Not having to travel or wait for a paper to arrive to sign is a logistical and quality-of-life improvement that doesn’t require too much explanation. Moreover, the concept of remotely signing documents is hardly anything new. In the past, there were telegraph signatures and fax signatures.
The downside of these methods (and why electronic signatures are so superior) is that most people didn’t own a fax machine or a telegraph. Not to mention how impractical it would be for a construction field team to access them on-site. Today, however, not only does every foreman have a phone in their pocket, but every construction worker as well.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of why more construction companies should embrace electronic signatures. Here are five other reasons you need to bear in mind.
1. Speed and efficiency
Having to travel across the globe to sign a paper or, more likely, waiting for the paper to be delivered for you to sign it can be quite time-consuming. With an electronic signature, this can be done in a matter of minutes.
This is not the only instance where electronically signed documents are saving time. Once something is signed, checking up on them is much easier. Their searchability and availability are rather high, and it’s all much more convenient.
Keep in mind that it’s not just about signing a piece of paper. It’s about revisions, as well as the fact that each of these documents often has to be signed by more than just one party.
Also, keep in mind that, in the construction industry, delays are one of the biggest plights imaginable. You can’t control the weather and other external factors, but indefinitely delaying a project because you’re waiting for someone to sign a document is outright irresponsible, especially if they could do this via a phone in a matter of seconds with a Procore electronic signature.
2. Less paperwork
Paper documents get lost and misplaced. According to one statistic, about 7.5% of documents are lost. If this is an important document, the problem is far more significant than you think. With that in mind, relying on electronic documents can be a life-changer.
Digital documents are more searchable and easier for collaboration. They also give you all the data you need on demand.
Aside from this, paper documents are also not eco-friendly, which means you’re using outdated models that are arguably less ethical than going digital. Sure, there are a lot of concerns about how green it is to host all of these servers, but even then, the carbon footprint is a lot lower.
This part is especially important in fields like construction, where the environmental impact is already potentially high.
Ultimately, using traditional paperwork will just feel outdated. You want your firm to be seen as tech-savvy, and the simplest way to step in the right direction is to go fully digital.
3. Audit trail and accountability
Once the paper is signed, unless it is done in other people's presence, there’s really no way to tell who signed it. Some forgeries are so incredibly faithful to the original that there’s no way of telling the difference.
Well, an electronic signature always leaves a digital crumb trail. It will tell you exactly when it was signed, from what device, and an IP address. This is far more (reliable) info than you’ll have with any other physically signed document.
In the construction field, it’s never just about signing a paper. It’s about taking responsibility and vouching for the project. Remember, alongside real estate, this is one of the most heavily regulated fields. Oftentimes, a single signature can halt a multi-billion dollar project. This is something that you just can’t allow to happen and something you have to avoid.
If you ever have to handle the audit of all your documentation, it will be a lot easier to do it this way. In other words, this is one of those decisions that are a great investment for the future of your project, especially since documents in digital form are kept indefinitely.
4. Amazing for collaboration
When it comes to construction projects, the work takes place in so many stages and is split between so many teams that paper-bouncing becomes a huge problem.
What this means is that you need several specialists to review a site, do an inspection, then sign their report and send it to the team/specialist who’s supposed to go there next. This is all very confusing and very difficult if you need to handle it via a traditional paper document. With a digital document and e-signatures, it becomes a simple enough matter.
The best thing about collaboration on digital documents lies in the fact that they can be worked on simultaneously by multiple parties. Due to the fact that they leave a digital footprint (something we’ve already discussed), version control is quite easy. Even when it’s not easy, it’s possible and relatively straightforward.
Ultimately, in a world where all the projects are already digitalized, achieving collaboration through a cloud-based document management system and verifying data through e-signatures is logical.
5. Enabling remote work
Sure, the construction industry is possibly the last field that you would ever associate with the construction field. However, there are so many jobs in construction that one can do from home. Executives, architects, and inspectors all have administrative duties to perform, which can be done remotely.
Even without it, the foremen can access all the data and files from the site without requesting them directly or facing any kind of unnecessary administrative barrier.
Most importantly, in the future, these remote work instances will be more prominent, which means that early adoption may bring more merits than you assume.
Wrap up
Overall, electronic signatures and their superior counterpart, digital signatures, are already a huge part of the construction industry (and the business world, in general). It’s expected that this trend will further pick up and that everyone will reap the benefits. Since it’s quicker, more convenient, and more audit-friendly, an even greater adoption of this trend in the near future is all but guaranteed.
