What is Signature Automation? Our Guide to Streamlining Document Workflows

Quick Summary

This guide covers what signature automation is, how it works, its benefits, and how businesses can leverage it to streamline workflows, save time, and improve security. Visit the SignWell Resources Page to learn more about implementing e-signature into document workflows.

Tired of Chasing Signatures and Wasting Time on Paperwork?

Manually collecting signatures slows down deals, delays approvals, and adds unnecessary hassle to your workflow. Signature automation changes that by streamlining the entire signing process, saving you time, reducing errors, and keeping everything moving effortlessly.

In this SignWell article, we’re going to explain what signature automation is, how it works, and how it can help you simplify document workflows for faster, more efficient approvals.

But first…

Why Listen to Us?

At SignWell, we specialize in secure, legally binding e-signatures that make approvals faster and easier for individuals and businesses. With advanced security, detailed audit trails, and seamless integrations, our platform has helped over 61,000 organizations process more than 4 million documents. We know what it takes to streamline signature automation effectively, and we’re here to help you do the same.

What is Signature Automation?

Signature automation is the process of streamlining document signing using digital tools that eliminate the need for manual signatures. Instead of printing, signing, scanning, and emailing documents, businesses can use automated workflows to send, sign, and manage documents seamlessly, saving time and reducing errors.

Unlike traditional e-signatures, which may still require manual steps, signature automation optimizes the entire process by;

• Ensuring documents are signed in the correct order
• Automatically notifying signers at the right time
• Tracking document progress in real-time for full visibility
• Enabling the use of custom templates to standardize recurring documents 

This makes approvals faster, improves security, and keeps business operations running smoothly.

Examples of Signature Automation in Action Across Industries

Legal Agreements

A law firm uses signature automation to streamline client NDAs and contracts. With SignWell, clients receive documents with clear signing instructions, ensuring they sign first before automatically routing them to the appropriate legal representative. Each step is timestamped for a detailed audit trail, and automated reminders prevent delays. 

HR Onboarding

A new employee receives an onboarding packet with multiple documents, including tax forms, confidentiality agreements, and benefits enrollment. Signature automation ensures each document is signed in the correct order, notifies HR once all forms are completed, and securely stores them for compliance and future reference.

Sales Contracts

A sales representative sends a contract to a new client using a pre-built template, like those available in SignWell. The system ensures the client signs first, then automatically routes it to the sales manager for approval. If the client hasn’t signed within 24 hours, they receive an automated reminder, and the sales team gets real-time updates on the contract’s status.

Real Estate Transactions

A real estate agency automates the signing process for purchase agreements, disclosures, and mortgage approvals. Buyers, sellers, and agents are notified when it’s their turn to sign, and the system tracks every step to ensure compliance. If a document is delayed, automated reminders help keep the transaction moving.

Finance Approvals

A company automates its expense approval process by routing invoices to the appropriate managers based on predefined rules. Using template-based workflows, finance teams can instantly send recurring approval requests, track each invoice’s progress, ensure signatures are collected in order, and automatically receive notifications when approvals are completed.

Benefits of Signature Automation

Faster Document Turnaround

Signature automation eliminates bottlenecks caused by manual signing processes. Documents are instantly sent to the right signers in the correct order, with automated reminders ensuring timely completion. This speeds up approvals, reducing contract cycles from days to just hours or even minutes.

Improved Accuracy and Compliance

Pre-built document templates ensure that all required fields are completed correctly before submission, minimizing errors. Automated workflows also maintain signing order and legal compliance, ensuring documents meet industry regulations and internal policies.

Reduced Manual Effort and Human Error

Instead of chasing signatures through emails and follow-ups, teams can rely on automated notifications and real-time tracking to manage document progress. This significantly reduces administrative workload and eliminates errors caused by missing or misplaced documents.

Enhanced Security and Audit Tracking

Signature automation platforms, provide tamper-proof audit trails, timestamped signatures, and encryption to protect sensitive information. Every action; signing, approval, and completion, is logged, ensuring full transparency and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Seamless Integration with Existing Workflows

Signature automation tools like SignWell integrate with CRM, HR, and finance systems, streamlining the signing process without disruption. Whether sending contracts from Salesforce or approving invoices in accounting software, automation keeps workflows efficient and connected.

How to Implement Signature Automation With SignWell

Let’s say you are a sales representative, you frequently send contracts, agreements, and approval documents to clients and team members. Managing these manually can be time-consuming, prone to errors, and difficult to track.

Here’s how you can implement signature automation with SignWell:

Step 1: Sign Up for a Free SignWell Account

At SignWell, we’ve built an intuitive and powerful e-signature platform designed to streamline the document signing process. Our tool also adheres to international eSignature laws.

To get started:

1. Visit the SignWell website.
2. You can either:

• Sign up using your Google account for convenience.
• Or create an account with a unique email and password.
• Once logged in, access your document dashboard, where you’ll manage all your contracts and agreements.

Step 2: Upload Your Sales Contracts or Use Templates

As a sales manager, you likely send out similar contracts repeatedly. Instead of drafting documents from scratch each time, SignWell offers two options:

1. Upload a New Document: If your contract is ready, simply upload a PDF, Word, Excel, or image file.
2. Use a Saved Template: If you frequently send standard agreements (like NDAs or sales contracts), select a pre-saved template from your SignWell Template Library to save time.

Step 3: Add Recipient Contact Information

Now, define who needs to sign the document. Sales deals often involve multiple stakeholders, clients, department heads, or legal teams.

• Enter the names and email addresses of all signers.
• If you need to sign the document yourself, add your details as well.
• Click “Prepare” to proceed.

Step 4: Assign Signature Fields and Other Inputs

With the document uploaded, it’s time to place signature fields where needed:

• Drag and drop the signature box onto the document.

• Assign each signature field to the correct signer using a dropdown menu.
• Add additional fields like:
  • Text fields for names, dates, or payment details.
  • Checkboxes for agreeing to contract terms.
  • Initials fields for multi-page approvals.
• Set up data validation rules to ensure signers enter information correctly.

This eliminates errors and ensures each signer provides the necessary details.

Step 5: Automate Sending and Approvals

Now that your document is ready, it’s time to send it out for signatures. In sales, timing is crucial, delayed approvals can stall deals. With SignWell’s automation features, you can streamline the process:

• Click “Send” at the top-right corner of your dashboard.
• Add a custom message for recipients, providing context for the document.

• If multiple approvals are needed, set “Apply sending order” (e.g., the client signs first, then your manager, followed by legal).
• Enable automated reminders to ensure signers don’t miss the request.

Once everything is set, click “Send”, and SignWell will handle the rest. Each recipient will receive an email with a link to sign the document, ensuring a smooth, efficient process.

Step 6: Track Document Status in Real Time

Keeping track of every document manually can be overwhelming, especially when managing multiple deals. SignWell’s real-time tracking ensures you stay updated at every stage:

• Monitor progress from your dashboard, and see who has viewed, signed, or is yet to sign.
• Automate follow-ups with scheduled reminders to nudge pending signers.

• Receive notifications as soon as a document is signed, eliminating the need to chase approvals manually.

Step 7: Securely Store and Share Signed Documents

Once all signatures are collected, SignWell automatically finalizes the document. Here’s what you can do next:

• Download the signed contract for your records or share it with stakeholders via email.
• Store it securely in the cloud, ensuring easy access whenever needed.
• Integrate with your CRM (such as HubSpot or Salesforce) to automatically attach completed contracts to client records for seamless organization.

Streamline Your Document Workflows with SignWell

Manual document signing is slow, error-prone, and disrupts business efficiency. Delays in approvals, lost paperwork, and compliance risks can cost your business time and money. Signature automation eliminates these bottlenecks, ensuring every document is signed quickly and securely.

With SignWell, you get a seamless eSignature platform designed for speed and simplicity. From reusable templates to automated reminders and real-time tracking, SignWell handles the entire signing process effortlessly. Whether you’re managing contracts, approvals, or agreements, our automation features ensure compliance, security, and efficiency, without the hassle of manual follow-ups.

Take control of your document workflow today. Sign up for SignWell for free.