KPIs for an Electronic Signature Service in Production

The adoption of electronic signatures continues to expand into new sectors and use cases. This article reviews best practices, technical requirements, and common pitfalls in the context of transformation digitale.

Why This Matters

Electronic signatures are not just a paperless convenience. They carry legal responsibility for both the issuer and the signatory. A poorly designed workflow exposes organisations to risks of challenge, non-compliance, or loss of evidence.

Key Points to Master

Signatory identification: depending on the target signature level, choose between email OTP, ID verification, or a qualified certificate. Do not overstate the level actually achieved.
Informed consent: the signatory must be able to review the document before signing. The presented version must be locked and timestamped.
Document integrity: a SHA-256 hash of the document before and after signing must be preserved in the evidence package.
Event timestamping: each step (opening, review, consent, authentication, signing) must be timestamped in UTC.
Evidence package: consolidate all artefacts into a self-contained verifiable package, retained according to the applicable retention policy.

Recommended Architecture

The signing workflow should be designed in independent layers for auditability and maintainability:

Presentation layer: responsive, accessible document viewing and signing interface.
Authentication layer: email OTP, SSO, or certificate depending on the required level.
Consent layer: explicit, timestamped checkboxes linked to the document.
Sealing layer: hash generation, timestamping, and evidence package assembly.
Archiving layer: long-term storage with retention and migration policies.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing electronic signatures with scanned signatures: a scan carries no intrinsic evidentiary value.
Neglecting timestamping: a signature without reliable timestamping is hard to defend in a dispute.
Forgetting T&C consent: signing alone does not prove acceptance of terms and conditions.
Storing evidence in a non-exportable proprietary format.
Failing to test the workflow under real conditions (mobile, slow connection, older browsers).

Operational Checklist

Before going live, verify the following:

[ ] The workflow has been tested on mobile and desktop.
[ ] Events are timestamped in UTC with a workflow ID.
[ ] SHA-256 hashes are computed and preserved.
[ ] Consent to terms and conditions is captured separately.
[ ] The evidence package is downloadable and verifiable.
[ ] The retention policy is documented and enforced.
[ ] Access to the evidence package is logged and restricted.

Going Further

Electronic signature is a trust tool, not just a button. It must be integrated into a comprehensive compliance and evidence management strategy.

For more, explore our other resources on the SignEuropa blog.

This content provides general information and does not replace legal advice or a compliance audit. The appropriate signature level depends on context, identification, authentication and the evidence actually produced.