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We Use AssureSign for All of our E-signing Needs – Find Out Why!

Post Author: Joe D365 |

In this day and age, everything we do is done electronically – even signing documents! With that in mind, here at PowerObjects we use AssureSign for all our e-signing needs. We use it for everything from sending change requests internally to sending service agreements to our customers.

You may wonder, "Why did we choose AssureSign?"

Great question! It was an easy choice - their solution was the simplest to install and configure. The time it took from installing the solution to having a document configured and sent out to a customer was an unbeatable experience.

Furthermore, AssureSign allows you to grab data from CRM and pre-fill it into the AssureSign document you would like to send. AssureSign even has the functionality to allow your signers to enter information that can be pushed back into CRM.

The icing on the cake was the hassle-free end-user experience for our document senders and our document signers.

Let's cover some of the highlights of AssureSign for Microsoft Dynamics 365.

AssureSign's Pain-Free Solution Install and Configuration 

AssureSign's managed solution is available for CRM 2011/2013/2015/2015 and Dynamics 365. We can download it directly off of their website.

Before we download the solution, we will want to make sure you've connected with AssureSign to sign up for service and have your account set up.

Once your account is all setup, download the AssureSign solution, import it into your CRM, then publish all customizations.

Next, we would need to configure the solution by creating an "AssureSign Configuration" record in CRM. This is where we point CRM to your AssureSign account using the AssureSign "Context ID" given to you and your AssureSign account's user name.

We Use AssureSign for All of our E-Signing Needs

Also, in the configuration record, we can enable or disable certain features of AssureSign.

Now, that we have AssureSign installed and configured, we can move onto creating our first AssureSign document template using JotBlocks and workflows.

Uploading Your Document and Creating an AssureSign Document Template 

To create an AssureSign document template, we will first need to log into your AssureSign account. From here, we will create a new template, where we can upload a PDF or Word document.

One special thing to note about PDF's and Word documents we will upload to AssureSign is that we will need to make sure the document contains blank spaces for use to draw-in the JotBlocks for signing. This means that the document that is uploaded to AssureSign itself is not dynamic, it is static. Therefore, we need to account for spacing of where data can be inserted by CRM or the signatories.

Previously mentioned, you will use JotBlocks and workflows to create your document template.

What is a JotBlock?

A JotBlock is an area that you draw on the page, where signatories can sign or type information. Per AssureSign, a Jotblock may also be used to fill in data by the sender.

We Use AssureSign for All of our E-Signing Needs

JotBlocks are highly customizable through the web application. We can change font, alignment, type of JotBlock, define the JotBlock's behavior and prompts, and much more.

We Use AssureSign for All of our E-Signing Needs

Lastly, to finish the configuration of the document template, we will need to set up the workflow in AssureSign and CRM for automation.

AssureSign and CRM Workflows

When we create a document template, we need to provide AssureSign instructions on the following items:

  1. Who signs this document? How many signatories we will have total?
  2. Who signs what?
  3. Who signs what when?
  4. How do we communicate these steps to signing via emails?

By configuring the workflow, we can automate how this document is handled.

For example, let's say we have 2 signatories, who sign 2 JotBlocks each. We can configure the AssureSign workflow to do the following:

  1. Send document to Signatory 1 to sign and date document.
  2. Then, send document to Signatory 2 to sign and date document.
  3. When Signatory 2 signs and dates document, return the document to CRM as completed.

We Use AssureSign for All of our E-Signing Needs

On the CRM side, we can create workflows that automate the sending of a document via AssureSign and allow for a series of automated business processes to occur when the document is sent.

For example, when we run a custom on-demand workflow on an Account record to execute an AssureSign document, we can also have the workflow update fields on the Account record or send an email from CRM.

We Use AssureSign for All of our E-Signing Needs

What Happens When a Document is Signed, Returned, and Completed?

When a document is returned as signed and completed, the AssureSign web service will update CRM with the document's status. It will also store the signed document in the "Notes" tab of the AssureSign Document record or in SharePoint Online.

We Use AssureSign for All of our E-Signing Needs

If we wanted to create further automation, we can create another workflow that runs on the "AssureSign Document" record on-change of the "AssureSign Status" field.

For example, when a document is returned as signed and completed, our workflow could do the following:

  1. Check if the status is equal to "Completed."
  2. If the status does equal "Completed," update the Account record and send an email.

We Use AssureSign for All of our E-Signing Needs

Is AssureSign Right for You?

Now that you've learned a bit about AssureSign and how it works, ask yourself these questions:

  1. Would your customers have an enhanced customer experience if your business had a paperless option?
  2. Would your employees like to save time from manually processing paperwork and data entry?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions, an e-signing solution might be just what you are looking for.

With the ease of installing the solution, to sending out your first document, you won't need to look any further than AssureSign. To learn more and see some live action demos, tune into our upcoming webinar, "Integrating AssureSign's Electronic Signature Software with Dynamics 365," next week on February 22nd!

Happy CRM'ing!

Joe CRM
By Joe D365
Joe D365 is a Microsoft Dynamics 365 superhero who runs on pure Dynamics adrenaline. As the face of PowerObjects, Joe D365’s mission is to reveal innovative ways to use Dynamics 365 and bring the application to more businesses and organizations around the world.

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