Electronic Signatures & ECE in Supply Chain Software

An important area where ESIGN and electronic contract execution (ECE) is expanding is with purchasing, procurement, and supply chain systems. A broad variety of businesses worldwide use these important systems. Companies rely on Purchasing Management Software (PMS) and Enterprise Contract Management (ECM) to help them manage and control the purchasing process, who can sign off on orders, which vendors are approved, etc. Large retailers including local favorites Amazon, Nordstrom and Costco, also have warehousing, distribution centers and other considerations. This software is clearly mission-critical to a fast moving business.

The business ROI of PMS/ECM lies in its ability to speed and control purchasing transactions. Each department relies on the purchasing system so they can purchase what they need from approved vendors. The software pulls up the right purchase orders with the right pricing and also defines the sign-off process for how the company buys from a particular vendor. After completing this sophisticated processing, the system creates a document that is typically printed out. Your sophisticated business process then comes to a grinding halt while you manually chase a contract around for signature. That is, unless you have DocuSign integrated into your system.

One such enterprise software company has integrated DocuSign into its system. Ariba, one of our partners, has integrated DocuSign into its Contract Management module. One of the world’s largest Contract Management providers, Ariba provides many of the Fortune 500 with software for mission-critical functions. In its April release, Ariba is providing integrated electronic signature capabilities to complement its software that allows enterprise-wide management of all contract functions, including buy and sell-side. So rather than sending that purchase order to the printer, you can now send it electronically for e-signature via DocuSign.

DocuSign and Ariba fit perfectly together, finally allowing customers to eliminate the expense of managing paper processes, and streamlining business transactions from beginning to end. Ariba provides enterprise class tools to setup organizational purchasing rules, contract management, and workflow. Integrated right into this, DocuSign’s online electronic contract execution enforces the signing process and keeps the whole transaction moving at the speed of light. No fax, no overnight mail, no need to slow down. Transactions just happen faster and more securely.

Not only do transactions happen faster, but also companies will have greatly improved control over the process. ECE eliminates many common contract mistakes such as missing a signature, forgetting to return a page, or not following a sign-off process. DocuSign provides real-time visibility into the whole contracting process, including exactly who has signed off, viewed, etc.

DocuSign’s integration with Ariba is a perfect example of how ECE fits with important enterprise application suites like ECM and PMS, and enables businesses to accelerate the entire transaction from start to finish.