The digitization of correspondence makes our (business) lives a lot easier. The days of typewriters, Tipp-Ex, and faxes are far behind us. The signature is also undergoing a journey through time. The cap no longer needs to be removed from the fountain pen to approve the content of a document. The digital signature has the unconditional, binding, and legal force equivalent to a paper signature.

The digital signature requires strict, watertight organization. For example, are the signatories indeed the people who should sign the document? How does everyone know that they have the only correct version of the document in question? And who guarantees that, after placing the signature, the content of the document will not change?

Integrity

The guarantees required here must be provided by the document management system and the associated digital signature protocol. The DMS regulates the integrity of the submitted document: yes, this is the latest version, and no, the content will no longer be altered. The authenticity of the document is recorded, certified, and thus guaranteed.

Seamless collaboration

Documentaal, which supports companies with document creation and document management, links its own document management system dStyle365 to ValidSign's digital signing platform. The seamless collaboration between these two organizations ensures full control over the authenticity and integrity of documents, and over the authorization and identification of authorized persons for signing. After signing, the documents and signatures are automatically and carefully archived in such a way that they can be retrieved in no time.

Three levels

Digital signatures are distinguished into three levels.

The first is the ordinary, non-qualified electronic signature: an email with your name or scanned signature below it. As long as it concerns non-legal documents, this is sufficient.

The third level, the qualified electronic signature, is intended for judges, notaries, lawyers, and other public officials. Their identity is personally established in advance by a notary.

The second level concerns the digital signature that has legal force, for example, placed under an agreement, an official letter, a declaration, or other similar document. The advanced electronic signature is personal. This is ensured by the certification service provider, a so-called Trusted Third Party (TTP). The verification that you are the person you say you are is guaranteed by this party through various scripts and codes. DMSs and digital signature platforms primarily focus on this level.

Phenomenal gains

The gains that working with digital signatures can yield are phenomenal. Where companies need days, if not weeks, to get all the necessary signatures on a paper document (think of internationally oriented companies: FedEx benefits greatly from this...), the digital signature takes a few minutes.

Every signatory can place their signature at a location and time that suits them. Whether it's from behind their desk in the office in Amsterdam Southeast, or from their vacation address in the Bahamas, as long as they have a smartphone or other device available, they can place their signature (and no one has to wait for them).

Finally, it doesn't matter how many people need to sign: two, ten, three hundred? No problem at all. Digital signing is not bound by numbers. And those signatories can all do it at the same time; try doing that with a paper version!

One condition

The digital signature is indispensable in today's business and services. There is one condition. Working seamlessly with the digital signature, while taking into account all legal rules and privacy regulations, requires a document management system that can deliver this diligence.

Reinoud Wouters,
partner Documentaal.

Would you like to respond to this blog? Please do! Send your comments via email to rewo@documentaal.nl

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