Tracking a package and making sure it arrives on time can make all the difference in customer service. Just the other day, I ordered a few parts to get my motorcycle back in riding shape after I put it away for the winter. Nothing major, just an oil filter and some custom parts to make it a little more mine. After I submitted my order, I was emailed with date and time of arrival. A few days later, my package arrived followed by a simple yet effective customer service email making sure everything was OK.

That was great, but after I thought about it, they really had no idea when I changed my oil or if I needed any assistance with the installation of my air filter. And then I thought about it from a sales perspective; once a sales contract is delivered, do you, as a salesman, really know where the contract is?

Has it been reviewed?

Who has signed it?

Did they even take a look at it yet?

There are about a thousand possible scenarios that probably go running through anyone’s head. But what if you could track some of those more important actions? What if you could see who has reviewed the document or even signed the document in real time? What advantages do you think that would bring your sales team?  Imagine if they could call the next person in line or call after someone has reviewed the document to make sure they are still comfortable with all the terms and conditions.

With SmartSign that is a very real feature. Our system lets you set up automatic alerts based on important actions taken against your document. For example, if your Director of sales wants to know when a new client is brought on, you can designate an alert. Your account management team could also be alerted, helping you to get the ball rolling and improve customer service.

Tracking the arrival of a document is important, but think of all the possibilities and improvements your sales team and organization as a whole can make by knowing that much more.

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I just returned from The 2012 ESI Forum and ESA Leadership Summit in Irving, TX, which was a wonderful event on many different levels. The networking opportunities, meetings and sessions all contributed to make this a great way to kick off the New Year.  I attended this event with an open mind, my focus was to participate in meetings and sessions that reflect on what happened in the industry in 2011 and discover some of the key trends, and obstacles coming into 2012. Not to my surprise, there was a strong vibe on implementing new technology across the board.

My particular interest was centered around optimizing business process and workflows by implementing new technology. Some of the contributing factors for a need to utilize emerging technologies include:

• the growth of the competitive landscape in the electronic security industry
• the time consumed by inefficient processes for techs out in the field
• further demand for more personal and fast customer service
• equipping the sales/retention teams with the right tools to get the job done quicker and more intuitively.

Forefront in the technology discussions was the use of mobile applications and tablets- I’ll give the iPad a shout-out since it was most frequently discussed. Utilizing tablets (iPads) for techs in the field, or sales representatives to further streamline their processes. Removing the old paper trail by digitizing much of the documentation. As you could imagine, I was delighted to see that eContracting was mentioned during one of the sessions that I attended. Although I was happy to hear all of the excitement and ideas floating around the conference, now it’s time to actually execute on the ideas. I think 2012 is going to be a great year for eContracting in the industry, as further optimizing the customer contracting, installation, and on-boarding process is going to assist many alarm companies in recognizing their goals, and increasing their RMR.

With these ideas and more, I think the security alarm industry is poised to grow over the next few years. With many of these advancements, we are all merely scratching the surface of what’s to come.

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Keeping up with your outstanding orders and agreements is one of the key benefits of an electronic signature solution. Using the SmartSign Tracker feature allows our customers to rapidly identify sticking points in their business. The Tracker allows you to search by date range, status, or a variety of other unique identifiers. Search results are displayed by Transaction Identifier, Status, or Creation Date.

Once you’ve located the correct transaction, the Tracker allows you to drill down to see exactly where the transaction is in the workflow.

• The Tracker shows the status of each participant within the transaction.
• If you required a participant to go through additional identification screening – the Tracker shows a pass or fail indicator for each participant.
• If one of your signers is slowing down the process – quickly send a gentle reminder invitation to him.
• If the terms of the agreement have changed – the Tracker allows you to rescind the transaction or upload a new version of any document to the transaction and send out an updated invitation.
• What about those pesky customer support calls? Maybe your signer “misplaced” her security code – use the Tracker to look up the code for her.

As you can see, the Tracker helps keep all your deals “on track”.

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As more businesses leverage online tools and cloud computing capabilities as a means to improve operational efficiencies and reduce or eliminate dependency on paper, there is one overlooked piece of the puzzle…Electronic Signatures. More often than not contracts or agreements are created in a digital format, however once terms or conditions are agreed upon, many businesses rely on resource intensive paper-based processes. The process of printing, shipping, faxing and filing, is resource intensive, expensive and slow.

If most of your operations are already taken online, why not close the loop with electronic signatures. By utilizing an end-to-end electronic signature solution like eOriginal’s SmartSign Web, businesses are able to compliment existing applications to create a completely streamlined process from origination → to signing → to storing and managing documents throughout their entire lifecycle. Electronic signatures really are designed to simplify business operations. Documents are sent out for signature via email, the ID of signers can be validated through multiple layers of verification (if necessary), and documents can be signed through any number of ways including text signatures, signature pads, and using mobile devices (Smart phones, iPads, tablets, etc) for access anytime anywhere.

A few key benefits include:

• Reduce sales-cycles closing more deals faster having documents signed in minutes, not days or weeks.
• Track user activity throughout the entire document management process with automated alerts. Alerts can notify key members of your team for newly closed deals, contract extensions, and who has and hasn’t signed.
• Eliminate errors and missing or incomplete documents. The signing process can not be completed without all proper information being provided.
• Reduce costs associated with printing, faxing, and filing paper documents.
• Go Green — eliminating paper based systems minimizes your organizations impact on the environment.

Electronic signatures may not fit the bill for every organization or for every process and each provider offers a few different options and solutions, so it is important to take a look at what your business is doing. But, if you are looking to close the gap and eliminate the “paper-chase”, electronic signatures are probably your best bet to grow and go paperless.

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As a direct auto lender, operational and business goals are typically clear; identify more prospects, qualify more candidates, and close more loans. Meeting these goals brings positive returns, including increased revenue and profitability. A critical element in accomplishing these goals is making the entire lending process easy and fast for the consumer.

Technology has assisted in streamlining the direct lending process. For years, direct lenders have had the ability to qualify consumers in minutes, sometimes within seconds. Origination of the lending package has also been automated through the use of proprietary or third party loan origination systems, or completed through web-based applications. These capabilities have greatly assisted in creating a more efficient lending process, but what is still left is a lengthy, tedious and costly paper trail.

eOriginal’s SmartSign electronic signature and lifecycle management solutions have allowed direct lenders to close this loop, completely streamlining the lending process – from qualification to closing, all in one quick session. SmartSign enables these accelerated processes without compromising the legal or negotiable value of the documents being signed.

• Tightly integrate into existing loan origination systems and web-based applications
• Close more loans, faster, with increased adoption rates
• Reduce operating costs
• Process loans faster while eliminating costly errors
• Maintain legal compliance and secondary market requirements, enabling the ability to electronically sell, collateralize, and securitize your negotiable instruments

eOriginal is the leading technology provider for eContracts securitized in the secondary markets and accepted by rating agencies in the automotive industry for the fulfillment of UCC 9-105 requirements on e-chattel and transferable records. eOriginal’s technology has allowed lenders to electronically originate, sign, and securitize billions of dollars in direct auto loans, removing process and compliance barriers for financial institutions.

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With the use of electronic signatures becoming more prevalent in today’s office atmosphere, businesses are quickly recognizing the value and benefits that come along with adopting electronic processes. I spend a considerable amount of my time speaking with these businesses, and discussing the best ways to incorporate eOriginal’s SmartSign electronic signature solution into their workflow. A common question that I am frequently asked is “what is the difference between Electronic and Digital signatures”?

U.S. legislation (ESIGN/UETA) defines an electronic signature as “an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record”. One of the most commonly used Electronic Signatures today is the Text Typed signature; text typed meaning that one has used a keyboard to type their name, with the intent to sign “something”. Although this is the most common, electronic signatures are not limited to this method. SmartSign allows businesses to have documents e-signed using other accepted methods such as voice, mouse, signature pads, iPad/iPhone (with your finger or stylus), smart-phones and the list goes on. What is important to note; an electronic signature can be applied almost by any means, but it is just the first step in a fully secure and compliant electronic signature process.

Digital signatures require the use of a digital certificate, essentially a type of key or code that utilizes cryptographic algorithms to assure the integrity and authenticity of electronic media, and the information within. Put simply, the application uses an algorithm to generate a unique code by processing the source file. That unique code, think of it as a document’s fingerprint, is then encrypted using the private key stored in the digital certificate. The result of all this processing is a secure document that is tamper evident. If any value in the source document is corrupted or maliciously altered, it can be easily detected by verifying the original signature.

Secure solutions like eOriginal’s SmartSign utilize a combination of electronic and digital signatures. After the electronic signature has been captured and applied to the document, SmartSign then binds the electronic signature and the document content with a second digital signature. This allows SmartSign to lock down the document, adding further assurance that the information in the document has not changed since the electronic signature was applied. This process allows businesses to take advantage of technology, removing paper from the workflow, saving time, money, and helping to increase revenue, all while maintaining the legal integrity, admissibly and enforceability of your important documents.

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Do you need to send the same document to a large list of recipients and request that each sign his own instance of the document?  Do you know that doing so is now easier than ever with eOriginal SmartSign?

Let’s walk through a very simple example for requesting that all 333 employees at Acme Organization sign the new Acme HR Policy Guide.  We are going to define a single transaction with a single instance of the Acme HR Policy Guide, and magically, all 333 Acme employees will receive an email requesting they review and sign the guide…

In the SmartSign Setup application, choose to create a New Transaction.  Give the transaction a name to be used as the base transaction ID (let’s use “Acme HR Policy Guide”) and fill in the rest of the transaction properties (status, expiration date, etc.) as you normally do.   Click on the ‘Additional Information’ link to expand that section.   In the ‘Generate Multiple Copies’ field, type “333″.

Now go through the steps to add a document and define the signature template as if you were creating a single transaction for a single employee.

When  you get to the role mapping page you will be prompted to upload a .csv file containing the name, email address, and security codes for each employee.

.csv files can be easily generated via various spreadsheet and database applications.  The .csv file should not include any column headings and should list each recipient in the following format:

First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Email Address, Security Code

(note if no Middle Name is available, a place-holder for its value must still be defined.)

Craft your email text and click to ‘Send’…all 333 Acme employees have just received your email with the link to review and sign the new HR Policy Guide.  Now wasn’t that easy!

Additional Tips:

• The number of entries in the .csv file must match the number of transaction copies requested.
• Multiple roles may participate in ‘bulk mail’ transactions.  The actual signers playing each role may be defined by either uploading a separate .csv file for each role or by defining a specific individual to play that role across all transactions.  When uploading multiple .csv files, be sure the signers are listed in the order they should be ‘paired up’.

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Clients that use the SmartSign Web application to create transaction are always looking for a way to cut down the number to steps it takes their employees to create the document(s) for e-signing.

Transaction Types are a great tool in cutting down the time to create a transaction and ensure the right document(s) and signature action are used for each. Transaction Types allow the user to pre-define document packages.  Then by choosing the Transaction Type in the SmartSign Web application, the user can create the entire document package in one single step.

The signature action on these documents can vary from needs a signature, must be reviewed, user must attach a document or user must print for wet-ink signature.

How to setup Transaction Types:

• Command Center – Administration – Settings
  • Document Types – create the Document Type and update all necessary field(s)
    • Note – if a signature template is needed for the Document Type first create the Document Type then in the SmartSign application create the signature template and save it against the Document Type previously created. This also updates the Command Center Document Type with the signature template.
  • Transaction Types – create the Transaction Type and drag desired Document Types under the ‘Include These Documents’ heading.



To create a transaction using a Transaction Type use the ‘Create a new transaction of type’ dropdown to choose that Transaction Type value.

For more information on eOriginal Command Center and SmartSign Web application please contact us anytime.

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There will always be some new costs that go along with implementing any new technology.  So when analyzing any new solution that may change your entire process, it’s important to build your own value case to determine what level of service, cost, and training you’ll be willing to take on. We’ve worked with many clients to build a good solid Return on Investment (ROI) based on their current business practices vs. adopting electronic signatures. Below are a few quick facts to help establish the basic ROI for implementing electronic signatures. Some additional process improvements that should be considered are better customer experience, improved workflow and security, and 98% of electronically signed documents are executed within the first 24 hours of delivery.

• The average cost of toner, ink and paper amount to $.05 per page

• Average cost of sending one envelope US mail is $.85 per envelope
• Average Courier cost is $45.00
• Overnight Shipping average cost is $18.00
• Cost to scan and save one document $.50
• Cost to fax one document is $.10

The total average cost to send a document to be signed is $7.50, not including Labor and Administrative time.  The average time for one to execute the task of mailing, scanning, copying, faxing, printing or shipping is 15 minutes per document package.

• The total average business cost per task is $1.50.
• With the addition of labor and administrative time, total cost is now $9.00 per document.

Archival cost, such as filing each document, takes an average of 7 minutes. Let’s assume that an employee is making $10 per hour and is filing 10 documents.

• Each document costs about $1.10 to archive
• With the additional filing of each document, total cost is now $10.10

On average, 30% of documents are returned with missing/incomplete information or signatures. For every 10 sets of documents that are sent for signature, three will have additional administrative and process costs which could equal more than an additional $10 per set of ten.

Assuming that you currently do not use SmartSign, and have documents signed with “wet-ink”

• Every ten signed packages would have an average total business cost of between $90-$110.

SmartSign’s ability to create such a consistent ROI is its flexibility to be deployed, configured, and integrated in almost any business process. Our solutions range from straight out-of-the-box to deployed behind an organization’s firewall and, let’s not forget we can also be deployed in the cloud to work with all your other applications. Take an assessment on your current document oriented transactions to see what handling paper documents is costing your company.

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We have recently partnered with DocStoc, the premier online business resource offering the widest selection of high quality professional documents, to further enhance our Small Business Solutions.

The electronic signature and transaction management solutions we provide, are already used by many of the largest US corporations, and their success has really influenced many small to mid-size businesses to streamline business processes and drive new business opportunities by  utilizing electronic signatures to expedite online proposals, contracting, and improve customer service. By teaming with DocStoc, our customers can now quickly implement the legal and professional documents they need to setup and operate their business at significant savings.

“Our small to medium business clients want to take their onboarding, contracting and business processes online but often they are stalled waiting for the development of the necessary legal forms, contracts or agreements, said Morris Abell, Director of Sales at eOriginal. “This partnership gives them an opportunity to accelerate their time to market.”

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