What is an electronic signature?  This is a confusing topic for most. An electronic signature, as defined by ESIGN legislation, means an ‘electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.’

Electronic Signatures are technology neutral. Therefore, there are a number of ways to represent an electronic signature. Examples include a digital image of handwritten signature, a secret code or pin to identify the recipient, a signature collected on a signature pad in a department store, etc. All of these must symbolize a persons intent to sign the record.

An example in the simplest form is as follows;  someone signs into an application and types their name in a signature field.  A symbol or mark, such as a barcode, would be attached to the form once a person has clicked a sign button indicating their intent to sign. This is now a legal electronic signature.

This makes the process of collecting electronic signatures easy to understand and implement on any electronic form. For more information on electronic signatures visit http://eformconnect.com/eFormDemo.swf.

How do you plan to implement electronic signatures?

Inquiry - A caller is in need of an application to convert their school
sports registration form to an online format.  Rather than having
parents bring their students into the office to register, they would
like the capability to have them go to the school sports website, click
on a link to fill out the form, and have the information automatically
stored into an easily accessible database.  They also need the ability
to run different reports on the data, such as figuring out what shirt
sizes are needed for each age group and team without the hassle of
manually reviewing each form.

Solution - The eForm-Connect package would be customized and downloaded
to the sports department workstation.  The URL for the link can then be
placed onto the website for parental access.  Once downloaded, parents
have access to then fill out the form on their home computer.  The
eForm-Connect application also provides the capability to have a parent
or guardian electronically sign the form for approval.  Eform-Connect is
engineered as a relational database, allowing the Forms Manager to run
reports on the data stored.  With eForm-Connect, the system
administrator is able to run a specified report at the click of a button
and get instant results rather than go through the manual sorting of
forms into age groups, shirt sizes, etc.

Inquiry - A university would like to implement a new application to speed up the process of distributing, acquiring, and securely filing a variety of student enrollment forms.  Many of the forms require multiple signatures.  One example of the multiple signatures involved is:

1) The student first electronically completes the form and includes an electronic signature.

2) The student then emails it to a faculty member who then adds an electronic signature for approval.

3) The form is sent on to the Registrar for final electronic signature.

4) Finally, they would also like to integrate all form data into the student record database at the Registrar’s Office.

Solution - Although this process may sound complicated, eForm-Connect makes this multiple signature and data storage process easy and hassle free for all of the users involved.

When a student has received an email notifying him/her of the required forms, the student selects the web link to the university’s eForm-Connect application, logging in using secure login authentication.  When finished completing the form, the student electronically signs the form.  eForm’s electronic signatures are secure and fully comply with Federal ESIGN regulations.

Once the student submits the form along with electronic signature, it closes the browser and is automatically sent via email to the faculty member responsible for approval.  The faculty member then repeats the process, enters the web link, reviews the form and electronically signs the form.  Again, upon submission, eForm closes the browser and automatically emails it onto the Registrar.

The Registrar will then complete the process by reviewing, signing and submitting the form.  Each time the form is submitted the database is updated.  eForm-Connect also integrate eForms data with the university’s student records database.  eForm-Connect greatly reduces the time and work involved in obtaining multiple signatures on a form and eliminates countless hours spent by university staff manually filing thousands of paper forms.  eForm Connect dramatically improves a tedious and time-consuming process by combining eSignatures, with multiple email forwarding – an elegant automation of a formerly manual process.

Inquiry - Does eForm-Connect allow users to have access to all of the
forms, or only forms specific to the user?

Solution - The Account Management Tool, which is part of the Desktop Application Console, allows the Forms Administrator to determine what forms the users have access to.  This is beneficial because it enables companies who offer multiple forms within their eForm-Connect application to limit access of specific forms to specific users. Users will only have access to forms they are supposed to complete.  We can also optimize the Account Manager Tool to map users to specific supervisors. For example, a supervisor can log in to see all of the forms that have been filled out by users he/she is responsible for.