How digital archiving and electronic signatures relate and cooperate for a digital tomorrow.
A growing number of companies have started their journey towards digitization. Yet, organizations often remain reluctant to implement this strategy from top to bottom. This is clearly portrayed in the adoption of digital archiving solutions: the digital place where contracts and other documents are stored. In many organizations, digital transformation is executed up until the implementation of anĀ electronic signing solution. Archiving, the next step in the process, often gets forgotten and put away as a complex back-office task. To emphasize the importance and to iron out these misunderstandings, we answer the 5 most frequently asked questions about digital archiving.
1. First things first, what is digital archiving?
The archiving of data and documents is an age-old process. It ensures that information is stored and preserved, either temporarily or permanently, and made available if necessary. A digital archive usually refers to an information system whose goal is to store different, digital resources and make them available to a defined group of users.
In todayās world, organizations are witnessing an increasing amount of digital information and documents that need to be managed. Therefore, companies are increasingly switching to paperless, digital document archiving systems. However, many companies tend to upload and archive files to their own repositories. But poorly organized data on company servers can be as chaotic and dramatic as a room full of filing cabinets. We therefor strongly recommend choosing for a professional digital archiving solution.
2. Does storing documents in an email box not suffice?
You might know the feeling; months in advance, you receive an email containing your recently purchased concert tickets. All excited you count the days towards the show, but when the day comesā¦ You canāt find that 1 email anymore. Happened before? It has happened to us multiple times. We donāt deny the significance of a mailbox in our day-to-day activity, but is it really the right place to store our company contracts and other documents if we even canāt retrieve any concert tickets?
A digital archiving tool can be a fitting solution for this challenge. Most archiving tools provide an advanced query, allowing users to quickly pinpoint the exact contract or document they are looking for. Every document, every contract can be saved, stored for years and requested in a couple of clicks. Moreover, you are no longer relying on your mailbox provider for data-security. Since contracts contain delicate information, they need the appropriate security. This can be guaranteed by a well-chosen digital archiving tool, storing all your documents in its vault.
3. Is it safe to sign and store digitally?
In recent years, legislation has fought its rigid nature and evolved swiftly in terms of the digitization of firms. Hence, legal ground was found to protect companies who dared to cross the bridge to the future. Software companies who provide solutions for electronic signatures need to comply to a multitude of standards. At Connective we are electronic signature experts. It goes without saying that our tools comply with the most stringent norms and regulations. We are happy to refer you to our blog to learn why Connective eSignatures has been a safe and compliant solution throughout the years.
Digital archiving tools need to meet certain requirements as well. The well-known GDPR-legislation is the most important benchmark, combined with additional norms such as ISO 27001. This authenticates the attained level of both security and professionalism portrayed by the software company. We expect global legislation to further extend their efforts in the set course to fully ensure companiesā safety in the digital environment.
4. Is heavy IT-integration necessary to implement a digital archiving-tool?
Does IT code feel like the Matrix to you? Donāt know anything about the sorcery that goes on behind the pixels of your screen? No problem! A digital archiving tool can be initiated without any thorough integrations or hardcore IT-labor. This is a major advantage since an account can be set up in a matter of minutes. Sometimes the integration of an electronic signature tool and the digital archiving-facilities, could require some extra work. However, this too remains rather basic, and we can help you every step of the way.
To really make life easy, some electronic signature solutions, like eSignatures of Connective have standard integrations with digital archiving solutions. Once your account is set up on the Connective eSignatures platform and the Archiving platform, the link is automatically made for you. Meaning that in just one click you can store your signed documents in an easy and secure way.
5. Is it difficult to digitally archive documents and contracts?
No, it is not! A good digital archiving solution makes the preservation of your documents online, as easy as sending an email. It is typically one central place where you can preserve any Payroll, HR document, invoice, contract, and many more in a single click. Moreover, in most cases the archive can be used and managed from a variety of applications like your electronic signatures tool.Ā
Via built-in indexing systems the archiving solutions allows you to quickly find useful information in your archived documents. And most archiving solution have notification possibilities helping you to never forget any important event like for example the expiration date of a contract.
Connective chooses to work with archiving partners that even go the extra mile to make archiving processes easier:
The benefits of a digital archiving solution listed:
- Risk management – All risk is covered by the provider of the digital archiving system. You have to do nothing but swipe your old archiving system under the rug and enjoy your newfound order and structure.
- No more missed opportunities –Ā Most digital archiving-tools provide a notification-system. When a contract remains unsigned for too long, the person in charge will receive a notification.
- Time-efficient – no more time lost by going through an administrative clutter of documents, folders, and binders.
Interested? Want to know more about digital archiving?Ā Check-out our webinar with our partner Zefort.
Questions? Don't hesitate to contact us!
