In the quest to go paperless, most businesses today have moved much of their operation to the digital realm, using software and online applications. Many firms, however, still use paper for a critical element of business transactions: signatures.
New applications to utilize electronic signatures (e-signatures) for all steps of the business process have now been proven to increase productivity, enhance visibility, improve compliance and boost the customer and vendor experience. An electronic signature app allows the user to sign paperwork digitally. E-signature apps speed up the business process, reduce errors and bottlenecks at the same time that they increase security and mobility. This is because an e-signature app can not only send a document for other people to sign, but it can also track the document’s progress from a unified dashboard of digital files.
There are real costs and risks to organizations that rely on paper-based documents for transactions. Paper is fragile, destructible and can be misplaced. Human errors occur when preparing paper documents, which may also be illegible or damaged.
Implementation of an e-signature solution reduces these risks. The many positive benefits of an e-signature, paper-free system fall into three main areas:
Reduced costs and improved efficiency – E-signatures eliminate the potential lag time in new business opportunities, allowing deals to close faster. There is no need to physically deliver, print and/or scan documents, steps that slow down the business process.
Increased compliance– Legal and compliance problems stemming from inaccurate or incomplete documents can be eliminated. A company can be exposed to legal and business risks when staff mistakenly uses outdated versions of a contract, includes the wrong terms or has incorrect or missing information on documents. Additionally, it is important to be able to confirm that documents have been signed off by the appropriate parties to avoid audit or compliance issues.
Better overall customer and vendor experience – The ability to manage accounts remotely allows businesses the flexibility to better meet the needs of individual customers and vendors. E-signatures are a more convenient way to conduct business that allow for an easier, simplified experience for all involved.
ScrapWare Corp., of Rockville, MD, recently teamed up with DocuSign to produce ScrapScribe, a system to facilitate e-signatures in all aspects of a recycling company’s business.
ScrapWare, which has provided software to the scrap metal recycling industry for the past 30 years, developed this product at a time when customers are seeking to increase their contactless, paperless processes for safety, efficiency, and profitability. The ScrapScribe solution allows ScrapWare customers to go paperless for critical business documents in their recycling business. This enables customers to better manage their workflow and reduce paperwork.
How ScrapScribe works:
ScrapScribe enables users to seamlessly send ScrapWare documents to DocuSign for signature. Such documents include dispatch tickets, purchase quotes, purchase contracts, and packing lists, among other documents.
Documents can be viewed on a PC or a mobile device like a tablet or phone.
Documents can be printed if and when the parties would like them, not because they need to be printed to finish a transaction.
ScrapScribe can be used to:
- Send dispatch tickets to vendors for signature while a driver is onsite performing service
- Send purchase quotes from traders for vendor signatures
- Send purchase contracts from traders for vendor signatures
- Send packing lists from scale personnel to common carriers (truck, rail and overseas) and customers
ScrapScribe in action:
Below is an illustration of how ScrapScribe would function in a scrapyard.
A dispatcher creates a dispatch ticket from the ScrapWare application. The dispatcher then assigns a driver to the dispatch ticket, saves it and sends it to DocuSign. DocuSign then creates a new “envelope” and matches the driver assigned to the dispatch ticket to a previously created template. The dispatcher enters a vendor name and selects an email address from the address book. The email subject and message are automatically populated. The dispatcher then sends the dispatch ticket. When the driver arrives onsite to swap containers, he opens the DocuSign app on his mobile device and selects the envelope that matches the corresponding dispatch ticket/vendor name. He will have the vendor or other party electronically sign and date the dispatch ticket. The driver can also enter other optional notes on the dispatch ticket. The signed dispatch ticket is then emailed back to the vendor, with copies sent to both the dispatcher and the driver. This replaces the stub that the driver usually leaves with the vendor as proof of service. This process can be applied to a variety of ScrapWare documents, and ScrapWare has developed a proprietary application that streamlines certain elements of the DocuSign process.
ScrapWare is proud to partner with DocuSign, the leading player in the e-signature business, controlling about 70 percent of the e-signature market according to Forbes. With more than 200,000 users, DocuSign is considered the best app for tracking the entire lifecycle of a document. DocuSign uses bank-level encryption when sending and storing documents for extra security. Additionally, DocuSign’s Quick View sidebar also makes it simple to track the status of documents through their entire lifecycle. This enables users to see which documents require action, which are waiting for action from other people and which are complete. Users can also see which documents are expiring soon.
To eliminate the hassle, cost and security risks of printing, scanning, faxing, mailing and overnighting documents for signature, moving to an e-signature software solution can provide a fast, easy and secure fix. The end result will be increased profitability, improved compliance and happier customers and vendors.
ScrapWare Corp., of Rockville, MD, has been providing software to the scrap metal recycling industry for over 30 years. ScrapWare uses an Oracle database to provide a cloud-based software solution to manage all aspects of a recycling business. With numerous modules, extensive technical support, remote installation and online training, ScrapWare helps recycling companies with compliance, efficiency and profitability. Check out ScrapWare’s website, read the user testimonials, and see its offerings for your recycling software solution.