Whether signing a vendor agreement, approving a repair estimate, or applying for a loan, chances are you’ve signed something digitally in recent months. In 2025, digital documents and e-signatures are no longer just a convenience — they’re fast becoming the standard.

Organizations of all types and sizes are embracing digital workflows to improve efficiency, reduce turnaround times, and meet customer expectations. If your organization is still relying on paper documents and manual signatures, now may be the time to take a fresh look at what you might be missing.

Potential Advantages

For small to midsize organizations, there are generally three reasons to use digital documents with e-signatures. First, of course, it’s faster. When you can review and sign a business document electronically, it can be transmitted instantly and approved much more quickly.

And this works both ways: your customers can sign contracts or submit orders for your products or services, and you can sign similar documents with vendors, partners, or consultants. What used to take days or even weeks, as delivery services carried out their duties or paper envelopes crisscrossed in the mail, can now occur in a matter of hours.

Second, it’s a strong safeguard against disaster, theft, and mishandling. Paper is all too easily destroyed, damaged, lost, or stolen. That’s not to say digital documents are impervious to thievery, corruption, and deletion. However, a trusted provider should be able to outfit you with software that not only allows you to use digital documents with e-signatures, but also keeps those files encrypted and safe.

Third, as mentioned, increasingly more customers want it. In fact, this may be the most important reason to incorporate digital documents and e-signatures into your operations. Younger generations have come of age using digitized business services. They expect this functionality and may prefer an organization that offers it to one that still requires them to put pen to paper.

Valid Concerns

Many owners and leaders continue to have valid concerns about digital documents and e-signatures. For example, you may worry about how legally binding a digitized contract or other important document may be. However, e-signatures are now widely used and generally considered lawful under two statutes: 1) the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act of 2000, a federal law, and 2) the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, which governs each state unless a comparable law is in place.

Indeed, every state has legislation in place legalizing e-signatures. There may be some limited exceptions in certain cases, so check with your attorney for specifics if you decide to transition to using the technology.

Another concern you might have is cybersecurity. And there’s no doubt that data breaches are now so common that owners and leaders must expect hacking attempts rather than hope they never happen.

As mentioned, a reputable provider of digital document technology should be able to equip your organization with the necessary tools to defend itself. But don’t stop there. If you haven’t already, establish a sound, regularly updated cybersecurity strategy that encompasses every aspect of your organization — including when and how digital documents and e-signatures are used.

Strategic Move

Implementing this increasingly used technology is a strategic move. As such, it will likely involve costs related to vetting software providers, training your team, and updating internal assets and processes. But it also may be a wise investment in faster transactions, improved security, and a better customer experience. Plus, you’ll pay less in express delivery fees. We can help you evaluate the idea, forecast your return on investment, and, if appropriate, build a smooth transition plan that fits your budget and goals. Contact us for assistance.