How to streamline your document approval workflow.
A document approval workflow is a crucial part of business communications. Learn more about how your company can publish well-crafted documents fast.
A document approval workflow is necessary to ensure your company communications are concise, on-point, and provide consistent messaging. But what happens when the approval process delays important documents? Use a PDF document approval workflow form and electronic signatures to keep the approval process moving along.
What is a document approval workflow?
Simply put, a document approval workflow is the process through which digital documents are reviewed and approved in a business environment. Approving documents is a critical and integral part of any business’ operations. Everything from contracts to invoices to marketing materials needs to be approved before teams can take action.
What can a document approval workflow improve?
A digital document approval workflow keeps business moving in a timely manner while avoiding many of the pitfalls of analog paperwork and physical signatures. Here are a few ways a document approval workflow improves business operations as a whole:
- Standardizing processes. A document approval workflow clearly defines the process for document routing, signing, and storage for every member of the company. It ensures that every document is handled the same way, which means that essential steps aren’t missed and documents aren’t lost along the way.
- Automating follow-ups. Without a standard approval process, it is easy for teams to miss deadlines. Instead of manually tracking where a document is in the approval process and remembering to remind individuals to complete their steps, a document approval workflow tool can make tasks like the contract approval process more efficient by setting up automated reminders and offering a live view of where a document currently is in the approval journey.
- Speeding up signatures. With a digital approval process, documents can move from signer to signer instantly, allowing a document to be signed and approved in seconds.
- Storing documents. A large part of a document approval workflow is storing documents digitally. Doing so protects documents from loss, physical destruction, and keeps things organized.
3 steps to streamline your document approval workflow.
Here are some steps to help speed up your document approval process:
- Maintain a list of pre-approved words, sentences, and paragraphs that describe your company and what it does. This method will help keep your messaging consistent. In addition, any parts of a new document that incorporate pre-approved text will require less review.
- Use a concurrent approval workflow rather than a consecutive process. Email an editable PDF to all the approvers simultaneously rather than one after the other. Then, integrate their responses into a final draft for the last review.
- Limit the document review process to only those business leaders with a direct stake in the document in question. Sales, for example, may not need to be included in the workflow for an internal technical document.
Steps to avoid document approval delays.
Before publishing official company documents, whether internal communications or for the public, it is vital that company leaders review, comment, and approve the text and any graphics. This process can take time, and having a streamlined document approval workflow can help you avoid unnecessary delays.
Tips to improve the document approval workflow process.
As you create your document approval workflow process, preparation is key. Spending time at the outset to plan and brainstorm the different processes and tasks that will need to be included for specific types of documents will save you time and headaches down the line. Ask yourself these questions:
- Who is approving? Determine which stakeholders in your organization will be approving documents within your process. Consult with them about what they need to do their due diligence and sign documents with confidence.
- When is the deadline? Decide how quickly certain types of documents need to go through the process from start to finish.
- How will we gather feedback? Map out what your process will be for document reviewers to give feedback and receive edits back for review. Not every document will be ready to sign as is.
- How will we keep things organized? Define how documents will be named and where they will be stored.
- What software will we use? Choose the platform that will host your documents and automate your document approval workflow.
Speed up document approval workflow with PDFs.
Remember, you can streamline your company’s document approval workflow using online PDF forms with electronic signatures. Don’t waste time printing document drafts and waiting for managers to approve them. Simply email a PDF draft copy that managers can sign or initial electronically.
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