How document workflow automation can help your business.
Learn what document workflow is and how automating it can make your workday easier.
Vendor contracts, NDA agreements, project bids — when you run a business, your average workday is filled with document processing. If you’ve been handling your documents manually, you know how repetitive and confusing it can get. It’s a smart move to streamline your business operations with document workflow automation.
What is document workflow?
Document workflow is the process that guides a document through your organization until it has all of the relevant authorizations and signatures. At the end of the workflow, the document will be legally binding and ready for archiving or further processing.
The exact workflow will depend on the document and your organization’s structure. To give an example, the document workflow for a Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) might look like this:
- You create an NDA draft and send it to the HR department.
- HR reviews the document, makes any necessary adjustments, and sends it to the legal department.
- Legal completes their own verifications and forwards the document to an internal stakeholder.
- The stakeholder reviews the document and passes it to the accepting party.
- Finally, the accepting party signs the NDA and returns it to you.
Why automate document workflow?
If each of these steps is done manually, the process gets very complex. Anyone could forget who the next recipient is, or the document could go to a dead inbox if there’s been a recent staff change. It can also be impossible to track the document.
Automated document workflow removes uncertainty from the process. You can predetermine all recipients, and they can forward the document with a single button. You’ll also be able to track the document in real time to avoid delays.
How to automate document workflow?
Acrobat Sign comes with the Workflow Designer tool that makes it easy to create automated document workflows. Determine and assign roles to recipients, track document progress and send reminders, create workflow templates, and more.
Discover how Sign can make your business operations smoother.
