Signing Document Files
yuuvis® RAD client supports signing and working with signed documents. Authorized users can use the Actions menu in yuuvis® RAD client to request electronic signatures for specific document files in PDF format as well as Microsoft Office documents. After the user selects the document files, they are sent to a service that controls the signing process. Simple, advanced, or qualified signatures can be requested depending on the configuration of the signature platform and the signature service. When the process is complete, the signed document files are saved as a new version in yuuvis® RAD client. The entire process is logged in yuuvis® RAD client for progress control, but also for auditing purposes.
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Your administrator must have configured yuuvis® RAD for signing and working with signed document files.
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Your administrator must have configured one or more document types for signing.
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The user needs the appropriate rights to edit the document file.
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The document file to be signed must meet the following conditions:
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PDF or Microsoft Office file format
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The object is not finalized
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no signature has been requested for this document file yet
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Requesting Signatures
Authorized users in yuuvis® RAD client have the Request signatures action available in the Actions menu in order to sign a document file. The action is offered to users in the Actions menu only under the above conditions.
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Select the desired object (in a hit list, a process file, or the favorites, inbox, or notifications areas in the main menu, for example). As another option, you can also switch to the folder view or the object view by double-clicking the selected object.
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Click Actions >GENERAL > Request signatures.
The Request signatures dialog box appears.
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Enter the name and e-mail address of the recipient and click the Add button.
The data entered is applied and displayed in the Request signatures dialog.
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Click the Add signer icon in the dialog if you want to add more signers.
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The added recipients are displayed in a list in the Request signatures dialog. The following actions are available for editing this list:
Icon Description If you click this icon with your left mouse button and hold the mouse button down, you can move the entry in the list. By clicking this icon, you can add another recipient to the list at the desired position. Opens the input fields for this entry and allows you to customize the name and e-mail address of the recipient. Deletes the entry from the recipient list. Please note that if there are several signers, the order in the signer list will correspond to the order of the signer fields placed in the document.
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Select the signature type.
If you click the arrow next to the Signature type entry, then the signature types available in your system will be shown. Simple, advanced, or qualified signatures can be requested depending on the configuration of the signature platform and the signature service.
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Activate the Sign in parallel checkbox if you want the recipients to be able to sign the document simultaneously instead of one after the other. If you do not activate the checkbox, recipients will not receive the document for signature until the recipient before them in the list has signed the document.
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Enter a subject in the E-mail subject field.
The subject can be used in the e-mail to other signers to indicate the reason for signing. You must enter a minimum of five characters. You can enter up to 100 characters. A default text stored in the system is used if no subject is entered.
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Type a message in the E-mail message field.
In this field you can notify other signers about the signing process and forward further information.
- After completing your entries, click the Request button in the Request signatures dialog.
Depending on the entries you have made, the signature request with the document file is transferred to the configured signing platform or to additional signers.
A signature icon is shown in the header of the object area of the object selected for signature.
The Signatures aspect area displays information (e.g., the processing status and the list of recipients) for the requested signature.
After the document file has been signed, it is automatically saved in yuuvis® RAD as a new version.
Signature Icons
Documents for which a signature has been requested are indicated by a signature icon in the header of the object area. The signature icon can be gray, green, or red. If you hover with the mouse over the icon, the tooltips will show you the status of the signing process.
Signatures Aspect Area
You can get an idea about the course of a signature process in the Signatures aspect area. This is then available as soon as signatures have been requested for the document file. You can also find out about the status of the signing process in the aspect area, in addition to information about the signature type, the signers, and the signing time. A check is performed regularly to see if anything has changed in the signature process on the signing platform. In the event of a change, the new status information will be visible on the object. The following status levels are possible:
Value | Description | Signing icon |
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in progress | The document file has been transferred to the signing platform and the specified signers still need to sign it. | |
signed | A signer has signed the document file. Once all signers have signed, the document file is fully signed, has been retrieved by the signature service, and has been added to the document as a new version. | |
rejected | A signer revised the signature and provided a reason for doing so. | |
expired | The current signer did not sign within the time configured on the signing platform. | |
canceled | A user or a signing platform has canceled the signing process. | |
Error | If an error occurs during signing, the reason is documented here. |
Signatures in the History Aspect Area
A corresponding change notice on the object is shown in the History aspect area to indicate that there is a request for signatures or a new version with the finished signed file has been created.
Canceling the Signing Process
Users with the appropriate editing rights will be offered the Cancel signing action if the signing status is in progress. The user is prompted to enter a reason when triggering this action. After confirming the query, the signature status is set to canceled. The status for signers who have already received an e-mail but have not yet signed is changed from in progress to canceled, including the date and reason.
The status of a signing operation is shown to you in the Signatures aspect area and in the header of the object area of the corresponding document.
If you have canceled a signing process, you cannot start a new one.
Searching for Documents to Be Signed or Signed Documents
One or more object types may be configured to support signed PDF documents, depending on the system configuration. Accordingly, it is possible in yuuvis® RAD client to search for these object types or for the signing status. The search can also be performed across all object types.
To do so, click the Signing object type in the search dialog in the Cross-context area. In the search form that appears, you can specify additional search criteria. Select the status in progress if you want to find documents that are still in the process of being signed. Signed documents can be found using the signed search criterion. Likewise, you can search in the search form, for example, by signature type, by individual signers, or by signing request dates.