More industries than ever, including the manufacturing industry, are turning to digital solutions like electronic signatures. Implementing paperless solutions and digital technologies are the answers to modernizing the manufacturing industry and automating important processes in truly impactful ways.
But, how important are eSignatures really for those in the manufacturing industry? Are they worth the time and effort required? Yes and yes.
Below, we’ll take a closer look at eSignatures as they’re related to common processes and documents in manufacturing and we’ll identify 6 key benefits that can make a big impact for businesses in this industry.
How are electronic signatures used in the manufacturing industry?
At any given time, there’s a lot of paperwork completion required in the manufacturing industry. Fortunately, electronic signatures and digital documents provide an easy and legally binding method for completing the necessary paperwork faster. Common documents that are electronically signed in manufacturing industries include but are definitely not limited to:
- Contracts and agreements
- NDAs
- Purchase orders
- Invoices
- Billing statements
- Bills of lading
- Sales orders
- Quality control documents
- RFP/RFQ documents
- Technical documents
- Proposals
What are the benefits of using electronic signatures in the manufacturing industry?
While digital documents and electronic signatures are accepted for most document types in the manufacturing industry, what are the benefits of using digital over traditional paper documents? Let’s take a look:
- Faster: No more waiting on signed and completed paperwork to be brought in or mailed. By signing electronically, important and time-sensitive documents can be completed and delivered to recipients within a matter of seconds, not hours or days.
- More Secure: Traditional paper documents are more susceptible to unauthorized viewership, theft, loss, and unauthorized duplication. When electronic signatures being used, teams and individuals in various manufacturing industries can ensure more secure viewership controls are in place, store completed documents securely in cloud servers or local FTPS servers, and each completed document is locked for editing following completion thus ensuring document integrity.
- Greener: It is increasingly important for those in manufacturing to reduce, reuse, and recycle in order to reduce environmental. By implementing electronic signatures and going paperless with documentation, businesses in the manufacturing industry can significantly reduce waste and promote more efforts to #gogreen. Learn more about going green with electronic signatures here.
- Streamlined Workflow: Digital documents and electronic signatures can make all the difference in keeping things moving between processes and various processes.
- Cheaper: Cost savings is a key element to promoting growth in any industry, manufacturing included. Companies who include electronic signatures in their digital transformations report significant cost savings from not having to buy paper and printing supplies or pay for mailed documents.
- Enhanced Experience: For those looking to improve client experiences, look no further than digitizing the signature process. Clients appreciate the flexibility and convenience of signing when and where they want, plus sending and receiving everything electronically can speed up the entire paperwork process for them to keep things moving smoothly and quickly.
- Better Collaboration: Signing and completing documents electronically makes it easier to share information quickly, review as needed, and submit for approval to managers or purchasing departments.
