New to digital signatures? Consider these 9 points first

Digital signatures have become an integral part of everyday life in many companies. They make it easy and secure to handle sensitive documents, whether they are employment contracts, powers of attorney, annual reports or other legal documents.

But there are many options for digital signature solutions, and it can be difficult to figure out what features are really important. Which solution best suits your needs? And how do you ensure that it is secure, easy to use and works well with your existing systems?

In this article, we guide you through 9 key points you should consider before choosing a digital signature solution.

1. Legally binding digital signatures

Pens, paper, scanning, and emails back and forth… Manual signing can be slow and tedious. With digital signatures, the process is completed online, quickly, securely, and without unnecessary steps.

While all three electronic signatures are legally valid under eIDAS regulation, Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) are preferred for high-value or sensitive documents, as they carry the same legal weight as a handwritten signature across the EU.

→ Read more about the three types of electronic signatures here 

An Advanced Electronic Signature (AdES) provides more evidentiary weight than a Simple Electronic Signature (SES), as it is uniquely linked to the signer, enables identification, remains under their sole control, and detects any tampering.

2. Using wide variety of eIDs to sign and confirm identity

Both you and your customers already use digital identities (eIDs) in your everyday lives. Solutions such as MitID, BankID and itsme® have become standard tools for securely confirming your identity both privately and at work.

Your digital signature tool should be able to integrate with the most widely used national eIDs in Europe. This allows signers to use an identification method they already know and trust, rather than having to create new logins or learn new systems.

The result is a signing process that feels easy, secure and familiar, especially when documents need to be signed across borders. The easier it is to verify your identity, the faster the documents will reach their destination.

3. Possibility of signing with passport

Although many European countries have strong eID solutions, not everyone has access to one. Some customers or partners may reside in countries where a national eID either does not exist or is not widely used.

Your digital signature solution should also be able to accommodate international signers in other ways. A good signature tool allows you to identify yourself with a passport or national ID card and still sign with either AdES or QES.

This provides the necessary flexibility in practice without compromising security. No matter where the signers are located, they can complete the signing process in a safe and secure manner.

4. Sending documents for signing in the correct order

In many industries, signature processes are rarely straightforward. Such as sales agreements, employment contracts or annual reports, where several people have to sign several documents in a specific order.

It’s important that your digital signature solution can handle these more complex scenarios. You need to be able to easily define who signs what and when, so that the process follows the correct steps from start to finish.

Automatic notifications and reminders are also a great help. They ensure that the process does not stall and save you from having to manually chase up customers or colleagues. This way, you can keep up with the task and meet deadlines.

5. Being able to sign on any device, anytime

Today, people work from computers, tablets and especially smartphones. Therefore, your digital signature tool should make it possible to sign documents from all types of devices without any technical bumps along the way.

When the solution is both accessible and mobile-friendly, signers can add their signature whenever it suits them, whether they are in the office, at home or on the go. This makes the entire process more flexible, fast and user-friendly, and increases the likelihood that documents will be signed on time.

6. Easy integrations with industry-specific software

To save time and avoid errors, it is important that your digital signature tool can work with the software you already use. This could be accounting or auditing systems such as Caseware, Silverfin, Ratios or M-Files.

With a strong integration, you can create, manage and send documents for signature directly from your existing software. This means you don’t have to switch between programmes and minimises the risk of errors.

Pre-built integrations are a major advantage. But what if your workflows are more complex? Or if you rely on a custom-built system? In that case, it should be easy to build your own integration.

A strong digital signature solution provides a user-friendly and well-documented API, enabling you to automate signature processes directly within your own systems.

7. Customise your client communication

People are naturally more and more cautious about opening emails from unknown senders, which can slow down the signing process. That’s why it’s a big advantage if you can customise the emails that are sent with the documents.

A good solution allows you to:

• Tailor the text of the email to the signer’s language
• Add your company’s branding and logo

When the email looks professional and recognisable, it builds trust with your customers and increases the likelihood that the document will be signed quickly.

8. Access control for extra security

When sending sensitive documents, security is paramount. A reliable digital signature tool should therefore offer access control so that only the right person can view and sign the document.

This could be, for example:

• Confirmation with Social Security Number (SSN)
• SMS codes sent only to the signer’s phone number

In addition, it is a great advantage if the solution has an activity log that shows who has had access to the document and when. This provides both an overview and extra security in the process.

9. Digital archive for secure document storage

Once documents have been signed, it can quickly become difficult to keep track of them. Storing files in emails, on file-sharing platforms or on your desktop does not meet the requirements of the GDPR.

Therefore, your digital signature tool should include a secure digital archive where all signed documents:

• Are stored in accordance with GDPR
• Are easily accessible when you need them
• Are protected against loss, theft or physical damage

A digital archive gives you an overview, peace of mind and security, so that documents are always where they should be and can be retrieved quickly and easily.

Conclusion

Choosing the right solution for digital signatures is not just about efficiency, but also about securing your business and reducing risks when working with sensitive documents. With the right security measures for signatures, the risk of errors, misuse and potential disputes is significantly reduced.

It is crucial to choose a solution that combines high security with user-friendliness, flexibility and strong integrations with your company’s existing software. When identities are validated correctly, processes are automated, and documents are stored securely in accordance with GDPR, the company is in a much stronger position, both in terms of minimising legal risks and increasing operational agility.

A well-designed digital signature solution is therefore not just an efficiency tool, but a strategic investment in protecting your business, building trust with customers and partners, and ensuring that critical processes run smoothly from start to finish.

Would you like to see how Penneo makes digital signatures easy, secure and ready for all the requirements that come with digital agreements?