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Electronic Signature

Sign documents online: How to do it with Oneflow

How to sign documents online? - mobile contract - Oneflow

Did you know that you can sign documents online that require legally binding signatures? To sign documents online is a fast, easy and secure way that frees you from printer clutter and paper problems. And it’s kind to the environment.

Recently, we’ve added templates in Oneflow for the most common documents so that you can sign documents online digitally. Use these templates to save you from writing your documents from scratch, add your details, make them yours, and start to sign documents online.

Tip: Navigate between contracts using the menu to the right

How to start signing contracts online?

With Oneflow, you can sign documents online in three different ways. Regardless of which method you choose, you can be sure that the signature is secure and legally binding.

If you want to sign online and you have your own eSignature software, you can use the two together to sign documents quickly and securely. You’ll need to be sure that your eSignature solution is compatible with your current software, so make sure to check this out before you start. 

Sign documents online with BankID

This is the most advanced way you can sign a contract. By signing with BankID, you can be completely sure that the agreement does not end up in the wrong hands or signed by someone unauthorized. Oneflow supports e-identification in all Nordic countries.

Sign documents online with SMS or email

You can even sign using an SMS code – or using email authorization. You get a code sent to you that you can then use to verify your signature as part of the signing process.

Sign documents online with a click

This is the default way. All you have to do is click on a big button (green in Oneflow), and voilà! You have a legally binding contract.

It’s not a case of he said, she said. Sometimes with squiggly wiggly signatures, you’re able to dispute it, as something may have changed afterward in the contract that you didn’t actually agree to. However, with digital signatures and sign documents online, they are legally bindingAs we lay out in this blog, electronic signatures carry the same weight as a physical wet ink signature. So, anything that you sign online, can and will be legally enforced. With e-signatures, the average signing time can be cut from the as much as 32 days to as little as 2 days.

Read also: A Basic Guide on Electronic Signatures and What Makes Them Legal

How to sign documents online? - Oneflow
The four ways of signing in Oneflow, eSIGN, SMS, eID or handwritten signature.

Sales proposals

Sales proposals, quotations, client agreements, and other sales documents are perfect for digital signing. Businesses taking advantage of digital signing experience shorter sales cycles and close deals twice as fast. At least.

What is it?

A sales proposal is a business offer or quote with suggestions on price and terms.

Who signs it?

It is sent from a company to a customer at the customer’s request. When the offer is signed, it becomes a binding purchase agreement.

What should it contain?

Here are some items that are usually included in a sales proposal:

  • Company name, contact details and VAT registration number
  • Order description and delivery time
  • Price per unit and total price
  • Payment details and terms
  • Offer validity

Read our ultimate guide on sales proposals dos and dont’s

A guide on signing documents - Sales contract - Oneflow
Get sales contracts signed in no time with digital contracts.

Digital signing of employment contract

Sign documents online for employment digitally is a must these days. It saves you from the hassle of organizing corona-free physical meetings, relying on postal services and from the candidate’s perspective, the need to find a printer. Plus it creates a modern and professional impression of your company to the candidates before they step into the office.

What is it?

The employment contract is written by a hiring company when an individual is offered an employment at the hiring company. It regulates, among other things, salary, working hours, terms and conditions and holidays.

Who signs it?

The agreement is signed by employers and employees.

What should it contain?

The employment contract should include:

  • The tasks of the employer and the employee
  • The date of employment and where the workplace is
  • Duties and job title or role
  • Form of employment (fixed, contract, etc.)
  • Notice periods
  • Salary, benefits and how often the salary is paid
  • Number of vacation days per year
  • Length of a normal working week
  • Collective labor agreement, if any
How to sign documents online - Employee contract - Oneflow
Handling employment contracts can be a hassle if not done digitally.

Code of Conduct

A strong Code of Conduct or business ethics can often be used as a competitive advantage. Oneflow provides a template for this document.

What is it?

A Code of Conduct is a completely voluntary commitment that includes guidelines for how a company should conduct its business in an ethically, socially and/or environmentally correct manner.

Who signs it?

Sent from the company to partners, suppliers and employees.

What should it contain?

The Code of Conduct often contains requirements and guidelines for the working environment and sustainability, such as the right to trade union freedom, a ban on child labor and forced labor, and a ban on discrimination.

Request for Proposal

Request for information (RFI), request for proposal (RFP), tender and sometimes also known as RFx… regardless of the name, this is one document you should manage and sign digitally. In Oneflow, you will find an Rfx template which you can easily customize with your details.

What is it?

An RFx is a request to vendors to submit tenders in accordance with specified conditions.

Who signs it?

This document can be managed and negotiated digitally with all participating vendors prior to signing the contract with the selected vendor.

What should it contain?

The RFx should contain a description of the assignment, requirements for the vendors, and how and when the vendor must submit its tender.

Subcontractor agreements

Subcontractor agreements work great to sign documents online. Specify the scope of the work, price, terms, and conditions and send it away for signing with one click. A template for this type of agreement is also available in Oneflow.

What is it?

A subcontractor agreement is entered into between a vendor and a subcontractor when the latter is to deliver a component to the final product.

Who signs it?

The agreement is sent from the vendor to the subcontractor and is signed by both.

What should it contain?

The subcontractor agreement should contain, among other things, confidentiality provisions, what applies in the event of delivery delays, product liability, etc.

Sign documents online: Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

Make sure your secrets are safe with digital signing. All that is needed is just a few clicks. To make this easy for you, start from the NDA template found in Oneflow.

What is it?

A confidentiality agreement exists to protect trade secrets.

Who signs it?

The NDA agreement can be entered into between companies, and between employees and employers.

What should it contain?

The NDA agreement should state what information is covered by the confidentiality, whether the respective parties’ employees and vendors are to be covered, what applies if a party breaches the agreement, and the validity of the NDA agreement.

Read more about what makes electronic signatures legal.

How to sign documents online - NDA - Oneflow
Oneflow have many NDA templates available.

Power of attorney

With digital signing, it is super quick and flexible to give a power of attorney to the person you want to represent you in various matters. A template for this can be found in Oneflow’s library.

What is it?

With a power of attorney, a person can take certain legal actions on behalf of someone else.

Who signs it?

Both private individuals and companies can give a power of attorney and it must be signed by both parties.

What should it contain?

The power of attorney should contain:

  • Information about the parties
  • Power of attorney statement
  • Period of validity
  • Signatures

Board meeting minutes

Board meeting minutes don’t have to be signed on paper or kept in a folder where they can be easily misplaced. Sign the minutes digitally and save them in Oneflow’s smart archive instead. You will find a template for this document in Oneflow.

What is it?

A board meeting minutes record the board of director’s actions and decisions.

Who signs it?

The regulations surrounding the practice of board meeting minutes may differ from one country to another. may be signed by the board secretary, Chairperson of the meeting, and a selected adjuster.

What should it contain?

It is important that the minutes are documented according to the accepted practice in the country. It should contain:

  • Date of meeting and numbering
  • Who were present
  • Who is the record keeper
  • Who is the adjuster
  • Review of previous protocols
  • What decisions have been made
  • Any objections (reservations) from a member or CEO

Annual report

Did you know that you can sign your annual report and its related documents digitally? In Sweden, most financial reports that are signed the paper way today can be signed digitally in Oneflow as per regulated by the Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket).

What is it?

An annual report gives shareholders and other interested parties a comprehensive report on a company’s activities throughout the preceding financial year.

Who signs it?

The annual report must be signed by the board and the appointed auditor.

What should it contain?

Typically, the annual report should contain:

  • General corporate information
  • Operating and financial highlights
  • Letter to the shareholders from the CEO
  • Narrative text, graphics, and photos
  • Management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A)
  • Financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement
  • Notes to the financial statements
  • Auditor’s report
  • Summary of financial data
  • Accounting policies

Read more about contract management trends.

Consulting agreement

A consulting agreement is perhaps the ultimate kind to sign documents online. This makes it incredibly much easier for everyone involved and you get a signed agreement much faster than with traditional signing. Win-win!

What is it?

An agreement between the client and the consultant/consulting company, in short.

Who signs it?

Signed by the client and the consultant.

What should it contain?

The consultancy agreement typically contains information on:

  • The client’s name, address, and organization number
  • Contractor’s name, address, and organization number
  • The scope of the assignment
  • Delivery time/assignment time
  • Fee and payment terms
  • Tax information
How to sign documents online - Consulting agreement - Oneflow
Frictionless signing of consulting agreements.

Cohabitation agreement

A cohabitation agreement is signed between partners living together to be legally treated as a married couple. No need for hard copies of such agreement. Make it quick and painless for you and your partner with digital signing.

What is it?

A cohabitation agreement determines how the property is to be distributed in the event of separation when applying for a mortgage or working out child support. The signed cohabitation agreement makes an unmarried couple living together being legally treated as a married couple.

Who signs it?

It must be signed by both cohabitants.

What should it contain?

The cohabitation agreement should contain information about what applies in the event of separation, dates, and signatures.

Short-term layoffs

Short-term layoffs – one of the spring 2021s buzzwords. Since many work from home, it is highly beneficial for both parties to sign agreements on short-term layoffs digitally.

What is it?

When companies experience temporary financial problems as a result of unexpected events, short-term layoffs can be a way to measure taken by the company. This means that employees reduce their working hours for a period at the same time as the state provides financial support.

Who signs it?

The agreement is signed by employers and employees.

What should it contain?

Agreements on short-term layoffs should include the affected employees and what percentage level the working hours are to be reduced by.

Lease or rental agreement to sign online

You can legally sign your leases or rental agreements digitally. It simplifies the process by not having to make an appointment with your tenant to sign an agreement by hand.

What is it?

A lease is a contract outlining the terms under which one party agrees to rent property owned by another party.

Who signs it?

The agreement must be signed by the landlord and tenant.

What should it contain?

The rental agreement typically contains:

How to sign documents online - Rental contract - Oneflow
Legally sign rental contracts online.

Shareholder agreement/partnership agreement

A shareholder agreement outlines the direction the company should operate, how voting at the general meeting should take place, and how and when shares may be transferred. A digitally signed agreement is just as legally binding as it is signed on paper, except that it’s more secure and faster, too.

What is it?

A shareholders’ agreement is entered into between the shareholders of a company and regulates the legal relationship between them.

Who signs it?

It is signed by the shareholders the agreement applies to.

What should it contain?

Since each situation is unique, the content of the agreement depends entirely on the shareholders’ own wishes. But examples of practices that can be regulated in a shareholders’ agreement are whether particularly important decisions should be made by a qualified majority or by unanimity, who should sit on the board, and whether there should be a requirement to enter the company with money if there is a loss.

Stock option agreement

Does your company issue stock options to employees? Make it simple for both parties to sign documents online digitally.

What is it?

Stock options work like a carrot for the employee because he gets a share of the company’s profit. It is also a way for companies to be able to recruit and retain their expertise.

Who signs it?

The stock option agreement is signed by the employer and the employee.

What should it contain?

The agreement should contain details like the type of stock options you get, how many shares you get, your strike price, and your vesting schedule.

Leave application

By filling in and sign documents online like leave applications digitally, everything becomes so much smoother for everyone involved, from employee to payroll manager.

What is it?

When applying for leave, parental leave, or other types of leave, it can be good to do so in writing, to facilitate work planning and for the payroll manager.

Who signs it?

The application must be completed and signed by the employee and then the relevant manager.

What should it contain?

A leave application should contain:

  • Name of the applicant
  • Start and end dates of the leave
  • Reason for the leave
How to sign documents online - Leave application - Oneflow
Smooth leave applications done digitally.

Cooperation agreement

If you are going to conduct business together with another party, it may be wise to enter into a written cooperation agreement. This agreement can be easily signed online.

What is it?

A cooperation agreement sets out the guidelines for co-operation between two or more parties.

Who signs it?

The agreement must be signed by the parties involved in the cooperation.

What should it contain?

A cooperation agreement should at least contain:

  • The rights and obligations of the parties
  • The purpose, goals, and objectives of this agreement
  • The date and initial term of the agreement
  • Any additional warranties or promises
  • Non-disclosure clauses

Data processing agreement

Perhaps the most used terms after the introduction of the GDPR? Of course you can sign the data processing agreements online. Many customers are using Oneflow to sign these agreements in bulk digitally.

What is it?

If you share data with a subcontractor (personal data processing), the data processing agreement (DPA) exists to bind the subcontractor to comply with the GDPR’s requirements.

Who signs it?

The agreement is signed by the person responsible for personal data and data processor.

What should it contain?

The data processing agreement should contain information on:

  • The subject of the treatment and the duration of the treatment
  • The nature and purpose of the treatment
  • Types of personal data and categories of data subjects
  • The rights and obligations of the controller

Read more about EU data protection rules here

How to sign documents online - Data processing agreement - Oneflow
Digital and legal data processing agreements.

Sign documents online: License agreement

Signing the license agreement online is super smooth when you have to let another party use your intellectual property rights.

What is it?

A license agreement grants the right to use an invention or other intellectual property right. For example, it could be about using a trademark or patent to manufacture a particular product.

Who signs it?

The agreement must be signed by licensors and licensees.

What should it contain?

With licensing agreements, the parties can design them a little as they wish. But what is good to include is a clear definition of what is licensed, whether the license is exclusive, exclusive or simple and in which geographical area it applies, as well as the compensation model.

Delivery order contract

If you continuously deliver products to a customer, a delivery order contract or agreement may be put in place. The easiest way to create, send, sign, and manage such contract is to do it online.

What is it?

A delivery order contract regulates the terms of deliveries between the parties, such as delivery, payment, prices, and delays. It sets a framework or guideline for future transactions.

Who signs it?

The agreement is signed by the vendor and customer.

What should it contain?

There are many points that should be included in a delivery order contract, including:

  • Scope of the agreement
  • Technical specifications
  • Non-disclosure clauses
  • Delivery schedules
  • Delays
  • Prices
  • Quality
  • Liability for errors
  • Packaging and transport
  • Payment terms
  • Product liability

Purchase and sale agreement

It is always a good idea to establish a written purchase and sale agreement when you buy or sell real estate property, company stock, or other assets. It is of course possible to create and sign it online.

What is it?

A purchase and sale agreement is often written when buying and selling assets such as real estates, cars, and boats.

Who signs it?

The purchase and sale agreement is signed by sellers and buyers.

What should it contain?

The purchase and sale agreement can, for example, contain information about:

  • Ownership
  • Date of access to the property
  • Offer price
  • Payment terms
  • Conditions

How to sign documents online - Purchase agreement - Oneflow
Customize your purchase agreement easily by doing it digitally.

Sign documents online: construction contract

In construction projects, it is extremely important to have clear agreements so that no misunderstandings and problems arise. You can sign the construction contract online.

What is it?

A construction contract is a mutual or legally binding agreement between two parties based on policies and conditions recorded in document form.

Who signs it?

All parties involved in the construction project sign the contract. The parties are between one or more property owners and one or more contractors.

What should it contain?

There are a variety of guidelines in regards to the contracts for construction projects. The purpose of the construction contract is to:

  • Specify the duties between the parties
  • Recognize the risk
  • Reduce the uncertainty surrounding the project

Receipts

Receipts provide extra security when handing over goods, services and money. For the sake of simplicity, it can be created and signed completely online.

What is it?

A receipt is proof that the recipient has received an item or that payment has been made.

Who signs it?

A receipt is signed by the recipient. A payment receipt is only a confirmation and does not need to be signed.

What should it contain?

It is sufficient that a receipt clearly describes what has been received. The payment receipt only needs to contain a simple confirmation.

Framework agreement/Blanket order

A framework agreement is sometimes known as a master service agreement, blanket purchase agreement or blanket order. It is used by procurement teams to save the time and cost of the sourcing process by avoiding the need to renegotiate standard terms and conditions.

What is it?

A framework agreement is reached between buyers and vendors, where both parties agree to the terms that will govern future transactions or future agreements.

Who signs it?

The framework agreement is signed between the buyer and the vendor.

What should it contain?

The framework agreement is focused on the vendor being the preferred vendor to be awarded work during the period of the agreement. It rarely provides any specific commitment in terms of project and value of the work.

Merger agreement

When a company takes over another company’s assets and liabilities, a merger is carried out. Since there are many parties involved in a merger and negotiations are often thorough, there are significant benefits of negotiating and signing a merger agreement digitally.

What is it?

A merger agreement unites two existing companies into one new company. When two or more companies merge, a merger is written stating the terms of the merger.

Who signs it?

The merger agreement may be signed by the board members and shareholders of companies involved depending on the type of the companies and local regulations.

What should it contain?

The merger agreement should include, among other things:

  • Company information
  • Merger consideration
  • Effective date of the merger
  • Shareholder rights
  • Fees and special benefits or rights
  • The board’s report

How to sign documents online - Merger agreement - Oneflow
Easily negotiate with digital contracts.

Filing of lawsuit

It is always unfortunate to have to file a lawsuit. In many countries though, the process of filing a lawsuit can be simplified online.

What is it?

When two parties are in a dispute, one can submit an application to the district court to sue the other party. It is then up to the district court to resolve the dispute for the parties.

Who signs it?

A lawsuit is signed by the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s representative.

What should it contain?

A lawsuit typically contains:

  • Information about the parties
  • Motivation of complaint
  • Claim
  • Evidence
  • Signature

Termination agreement/Notice of termination

There can be many reasons for dismissal of staff. Redundancy can be one of them. The notice of termination can be sent and signed digitally.

What is it?

A notice of termination of employment is a notice sent by an employer to an employee to notify the end of their employment contract. It may also broadly refer to the formal notification of the end of a contract between two or more parties.

Who signs it?

As a guideline of best practices, it is recommended that both the employer and the employee sign the notice of termination.

What should it contain?

The termination agreement as an example should contain:

  • The employee’s name
  • The date of termination of employment
  • That the reason for the dismissal
  • If the employee has a preferential right to re-employment
  • Information on how the employee should behave if he or she wants the notice of dismissal annulled in court or claim damages

Bonus: standard agreement and birthday invitation

In Oneflow, you will also find a template for standard agreements that you can use when creating your first agreement in digital contracts. Digital contracts are browser-based and built entirely in HTML. This means that you will only need to work with one version of the contract — even after you’ve sent it!

And why not try something different and send birthday invitations online in a mobile-responsive format with legally binding notifications? You’ll find a stunning template for that in Oneflow, too.

How to electronically sign a document

There are many different e-signature platforms out there and variations of signing methods; click of a button, SMS, eID, drawing on the screen, etc. But in general, the signing flow looks something like this:

  1. Upload your document to an e-signature platform or create it in-app
  2. Add signers and send them the link to the document via email
  3. Sign the document with your preferred signing method
  4. Done!

Signing documents online is sometimes free, sometimes not

If you’re looking for a way to sign documents online for free, there are a few things you need to consider first. Even though the short answer is yes, you can sign documents online for free, it all depends on:

  1. The level of security connected to the e-signature
  2. The document format 

Are all levels of electronic signatures free?

Not all e-signatures are free of charge. As a rule of thumb, it depends on the level of security connected to the e-signature. For example, signing with a tap or drawing your signature on the screen is free, while SMS or eID signing comes with a cost if it’s issued by a third-party provider.

And this is important! When evaluating e-signature vendors, always ask what security measures they apply to protect the legal value of your signatures when you sign documents online. This goes for free as well as for premium e-signatures.

Allekirjoituksen vaihtoehdot - Oneflow Allekirjoituksen vaihtoehdot - Oneflow

Ask us anything about truly digital contracts

Want to know more about digital contracts or the future of contract handling? We’d love to hear from you.

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