An efficient company workflow should be based on tools that facilitate the creation, exchange, review and approval of contracts. Today, few people draft contracts manually with a piece of paper, a pen and carbon paper.

Most processes are done electronically using more or less sophisticated tools. Which are the most efficient and most commonly used?

What tools improve workflow?

The selection of tools for document processing and approval should be tailored to the specifics of a given company and chosen so that the systems chosen streamline work instead of making processes even more complicated.

Microsoft® Office suite

An absolute staple for many companies to work with is Microsoft® Office, within which you can create documents, spreadsheets or graphical presentations. Microsoft® Office is a tool we know well and have used for years. While Word or Excel are programs that offer great possibilities, they are not without limitations.

The main disadvantage of Office installed on a computer disk is the need to save the file to disk each time and send it to the next person by e-mail.

E-mail

Email continues to be the primary tool for communication between companies, as well as within internal company structures. Although employees increasingly use various types of instant messaging to contact each other, it is e-mail that remains the most popular tool used, for example, to transfer files between each other.

Such a solution, although very useful, is not perfect and can generate problems. Who has not happened at least once that an important email has slipped away somewhere in the flurry of correspondence or an outdated version of a document has accidentally been attached to a message? To avoid such problems, it is worthwhile to introduce systems that allow automation of many processes.

Microsoft 365® or Google Workspace

Microsoft 365® and Google Workspace are tools that allow multiple people to work on the same file at the same time. Using such capabilities will once and for all eliminate the problem of distinguishing and merging a dozen working versions into one file with the final version of the document. Microsoft 365® and Google Workspace allow you to verify changes made to the content of the document, and also allow you to go back to archived versions. These tools also have the option to add comments and edit the text in a change-tracking mode so that other people working on the text can see them right away.

DocuSign®, Autenti® and qualified signature

Once the documents are prepared, it comes time for the signatures of, for example, the board members. This can be done the traditional way, i.e. printing two copies, giving them to the board of directors to sign, and then with the help of a courier sending the contract to the contractor.

However, such a process is very time-consuming. Board members are difficult to catch at the company’s headquarters, and partners drag out the moment of signing or sending the contract indefinitely.

Finalizing contracts is much more efficient if the company uses a good electronic signature platform. With systems such as DocuSign® or Autenti®, any authorized person can sign a document with literally a few clicks. A contractor can also affix his e-signature, even if he himself does not use similar systems within his company. Within DocuSign® and Autenti®, users can sign documents electronically and use their qualified signatures.

Server solutions and browser-based access

We increasingly rarely work from the office 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week. Often we partially perform our duties from home, and sometimes we finish our work on the phone. This is why the flexibility of work tools and the ability to access them from any browser, any device and anywhere in the world is important. Such a solution makes it possible for an employee to perform his or her duties from any place with Internet access, and the employer can forget about the problematic installation and updating of software on each of the company’s computers. If you want work in your company to run more efficiently, you also need an efficient electronic workflow system that allows you to efficiently distribute and transfer activities. Hatiroo® is an intuitive and easy-to-use tool that allows you to process company documents and is enriched with all the functionalities described above. Want to learn more? Get in touch with us!