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Electronic Signature Features

Despite the many inefficiencies and costs associated with paper, wet ink signatures are undeniably convenient and easy. Electronic signatures must support all of the features we have come to take for granted in the paper world if they are to become as ubiquitous as paper-based signing.

Multiple signatures, revision approvals, and sectional forms for example are a part of common business practise. When bringing approval processes online, organizations should not be required to reengineer processes due to limitations in solutions.

Advanced features and functionality, such as those listed below, offer maximum flexibility which will ensure support for current and future business processes.

Usability

Feature: The solution is available as a plug-in for desktop document creation applications and does not require users to launch a separate application.
Business Need / Benefit: Signing electronically must be as quick and easy as picking up a pen.

Feature: The solution can be deployed as a Web-based, zero-client solution.
Business Need / Benefit: Citizen/consumer facing processes must be as easy to use as navigating a Web site to encourage adoption and minimize help desk burden.

Feature: The solution incorporates a visual representation of the electronic signature.
Business Need / Benefit: A visual indication of a signature reinforces intent and quickly identifies executed documents.

Feature: The visual representation of the electronic signature can include handwritten, digitized signatures, seals, or font.
Business Need / Benefit: Depending on the process, different signature images may be needed. For example, unknown, one-time users should not be required to digitize a handwritten signature image over the Web.

Feature: Electronically signed documents can be securely printed to paper.
Business Need / Benefit: Not all parties to a transaction will be able to or want to accept electronic documents.

Feature: Data can be inserted dynamically at the time of signing without invalidating prior signatures.
Business Need / Benefit: Adding printed names, titles, and dates are often required as part of an approval process.

Feature: The solution supports multiple handwritten signature images per user including complete signatures, initials, and colour options.
Business Need / Benefit: Depending on the process, signers may be required to sign their full name, initial, or even sign in a specific ink colour.

Feature: A user is able to make a change to a signed document and take responsibility for those changes without invalidating previous signatures.
Business Need / Benefit: Hierarchical approval processes allow authorized signers to make and take responsibility for revisions to signed documents.

Feature: The signature image is automatically inserted into the document in a predefined location.
Business Need / Benefit: Standard documents and forms should be automated to make approval processes more efficient and reduce user errors.

Feature: The signer indicates where the signature image should be placed in a document with their cursor.
Business Need / Benefit: Ad hoc documents or processes without a predetermined workflow require flexibility.

Feature: The solution allows users to enter comments as part of the signature process.
Business Need / Benefit: Comments such as reasons for signing/revising are frequently required at the time of signing.

Feature: The solution can be configured to allow comments to appear in the document and/or become an element of the secured audit trail.
Business Need / Benefit: Document and signature authenticity should not be compromised by insertion of comment.

Feature: Signatures can be associated with and authenticate separate sections within the same document or form.
Business Need / Benefit: Multi-part forms may incorporate a “for office/for management use only” section that are only completed and approved downstream in a process.

Feature: Document headers and footers may be included or excluded in the signature authentication process.
Business Need / Benefit: Document revisions, last updated dates, last printed dates, page numbering, etc… may be included in headers or footers and may be updated systematically.

Feature: The solution supports an unlimited number of signatures per document.
Business Need / Benefit: More than 50 percent of forms require more than one signature.

Feature: Solution enables signing in an online and offline environment.
Business Need / Benefit: Signers work in a connected and disconnected environment.

Feature: Date and Time formats displayed on screen, in printed documents, and in the audit trail are configurable.
Business Need / Benefit: Date and time formats and time zones differ between countries. To ensure usability these values should be displayed in local preferences.

Feature: Signing, printing, and authentication can be performed as batch operations.
Business Need / Benefit: Standard documents and forms should be automated to make approval processes more efficient and reduce user errors.

Feature: Hardware digitizer pads can be used for real time signing.
Business Need / Benefit: Unknown, one-time users signing at a point of sale or at a branch should not be required to create a captured signature file.

Feature: The solution supports signing with a password protected signature file containing an end user digital certificate and signature image.
Business Need / Benefit: A known repeat user who signs documents and forms on a regular basis should only be required to create a signature file one time.

Feature: The solution supports signing with a smart card based digital certificate.
Business Need / Benefit: Higher risk approval processes will require additional security and user authentication.

Feature: A holographic signature image can be included in the signing process.
Business Need / Benefit: A signature image is a culturally familiar indication of intent and therefore encourages adoption.

Feature: The solution supports a variety of signing methods on the same document.
Business Need / Benefit: An approval process involving multiple signers may require different signing methods.

Security

Feature: Electronic signatures are embedded in the corresponding electronic document.
Business Need / Benefit: A permanent link must be established between a signature and the document.

Feature: A detailed approval audit trail is created and embedded into a document.
Business Need / Benefit: Reliable evidence of the approval process is required to ensure legal enforceability, compliance, and increase visibility into business processes.

Feature: The signature includes a timestamp to show when the signature was generated.
Business Need / Benefit: The date and time that signatures take place must be auditable to enable tracking of an approval process.

Feature: The signature includes the name of the signer and any additional information that provides details about the transaction.
Business Need / Benefit: Capturing comprehensive information about an approval process will help enforceability.

Feature: Approval-related data added to a document at the time of signing must be securely recorded and become part of the electronic signature.
Business Need / Benefit: Both unauthorized and authorized changes should be detectable and auditable.

Feature: The security of the signature and document are not dependant on the physical location of the document (e.g. electronic vault).
Business Need / Benefit: Signed documents must be portable and compatible with all types of storage.

Feature: The solution does not rely upon content management, workflow, records management, or collaboration systems to ensure the security of the signature
Business Need / Benefit: Signed documents must be portable and compatible with all distribution systems.

Feature: The solution works with or without a 3rd Party PKI.
Business Need / Benefit: Security requirements vary between processes. Underlying user authentication infrastructure must be transparent to users.

Feature: Signatures are visibly invalidated if a signed document is modified.
Business Need / Benefit: Even the smallest, unauthorized change to a signed document must be detectable.

Feature: Document verification can occur before and/or after it is sent through email.
Business Need / Benefit: Fraudulent changes must be evident to users at any point in the process.

Feature: A valid signature will only be printed if the document is authentic.
Business Need / Benefit: Electronic documents and signatures may need to securely revert to paper if parties to the transaction opt out.

Feature: A comment entered as part of the signing process is securely tracked and embedded in the audit trail.
Business Need / Benefit: Comments and/or reasons for signing must be recorded and become part of the signed document.

Feature: Batch functions include automatic document verification and process only authenticated documents.
Business Need / Benefit: Modifications that are time consuming to detect can be easily flagged, increasing quality assurance.

Feature: A user without specified permission will be prevented from accepting and signing off on changes to a document.
Business Need / Benefit: Only authorized individuals are able to sign off on revision changes to a signed document.

Compliance

Feature: The solution meets ESIGN requirements.
Business Need / Benefit: Electronically signed documents must have the same legal weight as paper-based documents.

Feature: The solution supports UCC 9-105 requirements for security instruments.
Business Need / Benefit: Lenders can bring negotiable instruments online with the assurance they will remain transferable and valuable.

Feature: The Web-based implementation of the solution ensures the accurate presentment and delivery of documents that do not require signatures.
Business Need / Benefit: Delivery of consumer disclosures may be an element of the contracting approval process.

Feature: Audit trail information can be extracted from a signed document for reporting purposes.
Business Need / Benefit: Detailed reports can provide greater visibility into business processes and track accountability.

Feature: Business process owners can define and enforce a predefined order and actions for signers.
Business Need / Benefit: Approval process workflow rules need to be enforced to minimize QA and reduce risk of non-compliance.

Feature: The solution meets the requirements of Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act.
Business Need / Benefit: Federal government agencies and departments must ensure information systems are accessible to disabled workers and citizens.

Ease Of Integration And Deployment

Feature: The solution supports the most commonly used data, form and document formats.
Business Need / Benefit: Due to varying business process requirements, signatures will be required on a variety of document & data types. Using the same solution for all environments will ensure investment is maximized and avoid integration work.

Feature: A common interface and process exists in all signing scenarios and environments.
Business Need / Benefit: A ‘one-pen’ approach will minimize end user training and encourage adoption.

Feature: Internal, partner, and citizen/consumer processes are supported and implementations can interoperate.
Business Need / Benefit: As approvals span departments, organizations, and user groups, having a solution that supports and interoperates in all environments is necessary to minimize integration effort.

Feature: The solution signs documents in their native format and does not require a proprietary application to view them.
Business Need / Benefit: The solution should require limited training and integrate seamlessly in familiar applications to encourage adoption.

Feature: A fax back service is available to create a secure holographic image of a person's signature.
Business Need / Benefit: Deployment of captured signature files containing a holographic signature image to a large group of remote users must be automated.

Feature: A scanner can be used to create a secure holographic image of a person's signature.
Business Need / Benefit: Flexible options for digitizing handwritten signature images as part of a captured signature file will facilitate deployment.

Feature: A signature tablet can be used to create a secure holographic image of a person's signature.
Business Need / Benefit: High quality options for digitizing handwritten signature images as part of a captured signature file will enhance user experience.

Feature: Certificate status at the time of signing is securely recorded as part of a signature as well as the status upon verification at any later point in time.
Business Need / Benefit: As a public-key enabled application, electronic signatures should seamlessly leverage the certificate security features, including certificate expiration, of any available 3rd party PKI without compromising the validity of historical approvals.

Feature: The signature solution can be configured to retrieve the date and timestamp from a central, trusted source such as the database server or a timestamp authority.
Business Need / Benefit: Security features must be scalable to adapt to varying degrees of risk between processes.

Feature: An administrator defines client side registry settings, menu items, and utilities. The setup and configurations are maintained on a secure server.
Business Need / Benefit: Administrators need to lock down application settings to minimize IT support requests and ensure application security.

Feature: Signatures and approval history travel within the document offering seamless integration with content management, workflow, and messaging tools/services.
Business Need / Benefit: Managing a signature, approval audit trail, and corresponding document separately would involve substantial integration effort and increase risk as the document would lose approval security outside of controlled environment.

Feature: The solution is based on XML Standards.
Business Need / Benefit: Solutions must be based on technology standards to minimize integration effort and ensure long-term viability.