implementing each type of digital solution within a timeline ranging between “immediately” and “the next year”, 44% of businesses accounted for eSignature, 51% for PDF editors, 46% for workflow automation tools, 50% for workforce collaboration tools, and 56% for video/virtual conferencing capabilities.

How has adopting digital solutions benefited US businesses?

One of the main survey questions we wanted to answer was how exactly leveraging digital solutions benefited US businesses. The respondents evaluated eSignature, PDF editors, and workflow automation tools based on how these solutions could increase efficiency and productivity, improve employee satisfaction, deliver proven ROI, and enhance customer engagement.

The adoption of eSignature and workflow automation tools increased employee productivity and satisfaction - comparative diagram
The adoption of eSignature and workflow automation tools increased employee productivity and satisfaction

In most valid cases, every digital solution had significantly increased efficiency and productivity (eSignature – 51%, PDF editor – 45%, and workflow automation tools – 46% of cases) as well as improved employee satisfaction (33%, 33%, and 37% of cases, respectively). eSignature turned out to be extremely useful in improving customer engagement (in 34% of cases).

In conclusion

The pandemic caught many SMBs in the US off guard, as 52% of them had not digitized their operations, nor planned to do so before COVID-19 emerged. Sadly, this only made things worse later on, as 74% of businesses had to shut down due to not having the tech in place to digitize their dependency on walk-in customers.

Digitization of the most important business processes could have helped 55% of businesses be back up and running immediately. For a little less than one-third (28%) of respondents, the recovery process would have only taken up to two weeks had they looked into their available digitization options.

Before the pandemic, 43% of digitization initiatives primarily dealt with orders, purchasing, and sales. However, during the pandemic, most businesses felt the pressing need to digitize employee onboarding and conferencing.

The survey indicates that a little more than half of the businesses (54%) leveraged eSignature solutions in 2020, while the other 44% of respondents said they intended to do so within the next year. Deploying eSignature has significantly increased efficiency and productivity in 51% of cases, and turned out to be extremely successful in improving customer engagement for 34% of cases.

As for other digital solutions, many businesses are looking into implementing PDF editors (51%) and workflow automation tools (46%) within the next year. It is evident that post-COVID-19 recovery is inseparable from these cornerstone digital solutions, and businesses will only continue to broaden their usage of digital apps in the years to come.

*Data powered by Dynata (www.dynata.com), the world’s
largest first-party data and insights platform

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Announcing the winners of our National eSignature Day “Back to Business” sweepstakes /blog/announcing-the-winners-of-our-national-esignature-day-back-to-business-sweepstakes/ /blog/announcing-the-winners-of-our-national-esignature-day-back-to-business-sweepstakes/#respond Thu, 05 Aug 2021 07:44:23 +0000 /blog/?p=1885 In honor of National eSignature Day on June 30, we spent the month of July examining how small businesses have adapted to the challenges of COVID-19. We asked them to share their stories of how they managed to conduct their businesses throughout the pandemic – and how an eSignature solution can help them get “Back... Read more

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In honor of National eSignature Day on June 30, we spent the month of July examining how small businesses have adapted to the challenges of COVID-19. We asked them to share their stories of how they managed to conduct their businesses throughout the pandemic – and how an eSignature solution can help them get “Back to Business” once the pandemic is over.

airSlate experienced a record turnout for submissions, demonstrating the popularity and business value of electronic signature solutions. It’s been exciting to hear from small businesses around the country and we’re thrilled to announce the 10 winners of our “Back to Business” sweepstakes. They will receive a free business premium subscription for the company’s award-winning electronic signature solution, signNow, with up to five seats for their employees.

The winners of the contest span several industries including financial services, real estate, healthcare, education, and more. The winners of the “Back to Business” sweepstakes are: Passion Hospice, The Trinity Corporation, Literary Wanderlust, M&L Benefit Solutions, Timberline Enterprises, RYME LLC, United Income Tax Service, Trinity Financial, Santa Clara County Board of Education, and Swamifi Fintech.

How eSignature helps post-pandemic businesses recover, no matter the industry

Here’s what our winners had to say about how eSignature can benefit their small businesses:

“I think [with eSignature] it would be easier to make patients sign their consents.”

— Nicholas Cicciarelli, Passion Hospice

[eSignature] differentiates us from competition, while also helping promote our business …. in one segment.

“Since both our clients and subcontractors are remote, the eSignature solution is essential for signing contracts.” 

— Susan Brooks, Literary Wanderlust

“We do employee benefit enrollments, and [eSignature] would make it a lot easier to take care of those employees who we have to take care of remotely ([whose number] has significantly grown the past year or so).”

— Lisa Humes, M&L Benefit Solutions

“[eSignature] could be very valuable, as I try to ramp up my business again after …. the pandemic that shut my business down.”

— Richard, RYME LLC

“This service makes my company look more professional. Usually, I send out a typed letter and have them [customers] sign it and have to wait for them to send it back, [which is] extremely inefficient.”

— Ryan Neilson, Timberline Enterprises

My customers appreciate the convenience of not having to plan a date and time to visit my office and I feel that I am offering a much safer way to continue to conduct business, for both my clients and myself. It’s a win-win for ALL!

“….until this year, I had no real chance of getting my business off the ground…. I’ll be gathering up documents, processing eSignatures to get permission to find a loan on each client’s behalf, and through your API and cloud based data storage, I think after 2 years, I can finally feel secure in my company’s future!”

— Morgan Hall, Trinity Financial

“We provide educational support services to students with special needs and their families. Throughout the school year, we have many documents that must be signed by parents (annual educational plans, assessment permission forms, emergency forms, health protocol forms, etc)…. The eSignature Business Premium subscription will streamline our paperwork allowing us more time to do what’s important – work with our students!”

— Cindee Barnes, Santa Clara County Board of Education

“We provide credit enhancement services to small (underserved) businesses and we feel that an eSignature solution will streamline our workflows.”

James Leung, Swamifi Fintech

Congratulations to all the participants!

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National eSignature Day 2021: small businesses can win a free signNow business premium annual subscription /blog/national-esignature-day-2021-small-businesses-can-win-a-free-signnow-business-premium-annual-subscription/ /blog/national-esignature-day-2021-small-businesses-can-win-a-free-signnow-business-premium-annual-subscription/#respond Wed, 30 Jun 2021 12:26:00 +0000 /blog/?p=1805 As economies are opening back up post-COVID, many small businesses will face a long road to recovery in the months to come. With this in mind and in honor of National eSignature Day, airSlate invites small businesses to get “Back to Business” and enter to win one of 10 annual subscriptions for their company’s award-winning... Read more

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As economies are opening back up post-COVID, many small businesses will face a long road to recovery in the months to come. With this in mind and in honor of National eSignature Day, airSlate invites small businesses to get “Back to Business” and enter to win one of 10 annual subscriptions for their company’s award-winning electronic signature solution, signNow.

signNow’s secure and compliant eSignature solution allows users to approve, deliver, and eSign documents in minutes – anywhere, anytime, and on any device. The intuitive user interface and 24/7 customer support deliver a streamlined, efficient experience. With signNow, small businesses can eliminate tedious paperwork and optimize their business interactions to increase productivity, ultimately saving money while maximizing their ROI.

How to enter

Small businesses based in the 50 U.S. states and D.C. with 100 employees or less are eligible to participate in the contest.

All submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

(a) how you convey your small business challenges

(b) how you see eSignature addressing these challenges

(c) how implementing eSignature can help drive efficiency, save costs, and other benefits for your business

To enter, log on to https://www.signnow.com/national-esign-day/ and follow the on-screen entry instructions to submit your story.

Entries can be submitted starting June 30, 2021 at 8:30 am ET through July 23, 2021 at 5:00 pm ET. The winners will be announced on August 3, 2021.

No purchase necessary to enter the contest.

For the full terms and conditions and to enter for your chance to win, please visit https://www.signnow.com/national-esign-day/rules.

Follow airSlate on its social media channels Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Win a free signNow business premium annual subscription!

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airSlate looked into how individuals and US businesses are using eSignature during COVID-19 /blog/airslate-looked-into-how-individuals-and-us-businesses-are-using-esignature-during-covid-19/ /blog/airslate-looked-into-how-individuals-and-us-businesses-are-using-esignature-during-covid-19/#respond Wed, 19 May 2021 10:33:30 +0000 /blog/?p=1660 The ESIGN Act (2000) and UETA (1999) defined the legal standing of eSignature long before COVID-19. However, it was only during the pandemic when businesses and households truly realized the convenience and value that eSignature brings. In 2020, the surge in global eCommerce transactions and transition to remote/hybrid workplaces accelerated the deployment of eSignature across... Read more

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The ESIGN Act (2000) and UETA (1999) defined the legal standing of eSignature long before COVID-19. However, it was only during the pandemic when businesses and households truly realized the convenience and value that eSignature brings. In 2020, the surge in global eCommerce transactions and transition to remote/hybrid workplaces accelerated the deployment of eSignature across different industries and even made it something normal for personal, at-home use.

In other airSlate surveys, we focused on various aspects of how businesses pivoted during the pandemic using specific digital technologies. You can learn more about how digital adoption helped US businesses pivot through COVID-19. Before that, airSlate also looked into how consumers prioritized cloud collaboration amidst remote work. We continue to explore the impact of COVID-19 by providing insights into the pandemic survival of SMBs.

As the world is slowly recovering from the pandemic, it’s crucial to understand how individuals and US businesses are using eSignature and what obstacles still prevent them from doing so. Our team at airSlate recently surveyed 1,000 US business owners and individuals, aged 18 – 65+ on their eSignature usage preferences and document storage practices during COVID-19. In this post, we’ll highlight our key findings in the survey by Dynata.

Study results

The survey was meant to answer one question – has the COVID-19 pandemic really facilitated the use of eSignature across US businesses and households? Before the pandemic, many were already using eSignature in their day-to-day operations.

With the emergence of COVID-19, the number of eSignature adopters among businesses has increased by 50%, while everyday households have added an additional 13% of adopters. Speaking on post-covid recovery, the majority will continue choosing eSignature over in-person signing.

Result:

Before the pandemic, 64% of businesses and 31% of individuals used eSignature at least once a month or more.

The gathered data suggests that almost a half of the surveyed businesses have concerns when it comes to eSignature’s security and privacy. However, this isn’t the case when it comes to personal use. Little over one-third of respondents (34%) admitted to having security/privacy concerns. However, a staggering 37% of individuals have never had the chance to try eSignature.

Overall, the dynamics of using eSignature is positive across all age groups — 69% of respondents aged between 18 to 65+ will continue to sign documents electronically, even after COVID-19 and all lockdowns are over.

Did you use eSignature before COVID-19?

According to Forrester research, 74% of organizations in document-heavy industries like financial services, higher education, and government were using eSignature to some degree pre-pandemic. The emergence of COVID-19 forced 58% of business leaders to accelerate the adoption of eSignature in their organizations and reinforce their digital capabilities for serving a broader spectrum of clients.

Our data shows that eSignature was used by 70% of businesses and 58% of homes before COVID-19. Interestingly, the data shows that businesses started using eSignature more frequently before the pandemic. 64% of business owners signed documents electronically at least once a month or more, while 36% of their peers resorted to electronic signing only a few times per year.

How often did US business owners and individuals used eSignature pre-pandemic? - comparison diagram
How often did US business owners and individuals used eSignature pre-COVID-19?


On the other hand, only 31% of personal-use respondents were frequent users of eSignature pre-covid, while 69% admitted to only having signed documents electronically a few times per year.

Do you find eSignature is easier to use than signing documents in person?

Result: as a whole, the majority believe eSignature is easier to use compared to signing documents in person.

In COVID-19 realities, any personal interactions pose potential health risks. In 2020, organizations put at least 21% of their customers at risk by failing to provide them with a possibility to process and sign documents electronically. However, with the adoption of eSignature and digital workflows, 47% of organizations have reportedly GAINED new customers during the pandemic.

Is it easier to use eSignature than in-person signing for US businesses? - comparison diagram
Is it easier for US business owners and individuals to use eSignature compared to in-person signing?

eSignature solutions are safe and easy to use because they don’t require a physical presence to sign documents; not to mention that they can be created and applied from any device. Our survey suggests that 44% of businesses and 60% of households believe eSignature is much easier to use compared to in-person signing. Surprisingly, a share of respondents among business owners (22%) and individuals (15%) still don’t see much difference between eSignature and signing documents in person.

eSignature vs. signing in person: which one will you prefer once COVID-19 is over?

Will US businesses and individuals choose eSignature over signing in person once COVID-19 is over? - comparison diagram
Will US businesses and individuals choose eSignature over signing in person once COVID-19 is over?

81% of business owners and 71% of individuals will choose eSignature over signing in person even after things go back to the way they were prior to the lockdowns.

What are your reasons for not selecting eSignature as an option?

Most present-day eSignature solutions maintain industry-leading compliance with popular regulations and security standards, such as HIPAA, FERPA, etc. Documents signed with eSignature are legally binding by the ESIGN Act and eIDAS regulations, which makes them legally valid and acceptable worldwide.

Nevertheless, when asked about the reasons for not choosing eSignature as an option, 48% of businesses listed security/privacy concerns. Individuals showed eSignature more trust with only 34% of respondents listing security concerns as a reason.

This comes as no surprise, since the majority of households (37%) have never had an option of using eSignature. In comparison, the percentage of businesses that listed the same reason is significantly lower — only 15%.

What are the reasons for not choosing eSignature as an option for US businesses and individuals? - comparative diagram
What are the reasons for not choosing eSignature as an option for US businesses and individuals?

As for other reasons, heavy reliance on physical paperwork and/or in-person signing still prevents 44% of businesses and 30% of homes from using eSignature. Meanwhile, 33% of business owners and 14% of individuals are unfamiliar with eSignature technology.

Where do you store important documents?

Where do US business owners and individuals store important documents? - comparison diagram
Where do US business owners and individuals store important documents?

Speaking of document storage practices, only 15% of businesses and 12% of households keep their documents in the cloud. ‘Locked File Cabinet’ was the most popular storage option among business owners (48%) and households (33%). ‘Scan to computer’ was the second-most preferred storage option by 33% of businesses, while 29% of households chose in favor of a ‘Secure Firebox’.

What are the barriers to storing documents online?

What prevents US businesses and individuals from storing documents online? - comparison diagram
What prevents US businesses and individuals from storing documents online?

When asked about the barriers associated with storing documents online, the majority of business owners (41%) and households (34%) listed security concerns. On top of that, a little less than one-third of businesses (30%) think storing documents online is better or important. A share of respondents among households (19%) and businesses (7%) don’t have a scanner or access to a scanner. Finally, 15% of business owners and 19% of individuals prefer their current storage method.

At work, do you save documents to your desktop?

How many US business owners and individuals save documents to desktop at work? - comparison diagram
How many US business owners and individuals save documents to desktop at work?

Despite security concerns, 63% of business owners prefer keeping documents on their desktops at work, while only 30% of Individuals considered this to be the preferred option.

During COVID-19, where do you store documents for work?

Where do US business owners and individuals store important documents for work? - comparison chart
Where do US business owners and individuals store important documents for work?

When it comes to document retention practices during COVID-19, it’s evident that business owners still prefer less secure storage options — only 37% of respondents store documents in the cloud. An equal share of businesses (37%) keep documents stored physically in folders. However, examining personal users of eSignature, 47% of respondents didn’t store files at all. Only 19% of them chose the cloud as their preferred document storage method.

In conclusion

The emergence of COVID-19 has forced businesses and households to use eSignature more. However, transition to eSignature is a work in progress, as a large share of respondents continue signing documents in person. According to our data, the majority of respondents believe eSignature is much easier to use compared to in-person signing. Surprisingly, very few individuals have had the option of signing documents electronically.

Business owners have listed security/privacy concerns as the number-one obstacle that prevents them from using eSignature and storing documents in the cloud. And yet, when it comes to document retention practices, the majority of businesses prefer unsafe document storage options like paper folders or keeping files on their desktops.

A holistic platform like airSlate can alleviate the security concerns expressed by business owners and personal eSignature users. As eSignature is becoming more commonplace and investments in cloud technology are increasing, businesses and households should leverage no-code solutions like airSlate’s automated workflows for document generation, contract management, and electronic signing.

airSlate allows for a smooth and secure transition from in-person signing to eSignature. With airSlate, both business owners and individuals can share documents remotely and experience the positive effects of cloud-based collaboration while working from home.

*Data powered by Dynata (www.dynata.com), the world’s
largest first-party data and insights platform


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How to integrate seamless electronic signature into a business workflow /blog/how-to-integrate-seamless-electronic-signature-into-your-workflow/ /blog/how-to-integrate-seamless-electronic-signature-into-your-workflow/#respond Thu, 15 Apr 2021 13:23:21 +0000 /blog/?p=1617 In the office we tend to deal with documents, agreements, and all manner of paperwork on a daily basis. Sometimes this process, depending on your organization’s standard operating procedures, can seem bureaucratic, daunting, arduous, and sometimes even painful. When it comes to the resignation of an employee, they must clear every department to ensure company... Read more

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In the office we tend to deal with documents, agreements, and all manner of paperwork on a daily basis. Sometimes this process, depending on your organization’s standard operating procedures, can seem bureaucratic, daunting, arduous, and sometimes even painful.

When it comes to the resignation of an employee, they must clear every department to ensure company property has been returned, and that they’ve closed every security system they were plugged into. This march of pride, or shame, and collection of signatures is just one example of how paperwork can hang like a dark cloud over our heads.

If you miss one signature because the department head is on vacation, or the IT department took too long to recover your files from the deepest corners of the company server’s abyss, you will have to return the next day; and if that’s on a Friday, then you will be returning on Monday. Onboarding new employees follows a similar procedure in a number of companies, as do many other processes regarding corporate workflow. What happens if the signature sheet gets lost, destroyed, or eaten by the office prankster?

Would it not be easier to let the departments sign everything electronically, or to allow a logistics request to follow a signature workflow in the order in which the process must be approved? We have got you covered.

You see, not only does airSlate help with workflow, workflow automation, document organization, file management, audit trails, and so much more; our system is natively hardwired for eSignatures.

How to create an electronic signature

Within airSlate, the process of creating an online signature is really simple, with a few options to choose from. We will discuss how to make electronic signature fields, and how to set-up your documents for your clients to sign PDFs online shortly.

When you are the recipient of a document, or are the creator of one, you can select the Signature field. When you do this, you will be greeted with the Signature Wizard pane. Within this pane you can type your signature, draw your signature, upload your signature, or capture your signature from a mobile device.

Typing your name results in a cursive font representation of your name, and is considered a valid eSignature. Alternatively, if you draw your signature on PC with your mouse you only need to click-and-drag where appropriate. You can also draw your signature on mobile which will result in more fine control in the appearance of your signature due to hand-eye coordination. A fine example of modern art drawn with a keyboard and mouse can be found in the image above.

An uploaded signature is a pre-drawn image like you might have seen on some forms in the past. The result is more or less the same as that of the drawn signature, albeit, it may have also been performed using a signature pad with a stylus.

Capturing your signature on mobile is as easy as drawing it on a clean sheet of paper in a well-lit room, and taking a picture of it.

When you are ready, press Save and Use to place your new signature. If you are working with airSlate and have an account, your signature will be automatically saved for you to choose from later. This saves you from needing to create a masterpiece, like the signature above, every time.

Draw your signature in airSlate

That’s really all you need to know about how to do an electronic signature online using airSlate. Once you’ve completed entering the other data that was required of you, you are done.

According to the ESIGN Act, your online signature is valid, and the process to sign legal documents online is complete. The ESIGN Act covers most use cases, with notable exceptions; which are (as of September 2020, prior to the yet-to-be-voted-on ESIGN Modernization Act):

  • Wills
  • Codicils
  • Testamentary Trusts
  • Adoption
  • Divorce
  • Family Law
  • Court Orders or Notices
  • Official Court Documents; or other documents in connection with court proceedings.
  • Cancellation or Termination of Utilities
  • Acceleration, Repossession, Foreclosure, Eviction, the Right to Cure for rental agreements of an individual’s primary residence

It is true you cannot sign everything with an eSignature but almost. With those being mostly personal issues, unless your business relates to legal matters related to the above mentioned bullet points, you should not run into many scenarios that prevent you from doing business digitally.

So, we can sign documents online, and the process to create an online signature is pretty easy. What is next?

Setting up your airSlate Flows to capture a PDF signature online

Set up Flows to capture a PDF signature online in airSlate

This guide is going to assume that you have at least some knowledge of the platform; if you have any issues, please visit our youtube page to find a quickstart guide from one of our playlists. If you have more advanced problems, please visit our Help Center.

For this process, we are going to use a standard model release form. This form is one of many variations that professional and amatuer photographers, magazines, and modelling agencies use before taking any pictures. It is legally binding and defines the copyright and ownership terms of the images captured during the photo session. Every model, modelling agency, clothing line, and magazine has seen this document in some shape or form.

When arranging our documents we typically need information like names and addresses to prove the authenticity and identity of the individual in a court of law, and to provide the courts or lawyers with enough information to contact the individual should the terms of the agreement be breached. For example, should the model decide to sell the images they relinquished ownership of as posters; it may undermine the profitability or brand image of the magazine or agency who hired the model.

How to select field types to add in airSlate

To accomplish the task of adding a field to your document, you can select either a Standard field and give it the properties you want or a flow template field which has already been constructed to save you time.

In our case, we want to add a Signature field, so we will click-and-drag it onto the document. Drop it wherever you need it to be; you can move it by clicking-and-dragging it around the document.

If you have one or more fields on the document already, a red dotted line will appear and help you align your fields in relation to the others with a snapping function.

When you have selected a field, you can resize it by selecting its corners where your mouse cursor will change to diagonally pointing double arrows. You can resize the field how you like, and the next field of the same type that you place will retain that size and shape.

Additionally, to delete a field, the Delete button on your keyboard won’t do the trick; select the field and press the trashcan icon to the right of it.

Since today we are focusing on how to create an electronic signature, and how to sign documents online, let’s go to the Signature field and go into more detail.

How to set up eSignatures in airSlate

When you have successfully placed the Signature field onto your document, select it. On the right panel, where we earlier found the available fields, we will find some settings.

First of all, remember Database field name, it will be very important in a few minutes.

By adding some text to help, we are adding some information that will help explain what the user or signator must do when they are filling out the document.

Fields are not marked as required by default, this is to prevent making a document impossible to finish if the individual setting it up forgot to adjust the settings for every field. Some documents can have hundreds or thousands of fields, it is better to operate on the side of caution!

Making a field conditional allows you to create conditional logic to hide or reveal this field based on previous input. The system is very robust, we will visit that soon.

Under Advanced you will find Note, and lastly the options for your online PDF Signature.

Under these settings, you can allow or restrict different types of signatures based on the requirements set forth by your organization, country, or personal preference.

Once you have ticked and unticked the boxes to meet either your preferences or needs, you are done! The field is ready and waiting for your signator(ies). Of course, we still need to send out our Flow and discuss conditional logic.

Digital versus electronic signatures

Before we do that, let’s take a moment to talk about the difference between electronic and digital signatures. Often, when searching the internet for solutions for how to create electronic signatures, a person might use the search term “digital signature online”, for example, because they do not understand the difference between the two. But that is common.

An electronic signature has a more loose process than its digital counterpart. However, an electronic signature must have records attached to it such as IP address, time, date, and service provider. Additionally, instructions on what software and hardware requirements are needed to access the documents after they have been electronically signed should be posted and updated as needed.

While a digital signature in most countries is required to also have an audit trail, it is not as simple as drawing in an app or typing your name.

A digital signature is an encryption system in which the sender must encode their document, send the results of the encoding and the original, and attach a public key, or a digital certificate which also includes their public key but also authenticates the identity of the individual via a Certificate Authority. The recipient then uses a special program which compares the results of the encoded document against their own encoding of the original they received using the public key the sender sent by itself or as part of a digital certificate. If it is  a match, the signature is valid.

Digital signatures sound like a lot of work, do they not? The process is mostly automated but the tools and cost of such tools can reach deep into the pockets of consumers and enterprise clients.

E-signatures are legally valid in many countries, such as the United States under the ESIGN Act. Whereas in places like the European Union, one must defer to the rules of eIDAS and apply digital signatures. Digital signature laws do have variations from member state to member state of the EU, so please make sure you are in compliance with local and EU law before you make any sudden moves or major decisions in the realm of digital business.

Sending out a PDF with an electronic signature

Sending out a PDF with an electronic signature in airSlate

When we hit Done on our document we will be greeted with a new pane which allows us to set up our signers. Because our model release form has three to four signers, depending on the circumstances, we will need to press Add Recipient a few times.

Add recipients and assign fields in airSlate

Before we do that, let’s take a quick look at the access settings that are available to each recipient. We can set it so that they can only view or fill the document, view and add comments, or fill and comment on the document. Comments are a great way for teams to collaborate and improve their Flow, for clients to add mentions to contract negotiations for revision, or to remember certain details like when filling out government forms that do not describe things very clearly.

We have the ability to revoke access when the recipient has completed the document, this can help to eliminate errors and issues after the document has already been completed. We can also add a Personal message that is unique to each recipient; which is a great touch for client rapport, adding instructions, or adding any additional information.

When you have added the email addresses that belong to the recipients, each of them will be able to fill all of the fields in the document if you have not assigned fields. This can be a problem for a variety of reasons, so we need to assign fields.

How to add recipients and assign fields in airSlate

Do you remember how we mentioned earlier about naming fields? This is where it becomes important.

Model Release Form - airSlate

When adding fields to the document, you can name them whatever you like. Though, for organizational purposes, we recommend prefixes. In our example we have our model, photographer, witness, and if the model is 17 or below, we need their legal guardian’s information as well.

For every field the photographer is required to complete, we added Photo followed by an underscore; for the model we used Model. It might seem a little silly until you have several signers, hundreds of fields, and/or need to implement conditional logic.

Once we have named all of our fields, we should go back to the recipients pane by hitting Done.

Select fields to assign in airSlate

When we press Assign fields now, the task is not a guessing game. We can scroll through our list and select the ones appropriate to each recipient and it will also show us if a field is already assigned to someone.

Once done, all we need to do is click Send. The rest is just a waiting game for us.

Add recipients and assign fields in airSlate

Filling out a form

Filling out a form - airSlate

If you are a recipient of a Flow from your team, just login and from the Dashboard navigate to Incoming Flows, which will have a notification icon next to it if you do. Press Edit to fill it out.

New Document Slate to fill out - email notification

And do not worry, recipients will receive an email as well, regardless of if they are an airSlate user or not, and regardless of whether they are your team member or not.

Required fields - airSlate

Filling out the form is as simple as typing in the information required of you and placing your electronic online PDF signature where needed.

Codeless conditional logic and fields

When talking about conditional logic, the above advice stands, name your fields; it will make this process a lot easier for you.

Conditional logic and fields - airSlate

In our situation, we do not necessarily need the witness to sign twice, and we do not need the model’s signature if they’re underage; we need the legal guardian’s signature in this case. Because we need to mark certain fields as required for the document to be legally valid, we cannot complete it once it is in motion if certain conditions are or are not met.

If our model is over the age of 18, then we do not need the legal guardian’s fields to be filled; likewise, if we have the legal guardian’s signature and information, we do not need the model’s signature or the first witness fields to be filled. So what can we do about that?

If you select a field and turn on Make this field conditional, a small pane will open up allowing you to choose from a range of settings. This tool is very powerful and very simple. Let’s get to it.

We need to hide, and thus skip, certain fields based on a set of conditions. Firstly, we need a check that shows whether the model is above or below the age of 18. When it is  marked, the model is above and we do not need the legal guardian’s information or the second witness fields.

This sounds like circle logic, but bear with me! We are going to make a chain of conditions that flows smoothly.

When the 18+ tick is checked, we hide the legal guardian’s name field; and if the legal guardian’s name field is empty, we hide the second group of witness fields. If the tick is unmarked, the legal guardian’s name field is revealed and if it has something filled in, the rest of the legal guardian fields become revealed. Additionally, the first witness field group is hidden, the second witness field group is revealed, and the model’s signature field is hidden.

Phew! Have we mapped that out with our minds? This chain of events gives us the freedom and ability to make robust contracts, forms, questionnaires, negotiable documents, and so much more with complete and total automation once we have set it up. We do not need any code, just a flow chart of what we want to accomplish, if it is a complicated matter.

Adding fields in a document - airSlate

When we select a field and make it conditional, we have a few options to go through. First of all, there is a small dropdown menu which is grayed out and inaccessible if we only have one condition. We can add more conditions by pressing the + button at the bottom of the pane. The reveal conditions can be:

  • Any of the following
  • All of the following
  • None of the following
  • Not all of the following – not-or logic

Under this, we can find two more dropdowns, the first of which is a list of every field on the document. If we have a number of the same type of fields, this can become quite the complicated procedure; name your fields! The bottom dropdown menu has two choices; filled or not filled.

Let’s revisit our logic example and set up our chain.

Our checkbox is named Age. We will select the legal guardian’s name field and make it conditional, select our field Age, and make sure it is set to is filled in. Next, we will visit the first witness fields group and model’s signature fields and make them conditional, select the LG_Name (legal guardian’s name) field and choose is not filled in. Lastly, we will go to the second witness fields group, make it conditional, select LG_Name again, and select is filled in.

That’s it, our logic is implemented. We do not need to do anything else, everything is intertwined and flows from the checkbox. Because of the signing order, we need the legal guardian to sign before the witness, therefore, we have arranged everything correctly in the document.

Adding recipients in airSlate

Now when sending the document, to maintain the correct document flow, ensure that Set signing order is enabled, put the witness last, the photographer first, the model second, and the legal guardian third.

When the photographer fills in the location and date information, he or she will deal with the checkbox and everything will flow from there. That’s it, it is really quite simple.

Editing your Flows

Well, that logic seems sound, but maybe we made a mistake! So what can we do?

Every time you create a new Flow, the sequence of Steps in a workflow is automatically generated, so the first thing we need to do is delete any existing workflows based on that Flow. This requirement makes sense, it means that no one using airSlate can change the conditions of a contract or agreement after it is already been signed. It protects you and it protects consumers.

How to edit a Flow in airSlate

To find our Flow, we can go to our Dashboard and either find the template in our Recents or in All Templates. Then by selecting the three-dotted button on the correct template, select Configure Template.

Create a Flow template - airSlate

This will take you to the first page you were on when configuring your workflow, where you can add documents, forms, surveys, contracts, spreadsheets, welcome forms, authentication forms, request attachments, or process payments.

If you do not have any workflow sequence set up for this Flow, you can select Edit Fillable Fields to return to the editor and fix your conditional logic, correct mistakes, or whatever it is that you need to do.

You might be wondering, how in the world did we end up here? The answer is quite simple, let’s do a brief overview to get you Flowing.

Create a new Flow

How to create a Flow - airSlate

On your Dashboard, you will find a button titled Create New Flow on the top-left. You can save it as a Template later by clicking the respective button.

Create a Flow from scratch - airSlate

Initially, you will be greeted with an Add documents box with the ability to upload or import documents. Import sources can be:

You also have the ability to select Create and choose from the following:

  • Form or Survey
  • Document generation
  • Contract
  • Welcome form
  • Authentication form
  • Request attachments
  • Accept payments
  • Document placeholder

Let’s check out Request attachments first.

How to request attachments in airSlate

The Request attachments feature allows you to request, and if necessary to mark it as required, documents, images, or files from your recipients. If you are using this Flow Template for job applications, you could request a copy of their curriculum vitae, resume, driver’s license, visa, photograph for internal security ID cards, or whatever it is that you need to accomplish the mission.

Next up is the Authentication form.

How to set up additional authentication in airSlate

The Authentication feature allows you to verify the identity of your recipients through their Facebook or Google account, email address, or phone number. This can be useful when dealing with contracts, job applications, sensitive proprietary information, etc.

The rest of the available features are all just as simple to set up and get moving.

When organizing your Flow, order is important. You can easily reorganize the order in which documents and forms are shown to the recipient by clicking and dragging them into position using the move button.

Uploading PDF documents into Flows

If you have opted to upload a document, such as to add signatures to your PDF online, you will be greeted with the editor you saw before.

You simply need to click and drag the appropriate fields into the proper locations, name your fields for organization and ease of use, and setup if they are required, what information they can accept, add conditional logic, and more.

Each field type has its own settings, parameters, and uses; for example:

  • Text can be used for anything requiring alpha-numeric input.
  • Number accepts only numeric characters which are up to 14 characters long. This can be handy for prices, quantities ordered, or the amount of hectares an agronomist has at his disposal. it is  really up to you.
  • Radio Button and Dropdown allow you to make selectable choices on your document which can then feed into conditional logic. For example, if you need to know what county from your state an applicant resides in; if they live too far, you can expose the option for them to opt into a carpool or fuel compensation program.
  • Checkbox allows the recipient to mark boxes on forms in a quick and easy way which can also feed into conditional logic to expose or hide fields, like in our previous example.
  • Formula allows us to set up mathematical equations for use in contracts, for calculating tax costs, fuel expenses, per diem claims, and so much more.
  • Initials and Signature allow us to gather approval, consent, and/or verification from the recipient.
  • Image allows us to get an image from the recipient, which could be identification or anything within the realm of your imagination.
  • Date is the date and/or time in which the document was completed.
How to assign template fields in airSlate

The Template fields are fields which are pre-made to help speed up your workflow. For example, the US States Collection is a dropdown menu listing the abbreviated version of every State within the United States of America.

In addition to this, we also have Template fields for:

  • Full names
  • Email addresses
  • Company name
  • Job title
  • US phone number
  • Zip code
  • USD (US Currency)
  • Euros (EU Currency)
  • Age
  • Social security number (SSN)
  • Employer identification number (EIN)
  • Credit card number
  • Gender

When you have finished your document, logic, naming your fields, and feel it is ready then you can save it by pressing Complete on the bottom of the page. You will be returned to Flow’s Template page. You can add more steps until you feel your configured workflow is ready for the world.

When you are done, you can save it and return to the Dashboard by clicking on Go to List of Flows where a Flow will have been automatically generated for you.

That should cover the basics of getting from the Dashboard to a working with Flows.

Bots, Bots, Bots, everybody loves Bots!

How to add Automation Bots in airSlate

One last thing before we go, we have a feature in which our Bots handle automation for you while you sleep, play golf, or walk around with a clipboard pretending to make notes about anyone who comes near so nobody bothers you on a Monday. The list of available Bots is inexorably long and we do not have the space on this page to keep going at-length. The basics of our Bots is that you can set up a wide array of automatic functions like exporting documents to Google Drive, contract negotiations, email notifications, and so much more. Even payment processing is hands free. We highly recommend checking them out. In another article we will discuss them at great length.

In conclusion

We have discussed a great number of topics today. We discussed the legality of eSignatures online, how to get our electronic signature on a PDF. We also touched on the difference between digital and electronic signatures and the names of the laws governing them. We discovered how to create and set up a new Flow, sign a document online, and so much more.

But don’t think that you are the only organization thinning about using airSlate’s workflow automation tools. Join the millions of others who are already using airSlate to streamline their working processes daily. Companies like TechData, AGMEN, FirstData, CBS Sports, and so many more.

We really appreciate your time and attention to this article, we hope it was helpful to you and your team. If you have any questions, do not be afraid to reach out to our Help Center, we are here to help you enhance your workflows.

Contact us to explore the possibilities of business automation with airSlate.
Fill out the form below to request a free demo!

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Optimize your paperwork processes with signNow for Property Management /blog/optimize-your-paperwork-processes-with-signnow-for-property-management/ /blog/optimize-your-paperwork-processes-with-signnow-for-property-management/#respond Mon, 15 Mar 2021 15:53:12 +0000 /blog/?p=1603 Hey property managers, drive your business forward with signNow today! It’s no secret that I’m passionate about digital transformation and seeing how our amazing products can make your business (and your life) easier and better. So today, let’s dive into the world of property management – an industry that is no stranger to paperwork. Here’s... Read more

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Hey property managers, drive your business forward with signNow today!

It’s no secret that I’m passionate about digital transformation and seeing how our amazing products can make your business (and your life) easier and better. So today, let’s dive into the world of property management – an industry that is no stranger to paperwork.

Here’s what your current property management paperwork process might look like without signNow’s eSignature

Paperwork process without signNowClick to enlarge

Wow!

Just thinking about having to manage and track all of that paperwork manually is overwhelming. We’re talking printing, copying, faxing, sending and receiving multiple documents per transaction – and that’s if nothing goes missing or awry.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to streamline document processes and collect legally-binding signatures digitally?

Good news! There’s a better way.

Here’s what the property management document process looks like with signNow:

Paperwork process with signNow

Click to enlarge

We know property managers and tenants want paperwork processes to be as simple and painless as possible each step of the way.

That’s why with signNow for Property Management, you can:

  • Streamline and accelerate signature processes – Easily create a new rental application, send and sign lease agreements, collaborate on contracts with your team, and conduct your business from the office or remotely – even when you’re offline.
  • Go paperless and execute documents on the go – Whether sending monthly invoices for signature or bulk sending out policy updates – signNow makes it easy for you to work confidently wherever your day takes you.
  • Control costs and keep your data safe – Save an average of $70 per document by eliminating the need to print and send agreements by mail – all while adhering to industry-leading security and compliance standards.

What’s not to love?

Save time and money when you go paperless with signNow. Increase your team’s productivity with standardized document processes, and delight tenants and teammates with a transparent and seamless process.

Ready to give it a try? Sign up for a free trial today or contact us to learn more.

Now, let’s get your #ProblemSolvedwithsignNow!

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Digital transformation in government: go paperless and focus on public service /blog/digital-transformation-in-government-go-paperless-and-focus-on-public-service/ /blog/digital-transformation-in-government-go-paperless-and-focus-on-public-service/#respond Tue, 02 Mar 2021 17:12:57 +0000 /blog/?p=1583 Deliver efficient, secure, & positive experiences to your citizens! Industries and businesses around the world are digitally transforming the way they work and do business. So it comes as no surprise that government agencies are also going digital to improve their processes and bring value to their citizens. With signNow’s eSignature solution, government agencies can... Read more

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Deliver efficient, secure, & positive experiences to your citizens!

Industries and businesses around the world are digitally transforming the way they work and do business. So it comes as no surprise that government agencies are also going digital to improve their processes and bring value to their citizens.

With signNow’s eSignature solution, government agencies can enhance efficiency and deliver secure services anywhere, anytime.

It’s true!

Imagine you can collaborate on paperwork and document processes, protect sensitive data while minimizing risk, and delight citizens with paperless, digital processes.

The good news is government agencies are doing this (and more) with signNow!

For more videos like this, please visit signNow’s YouTube channel

Let’s look at a few examples of how signNow equips government agencies with the tools they need to focus on public service rather than paperwork.

The 21st century integrated digital experience act

Do you remember the 21st Century IDEA that aims to make digital services better and more accessible? This law provides deadlines for federal agencies to provide eSignature and digital options for all forms as well as modern and mobile-friendly government websites.

Think about it –

How often does paperwork disrupt or slow down your workflows?

Paper-based documents are costly, time consuming, inconvenient, and risky. From employee onboarding and offboarding processes, to loan and grant document management, to legal and compliance forms, to court summons, and more! signNow can streamline and digitize your document processes for a secure, efficient, and positive experience that saves you time and money.

COVID-19 testing

The pandemic has greatly impacted government workflows, as in-person meetings are limited or canceled, and more employees are working from home than ever before. This change has government agencies reevaluating how they operate and deliver services to the public since paper significantly hinders agencies from efficiently collaborating and meeting the needs of their citizens. With signNow for Government, you can automate document processes and collect legally-binding signatures – on-site and remotely.

Simply put –

This could look like remotely gathering declarations of self-quarantine signed by those with confirmed COVID-19 cases. Read more about how the Southern Nevada Health District safely and quickly accomplished this undertaking.

With new COVID-19 testing requirements for international travel, this could look like a completely digital paperwork process. For example, a traveler could have the required forms available on their mobile device for airport personnel or authorized staff could collect in-person eSignatures using signNow’s Kiosk Mode.

By now you’ve seen how signNow empowers government agencies to:

  • Boost team productivity and serve more people
  • Increase customer satisfaction and reduce document errors
  • Keep data safe and secure with global compliance standards

Let signNow help you on your digital transformation journey, so you can work faster and better serve your citizens while saving time and money.

Ready to get started?

It’s time to get your #ProblemSolvedwithsignNow, so you can focus more on citizens and less on paperwork.

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