Case study
Connective eSignatures deliver security and user-friendly experiences at Degroof Petercam
Client
Industry
Financial Services
Connective Products
eSignatures
Website client
How it all began
As Product Manager, Maxim D’Hoogh leads digital transformation projects at a strategic level for financial services provider Degroof Petercam. His goal is to make digital banking easier and more user-friendly while safeguarding security.
One of Degroof Petercam´s key challenges is the need for face-to-face interaction in a variety of banking transactions. In some instances, direct contact is a vital safeguard against fraud but in many cases, it’s a genuine burden for many clients – particularly when time is valuable and in short supply.
Here, Maxim explains how Connective eSignatures helped them deliver digital transformation and allowed them to enrich user experiences.
The challenge
“At Degroof Petercam, our clients are at the heart of everything we do and we’re always trying to anticipate our clients’ needs and are constantly looking for ways to improve the service we offer.
As part of this approach that drives us, we created a digital platform that would enable us to onboard new clients within our private banking activities. To fully implement the initiative, we needed to find an electronic signature solution that could seamlessly integrate into our platform.
Crucially, any software we use has to meet the highest standards of security and meet stringent banking and regulatory guidelines. Plus, as a bank with a 150-year history and nearly €75 billion of client’s assets under management, we had to be confident that our standards of integrity were equally met as well.
We recognised that the right solution wouldn’t just give us an opportunity to streamline client enrolment. It also had the potential to change the way many other transactions are being carried out – particularly when multiple family members or individuals need to co-sign a single document.”
The solution
“After careful consideration, we opted for Connective because of their state-of-the-art eSignatures software which includes itsme® Sign – a qualified electronic signature. For us, this aspect was of critical importance. This is because a qualified e-signature is the digital equivalent of its handwritten version and an essential component in some 90% of banking transactions. Using itsme® Sign also meant that we were able to achieve the highest level of assurance you can get on a digital platform, according to eIDAS regulations.
Connective’s experience and expertise enabled them to seamlessly integrate their software into our digital platform. Not only that, itsme® Sign was flexible and could be used on mobile devices, making it even easier for multiple people to sign a single document.
We were also drawn to Connective’s strong track record when it came to security. Their compliance to strict regulations such as GDPR, UETA & eSIGN ActSign, ZertES, and of course eIDAS, demonstrated that we shared the same governance and safeguarding values.
Connective eSignatures may have started as a solution for our private banking platform, but in reality, it has offered us much more. For instance, we’ve been able to use it for B2B transactions and supplier contracts.
x3
The use of electronic signatures tripled during the pandemic at Degroof Petercam.
What will the future bring?
“Connective eSignatures have considerably improved the way we transact with clients, suppliers, and our employees.
As well as fulfilling the brief to digitise our private banking processes, electronic signatures have become an indispensable tool for several activities.
We’re also excited to explore the opportunities available to us through Connective’s eSignatures partnership with Swisscom Trust Services. Access to this will also enable our broad base of international clients to enjoy the benefits of a truly digital platform.”
Plenty of benefits
- Qualified electronic signature
- Complies with eIDAS regulations
- Seamless integration
- Enhances client user-experience
- Compatible with digital mobile platforms
- Quick and simple to use
