Activity tracking - more than just your daily steps

Would you send a contract out into the dark night, with no supervision? And wait anxiously by the phone to hear whether it safely reached its destination? Then spend potentially days wondering whether it had been completed and would find its way back to you?

Alright, that’s a bit dramatic. But the fact of the matter is, sending and managing important documents today can be a little anxiety-inducing at times. When we hit send on an email with an attachment, what if it ended up in a spam box on the other end? Or was blocked by email server settings? Or perhaps even received successfully, opened, then...forgotten?

For many, this is the reality of dealing with digital contracts and forms. Once they’re off in the ether, we rely on someone on the other side to confirm, complete, and send back the forms. This becomes increasingly difficult if, for example, that person needs to print out and then scan a form back in order to fill it in.

Yet it doesn’t have to be this way. There are some solutions available now that provide document activity tracking options. And other than the benefit of potentially reducing some stress levels, let’s look at the other benefits of tracking document activity.

It increases automation

Because document tracking is tied to digital documents, this opens an entirely new world of opportunity for automation. From integrations with existing systems (so that data gathered is directly synced), to auto updates on the progress of a particular workflow, to instant delivery of completed documents, document tracking is tied in with productivity-boosting automation.

That means less manual work and data entry and risk of error that can come from manual data entry. It also makes it easier to send reminders if a document is late (and reminders to you as well to send a reminder!). And all that automation can mean faster workflows.

It’s more secure

In certain industries especially, handling the information gathered from forms and contracts can be highly sensitive and requires an added level of privacy. Because document activity tracking provides the option of restricting who has access to the document by selecting the recipients email, requiring identity authentication to access the document, and tracking when it was viewed, it provides a considerably higher level of security than a traditional email attachment.

On top of that, some solutions include a verified electronic signature (ok yes, we’re one of them - can you blame us for a little self-promotion?) option that makes it easy to sign contracts and forms securely.

It’s more accessible

An emailed attachment often needs to be downloaded, filled in using a PDF editor, if possible, or printed and scanned. This process makes it impossible for the sender to know what step the document is at and whether there were any issues on the receiving end.

Because document activity tracking is done online, the form itself is also online. This can mean a secure portal where the document is shared and managed that can be accessed and completed from any device with a wifi connection. No downloading or paper required. Send scanners the way of the fax machine.

It provides an audit trail

Not only does document activity tracking mean a more secure, automated, and usable experience, it can also provide valuable details about a particular document, including who had access (via email authentication), when certain activities were carried out (via time stamping) and information about data integrity (via an electronic seal on completed documents).?

These details can be crucial for businesses needing to keep a closer eye on document processing and workflows especially if there comes a need to check an audit trail.?

Plus: it can help businesses go paperless

When new solutions have the added bonus of helping reduce a business’s environmental impact, what is there not to like? When increasing document security and workflow efficiency also means cutting out the use of paper and physical document transport costs, it sounds like a win-win to us.

Document activity tracking is more than just about knowing whether your message has been received. It can provide clear peace-of-mind about exactly when the document was accessed, what stage it’s at in the completion/signing process, and who has accessed it. The benefits go beyond relieving some of the security concerns of traditional document sharing and help businesses offer a more streamlined, secure, and accessible solution.