The Electronic Signature feature in intelligentcontract.com allows you to securely sign and manage your contract documents.


Our partnership with Adobe Sign will allow any document uploaded into intelligentcontract to be sent via email to nominated parties for signing. A person will receive an email notification and be able to add their signature electronically to a document. Once complete, a copy of the signed document will be uploaded back into intelligentcontract for your records.


Installing Adobe Sign

If you have an account with Adobe Sign then you first need to install the Adobe Sign Plugin into your account.


Navigate to: Configuration => Plugins = > Manage Plugins


Here you will see the option for Adobe Sign. Just click the [Install] button 


The remainder of this article explains how to send a document for electronic signature via Adobe Sign.


Step 1 - Send a Document for Electronic Signature

As the Signature process requires a document, you must have uploaded documents that require signatures to the Contract Document tab before starting the signing process. The system will offer you documents that have been attached to the Documents, Notes, or Amendments tab. You could also add the relevant signature People to the Contract People tab before you start the process. 


  • Open a Contract record that has the documents which you require signing attached
  • Click on the More Action [...] button and select the [Submit for Digital Signing - Adobe] option

Note: If you have installed Plugins for multiple Electronic Signature providers, then they will all be displayed in the list. Choose the correct option by the relevant icon; if you hover over the options in the list, an pop up will identify them.

Fig 1- Activating the Electronic Signature Process


Tip: If you have the Approvals feature option of 'Only Approved Contracts can be sent for Electronic Signature' switched on, then the Electronic Signature option will only appear when an Approved contract has been selected.



Step 2 - Selecting Documents

Select the document or documents that you want to send for signature using the checkbox. The system will display a list of all the documents that you have already uploaded to the Contract Document tab. If you select more than one document, the system will join them together as a single PDF. You will have a chance later to change the sequence in which the documents are ordered.


Fig 2 - Selecting Documents for Signing


Step 3 - Selecting Signer(s)

Select the People who are required to sign the document. The system will display a list of all the People that you have already assigned in the Contract People tab (you can select one or more). Later in the process, you are able to determine the order in which the people sign the contract, and also add more People if required.


Fig 3 - Selecting Signers


Step 4 - Adobe Sign Login

Log into your Adobe Sign account. Before you can use this feature of intelligentcontract, you will need to obtain an Adobe Sign account. 


Tip: You can start a free trial here: Adobe Trial Account. Any of the Adobe sign account types will work with intelligentcontract

 

Fig 4 - Adobe Sign in Page


1. Email - Insert Adobe Sign account email address

2. Password - Insert Adobe Sign account password

3. Sign In button - Press to log into Adobe Sign


At this point there will be a pause while the link connects to the correct server, you will see a please wait message appear.  


If you have used Adobe sign in the past, your Username and Password may already default into the fields, click in one of the fields to confirm the values and you will see a short please wait message, pause here and the server will connect and open your Adobe Sign account in intelligentcontract

Fig 5 - Connecting to the Adobe Sign account



Step 5 - Submit Document for Signing

Amend the Document Signing requirements settings if required. You can send a message to each signer, set a password, determine whether you must sign the document, or alter the recipient list.


Tip:  Normally, you will want to add a signature field to the document for signing (and maybe other fields such as the date, title of person signing, and their printed name), so you should leave the "Preview, position signatures, or add form fields" checked.


After clicking "Next", you will be able to position the signature and other data fields prior to sending the document for signing.


Fig 6 - Review Signature request Message information


  1. Email Recipients - Update existing or add a new email addresses that the document is to be sent to
  2. Signature - Check this box if the document also requires your signature
  3. Message - Adjust message text which each signer receives, if required
  4. Order - Define if the signatures are required is a specific order
  5. Password - Check this box if a password should be entered before the document can be opened and also if you wish to set a reminder for the Signature request
  6. Preview - Check this box if you wish to add signature box's to the document and preview.
  7. Next - Click to submit document for processing


Step 6 - Placing signature and other data fields

This step allows you to place Signatory boxes and other relevant data fields on your document. First select the signer name, then drag and drop the relevant fields required onto your document. Click the "send" button once your signature and other data fields have been put in place for each signer.


Use the 'Recipients' drop down to switch between all the people required to sign the document. You will need to add Signature box's to each recipient in turn.


Fig 7 - Placing Signature fields


Step 7 - Confirmation


This screen will appear to confirm that the document has been emailed to the recipients for signing. You can now click on a menu item on the left or the Logo to go back to your home page.



Fig 8 - Adobe Sign receipt


Keeping Track

Each contract has a signatures tab. The Signatures tab will display the status of the document in the signing process.  When the document is signed by each of the signers specified, the status will be updated to 'Signed'. 


You will then receive email notification that the document has been signed and has been loaded back into your intelligentcontract account.


You are then able to download the signed document from the signature tab. This download will show the documents sent for signature, the signatures obtained, and an audit document appended to show how and when each signature was obtained.


Fig 9 - Contract Signature record


Tip: If you have more than one Electronic Signature provider installed, then you can Edit your Signature tab view to include the 'Service' field. This will identify which service you have used to send the document out for signing.

TIP: You can log into your Adobe Sign account to perform advanced operations on your "in process" documents. You can for example, cancel a document for signature or replace the signer or send manual reminders, if required.