DocuSign for SAP: A Fully Digital Signature Management Solution

1972 was the year of the Rolling Stones, the last manned space flight to the moon, and the Olympic Summer Games in Munich. Meanwhile, in Weinheim, five IBM employees came together to implement a groundbreaking idea: They wanted to develop programs for companies that made payroll and bookkeeping possible on a large computer.

For this, the IBM professionals in the Hessian province founded a small software company called SAP (abbreviated: systems, applications and products in data processing). Instead of storing the data mechanically on punched cards, as usual, the lateral thinkers used the input of the code on-screen. It was a revolutionary idea and the beginning of digitisation in the IT industry. At the same time, it laid the foundation for the global rise of a German software company.

Since then, SAP has become the global leader in enterprise applications. Now, in partnership with DocuSign, signature management has been perfected.

Moving business forward

Today, SAP has become a powerful corporation serving enterprise applications to 378,000 customers in 130 countries. However, the steep ascent is unique even in the success-spoiled IT industry. "We never leaned back," says founder Dietmar Hopp in retrospect, "We have continued to innovate." Forty-six years after its inception, the entrepreneurial spirit of the past continues unabated: SAP software professionals continue to develop solutions that help companies advance digital transformation.

Often, however, they also incorporate sophisticated solutions from partners such as DocuSign. "For example, a few years ago we considered how we wanted to shape contracting in general," says Christian Baese, SAP Senior Contract Manager. "We checked the signing process and looked for applications that were on the market."

Faster contract execution

SAP wanted to partner with a platform that would allow people inside and outside an organisation to electronically access, sign, and send important documents. In addition, the application should integrate seamlessly with existing SAP solutions. "Key factors included mobility and access to contract information, as well as the ability to sign anywhere, anytime, on any device," says Baese. In short, SAP opted for the DocuSign solution that met all functions and specifications. "Currently, we use DocuSign primarily in sales. Here, we can closely control the signature process and track the document history."

With SAP Signature Management from DocuSign, companies can simplify their processes from procurement to human resources, reduce costs, accelerate contracts, reduce risk, and increase compliance – a decisive advantage for SAP. "And there were never questions about functionality or usability," says Baese, "It's really fun to recommend DocuSign internally!"

Here are the key capabilities available with SAP Signature Management by DocuSign:

Human resources

  • Automate the entire online offer letter process for recruiters
  • Gain greater visibility into the candidate experience
  • Manage HR documents that contain critical or sensitive information securely

Procurement

  • Comply with leading information security and service organisation standards, including ISO 27001 and SSAE 16
  • Meet or exceed even the most stringent security requirements
  • Protect highly confidential information by encrypting documents and making them tamper-conspicuous

Customer engagement

  • Manage all aspects of processes that require a legally-binding signature approval for documentation and completion
  • Execute and track the document-distribution process in the cloud
  • Obtain electronic or digital signatures that are fully secure, legally compliant, and acceptable worldwide

If you’re already a DocuSign customer using an SAP solution, you can get the full benefits right away—just have your Admin enable DocuSign in SAP. If you'd like to learn more, visit our SAP partner page.

Author
Mangesh Bhandarkar
GVP, Product Management
Published
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