We’re thankful for our customers who have accompanied us on our journey and look forward to abundance and growth in the coming year. 

Let’s take a look at some of the best of 2023 stories that made our headlines this year:

10. Automation within HR organizations

We started off 2023 by taking a look at the role automation was playing within HR organizations and how it would continue to evolve. In our survey, we learned that HR teams spend five to 12 hours every week on manual paperwork, taking their focus away from revenue-generating tasks that could grow their business. 

Given that data, 75% of HR teams were planning on increasing their investment in workflow automation this year, hoping to automate some of their repetitive tasks and win back time to refocus their efforts.

This investment in automation was not just reserved for enterprises. One-third of small-and-medium businesses (SMBs) were planning to increase their investment in automation and, thus, their competitive advantage. 

Our survey also found that more than 90% of HR professionals were prioritizing low-code/no-code tools – like airSlate products – that are easy to implement. 

Read the full report and learn more about the benefits of automation here. 

9. Using automation to communicate with employees in a novel way

We love speaking with our customers and aim to speak with as many as possible to hear what’s working, what could be improved, and how our low-code/no-code solutions are being used. In 2023, we were lucky to have enlightening conversations with many of our customers. 

Christy Knowles, Chief Human Resources Officer at Coosa Valley Medical Center, told us that using airSlate completely changed the way all employees communicated with one another. 

As a hospital with more than 540 employees, disseminating important information to each and every staff member proved to be a challenge. Not every staff member had access to email, which meant they were at risk of missing critical updates. 

Christy and her team realized that one particular airSlate feature was the answer to their problems: QR codes. Because airSlate generates QR codes that correspond to any created workflows, Christy’s team uses these codes to give employees easy access to forms and information all around the hospital. 

QR coded flyers are placed around the hospital, making it easy for employees to scan the code while they’re on the go and complete any documents needed. What a great idea!

Read more about how Coosa Valley Medical Center is using airSlate here. 

8. Helping clinical researchers meet compliance requirements

Our long-time customers Ivan Veloz and Josh McConaghy of Ora Clinical gave us insights into how our eSignature solution, SignNow, has helped the clinical research firm remain compliant. 

Ora Clinical conducts ophthalmologic clinical trials year-round which are subject to strict HIPAA, Part 11, and other compliance requirements. That coupled with the need for a streamlined process to handle a large volume of paperwork led Ivan and Josh and the Ora Clinical team to explore SignNow as a trusted digital signature solution. 

Not only is SignNow a Part 11 compliant technology, but it has allowed the Ora Clinical team to save an abundance of time. 

Ivan explains: “Because we deal with so many trials and have so many sponsors, we do a lot of audits. Our standard operating procedures must be up to date and we must capture all necessary signatures. It is time sensitive and SignNow allows us to input information, send it to the right party, and immediately get it back which is priceless and has saved us so much time.”

Learn more about how Ora Clinical uses SignNow here. 

7. IT & Ops teams use automation to regain control of processes

There’s no doubt that 2023 has been chock full of challenges for all of us, and IT and Operations teams are no exceptions. 

Distributed workforces have led to poorly implemented and monitored technologies, shadow IT projects, and compromised security, which has resulted in 60% of IT professionals facing increased workloads outside of their day-to-day responsibilities. This year, IT and Ops teams have felt like they’ve lost some of their autonomy and are focusing too much of their time on manual tasks and messes to clean up. 

Because of these challenges, IT and Ops pros are turning to automation tools more than ever to help them get back in the driver’s seat, increase productivity, and focus their energies on optimizing their infrastructures. 

See just how IT and Operations professionals are embracing automation by reading the report.

6. With airSlate and SignNow, Little Sunshine preschool has increased their efficiency 

We love hearing any story about how something has made life a little easier for parents, caregivers, and educators – because, really, these people are true superheroes. 

Our conversation with Amber Riddle from Little Sunshine preschools warmed our hearts when we learned that using airSlate and SignNow has made their enrollment process significantly easier for thousands of families. 

The enrollment process (yes, even for preschool!) can involve a ton of paperwork. And once a child is enrolled, there is a need to collect ongoing data (i.e., more paperwork) from parents. 

Amber and her team sought a way to not only make it easier for parents to complete documents, but also for the Little Sunshine team to collect, organize, and store important documents. 

Thanks to airSlate and SignNow, Little Sunshine has simplified their operations and saved plenty of time in the process. 

Learn more about how Little Sunshine has benefitted from automation here. 

5. The platform of choice for a new summer camp registration app

As the name of the company suggests, speaking with Allen King, CEO of FunJoin, was a delight. The energetic and enthusiastic entrepreneur came up with an idea to transform the way people register their kids for summer camps. 

Manual paperwork takes a long time to complete and can really get in the way of the whole point of summer camp, which is to have fun. King sought to digitize the experience and improve his customer’s and employee’s experience along the way. 

King launched FunJoin, a mobile-friendly registration platform for activity-based businesses. Thanks to its integration with signNow API, FunJoin’s digital document process is streamlined, productive, and efficient. 

Find out more about how signNow API has enabled the FunJoin platform and watch a video of King talking about his experience here.  

4. SignNow launches usage-based pricing

2023 brought with it some big news for SignNow users: the launch of a usage-based pricing plan. 

A roadblock that eSignature users face is that pricing plans often don’t make sense for their business – they cost too much or aren’t flexible with seats. 

For those who would rather pay per signature sent, SignNow offers the Site License package, perfect for organizations who send more than 1k documents per year and have various departments who use eSignature. This can be a really cost effective option, costing $1.50 or less per signature invite. 

Best of all, this request came directly from our customers and that kind of valuable feedback is exactly what motivates us as we continue to grow!

Learn more about SignNow’s usage-based pricing here. 

3. SMBs are ramping up to invest in automation

If there’s been one common theme in 2023, it’s that automation is absolutely here to stay. It’s becoming more and more integral to the way we work, impacting every corner of a business’s operations, from HR to marketing to sales and finance. 

Our report, How embracing automation helps businesses supercharge productivity, revealed insights into how SMBs perceive automation, with 94% feeling confident about seeking out automation solutions and ranking CRM solutions as a priority. 

With SMBs making up almost 100% of all businesses in the US, their behaviors and tech-adoption decisions are highly influential. The report explores what SMBs are looking for in automation technologies, how their trust in tools like eSignature solutions has evolved, and how they see the workforce transforming as a result of using automation. 

Get all the insights and access the full report here. 

2. Document Automation Hub: A unified platform for developer-friendly APIs

Q3 of 2023 brought a major product announcement: the launch of Document Automation Hub. Document Automation Hub is a centralized location where developers can access, manage, and automate a suite of document workflow APIs. 

Document Automation Hub aims to provide developers with a unified experience, as they are accustomed to working with disjointed apps that just result in bottlenecks. With best-in-class APIs in one centralized place, developers will see less time-to-market and lower development costs. 

What sets Document Automation Hub apart is its high configurability, allowing developers new opportunities for integration and automation within their apps and websites. 

Read all about Document Automation Hub and how it will empower developers here. 

1. Instapage becomes part of the airSlate family 

And finally, perhaps our most exciting announcement of the year: airSlate acquired Instapage! Welcoming the innovative landing page platform to the family expands airSlate into the marketing automation space and positions us as a leading business productivity solution provider in the industry. 

By providing tailored landing page solutions that drive conversions, Instapage has been a game changer for companies looking to improve their digital ad performance. 

With the acquisition and with the wealth of knowledge provided by the Instapage team, we hope to make it easier for customers to adopt a wide-range of automation solutions that streamline their business processes and fuel their growth. 

Learn more about why we’re so excited to have Instapage in our family here. 

We thank you for being a part of our journey in 2023 and look forward to a safe and prosperous new year for all.

The post Best of 2023: A year in review appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.

As an airSlate affiliate, you will receive a competitive commission for every paying customer you refer. Regardless of your audience and platform, airSlate offers you a suite of high-quality digital tools to share with your audiences, and if they become customers, you’ll reap the benefits.

This blog will cover the conditions and benefits of joining the airSlate Affiliate Program in more detail. Let’s get started.

Meet airSlate’s globally-recognized solutions

If you’re new to airSlate, it’s worth starting your journey with a proper introduction. airSlate’s suite of globally-recognized products includes an enterprise-grade eSignature, a PDF editing tool, and a no-code document workflow automation platform. All of these solutions empower teams to digitize their daily operations:

• signNow is an award-winning eSignature solution for SMBs used by over 28 million people globally. It’s easy, reliable, and competitively priced. Customers use signNow to сollect legally-binding electronic signatures anywhere and on any device. 
  
• signNow API allows users to integrate eSignature service into an app or website in less than ten minutes. It is straightforward to embed, test, and work with, no vendor engaged.
  
• pdfFiller is the most powerful and comprehensive solution for managing, creating, and editing PDF documents and forms in the cloud. Over 56 million people use pdfFiller to digitize and speed up their document management. As for larger businesses and enterprises, they’re using pdfFiller for Enterprise as their go-to solution for creating, editing, and storing PDF documents online.
  
• US Legal Forms is an online library of 85,000+ state-specific legal forms. With over 20 years of experience in the legal document market, US Legal Forms has served over 2.5 million customers. Individual consumers, attorneys, and SMBs can get legal forms for any use case and edit, eSign, and get them notarized in one place.

Under the airSlate Affiliate Program options, you can choose a specific product to promote or promote them all. The more referrals you drive through the program, the higher your commission tier will go. No commission caps, obligations, or minimum commitments.

The five benefits of the airSlate’s Affiliate Program

By driving your audience to click on an affiliate link and subscribe to any of airSlate’s products, you will be rewarded with an immediate commission. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of joining the airSlate Affiliate Program:

1. Competitive commission

As a part of the airSlate Affiliate Program, you will receive up to $1,000 * per paying customer. There is no cap on how much you can earn in commissions, and the more successful you are at driving referrals, the higher you will ascend in the tier structure.

You will also receive a personal referral link to use in your content, which will track those who use it to subscribe to any paid plan across airSlate’s products within 60 days of clicking it. These successful referrals will translate directly into earnings for you. And there is no minimum commitment to worry about.

2. Steady growth 

airSlate will help you expand your success by providing strategies to help you increase your website’s visibility and traffic, and drive more sales. Additionally, you will have access to a range of dynamic, ready-made content — from blogs and webinars to videos and product-specific materials — to share with your audiences from Day 1.

And you can rest easy knowing airSlate is doing its part as well. Aside from offering award-winning products that quickly prove their value, the landing pages readers are brought to from your affiliate links are tested and optimized to ensure high conversion rates that you will benefit from.

3. Personalized support

With one-on-one support tailored to your business and goals, you will have a dedicated affiliate team ready to help you get the most out of the program. They provide techniques for maximizing your commissions and improving your conversion rates, as well as keeping you up to date on the latest product updates while addressing any concerns that may come up along the way.

4. Real-time tracking

Your affiliate dashboard will tell you everything you need to know about your performance and earnings in real time. Easily review the number of clicks, referrals, sales, and money earned to monitor your current success and hone your strategy. 

5. Equipped for success

As an affiliate, you will have easy access to logos, banners, and other digital assets relating to each airSlate product via your dashboard. Promote airSlate easily and anywhere by sharing these links on your pages.

It’s really simple to get started as an affiliate – just follow the three steps below to join.

How the airSlate Affiliate Program works

Step 1. Sign up for the airSlate Affiliate Program by completing a short registration form to receive your unique affiliate link.
Step 2. Share your affiliate link in the content you have created on your channels of choice. 
Step 3. Earn a commission as soon as a purchase is made using your link.  

As people spend more time online due to working remotely, they’re looking for alternative sources of income. Becoming an affiliate is one of the ways to achieve a steady source of additional income by introducing people to airSlate’s suite of digital transformation tools. It’s that easy – spread the word about cutting-edge no-code business automation products and earn up to $1,000 * per qualified customer.

*The signNow API offer allows you to earn up to $1,000 per qualified customer.

The post The airSlate Affiliate Program: Spread the word about airSlate’s digital transformation tools and increase your revenue appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.

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!

Document Workflow Automation for Chief Operating Officers

• Business process automation
• Business process efficiency
• Data management

Enroll now

eSignature — an essential tool for your digital transformation

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

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

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! 

The post 5 Ways eSignature optimizes document workflow automation appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.

signNow API use cases

The signNow API provides the essential eSignature tools businesses require for digital transformation. The functionality is unmatched and currently sits at a market-leading price point.

Check out how the signNow API helps ISVs grow in a digital marketplace while providing a superior eSignature experience for their end customers.

1. Remote online notarization (NotaryPro)

NotaryPro, a top-rated Notary Public and Commissioner service in Canada, adopted the signNow API in 2021 to enhance their remote online notarization experience and grow their business.

“signNow was part of this journey from the very early days. We looked at different eSigning platforms, but only signNow fit the bill. We got one account and started eSigning online — that was the genesis of our remote online notarization solution.”  

— David Barder, Chief Marketing Officer at NotaryPro

By deploying the signNow API, NotaryPro managed to reduce manual work and save time with document templates for notaries. As for customer benefits, they are reaping the benefits of last-minute remote online notarization requests, industry-leading security, authentication capabilities, and much more. 

2. Price quotation for Design and Manufacturing (Resero Group)

Resero Group, a global leader in school furniture manufacturing, needed to transition 5,000+ paper-based quotes they reviewed annually to a digital platform.

“It took three or four weeks to go from nothing to up and running, and this is primarily because signNow is really easy to use, even when it is very new. We received about 50 signed quotes in the first four days alone, and the feedback from every user was fantastic.” 

— Ben Clist, Applications Developer at Resero

Watch the video below to learn how Resero uses the signNow API for Design and Manufacturing:

3. Software development (NowCerts.com)

NowCerts.com, a software development company that focuses on designing and implementing insurance-related solutions, sought to provide eSigning for their clients and a fully functional document editing and eSignature solution at a low cost.

“Compared to several hundred dollars NowCerts clients may have to plunk in for DocuSign or something like that, or even some of the other ones, they’ll get eSigning cheap if they have 10 million documents. But of course, they don’t. Long story short, signNow’s API is very useful to our clients.” 

— Peter Germanov, Principal at NowCerts.com

NowCerts.com was able to easily implement the signNow API and not only provide eSigning for their clients, but a fully functional document editing and eSignature solution at a low cost. New users get the assistance they need for a price that makes signNow the obvious alternative to other eSignature solutions.

4. Healthcare (fertility PRO)

fertility PRO, a cloud-based software services company, provides electronic health records services for the fertility industry.

“We researched all the companies for this feature, and from our perspective, signNow came out head and shoulders above all the others. And after having completed this I would extend that even further in saying that the signNow team has been exceptionally responsive, the API has been great, and we’re extremely happy that we chose signNow as a company.”

—  John Butler, the founder of fertility PRO

Additional features of the signNow API

• Easy and fast setup. signNow offers a free Sandbox where users can test the integration and any API-related eSignature workflow for free before going live. It takes no longer than ten minutes to create a free account and begin testing the API integrations.

• Security and compliance. The signNow API uses the OAuth 2.0 protocol for authentication and complies with 21 CFR part 11, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, eIDAS, and PCI DSS.

• Excellent developer and end-user experience. signNow provides developers with detailed documentation for REST and SOAP implementations, an SDK in five programming languages (PHP, Java, .Net, Python, Node), comprehensive video guides, and solution engineering services. Additionally, the signNow API offers native integrations with Salesforce, Microsoft, and NetSuite.

• Exceptional stability. signNow maintains 99.9% API uptime and superior performance with 24/7 API monitoring.

For more information on the signNow API, its features, and references, please read our ultimate guide to the signNow API and view our detailed documentation.

This article appeared on the signNow blog and has been published here with permission.

The post signNow API empowers businesses to integrate eSignature features into any application appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.

To partner with the airSlate Business Cloud team and continue your digital transformation, contact sales!

About the Author

The post What does the airSlate Business Cloud have to offer? appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.

After we acquired our eSignature solution signNow, we realized there are processes that happen before and after documents get signed. 

This is how airSlate was born…  a product that can seamlessly automate all of your manual processes without a single line of code. 

In the case of the eSignature, airSlate can automate all the processes that are happening before the document goes out for a signature & all the processes after. For example, storing certain information from the signed documents in your CRM (Salesforce, NetSuite, etc.)  or pushing that data into another system and storing documents there. 

A Final Thought! airSlate is designed to help you increase your revenue by saving you time & resources, avoiding manual work, and ultimately decreasing your cost. Who wouldn’t want to streamline their workflow & increase their productivity?

• airSlate No-Code Automation vs. API
• [airSlate]Trial airSlate Today! + Video Library
• airSlate Business Cloud
• Case Studies & Testimonials
• airSlate Flow Diagram
• How to build Slates in airSlate
  

If you are interested in chatting more, feel free to contact me directly at ali@airslate.com

This article appeared on Ali’s LinkedIn page and has been published here with permission.

About the Author

The post What is airSlate? How is it related to signNow? appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.

Todays Topic: Trials

How do I sign up for a trial?

We do have 3 major solutions in our suite of tools. Just click the links below!

[airSlate] – Trial airSlate Today! + Video Library

[signNow] – Trial signNow Today! + Video Library

[pdfFiller] – Trial pdfFiller Today! + Video Library

The whole goal of our Business Cloud is to simplify repetitive work-day tasks, pretty much any actions around a document, or pushing / pulling data based on complex conditions.

A Final Thought! Just click on the link & give our solutions a 10 minute try, if it strikes a chord, then let’s chat! Feel free to reach out to me directly ali@airslate.com !

This article appeared on Ali’s LinkedIn page and has been published here with permission.

About the Author

The post How do I sign up for a free trial? appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.

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

“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

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— 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!

The post Announcing the winners of our National eSignature Day “Back to Business” sweepstakes appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.

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.

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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.

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The post National eSignature Day 2021: small businesses can win a free signNow business premium annual subscription appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Filling out a form

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

• Your computer
• pdfFiller
• signNow
• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• OneDrive
• Box
• SharePoint

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

The post How to integrate seamless electronic signature into a business workflow appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.