Partial signing

Modified on Wed, 12 Jun at 9:55 AM

Signi does not provide signatures for all signers in all signature scenarios.

Let's take a look at the most common situations where this is not the case:

Partially signed document received from the counterparty.
Partially signed document from an integrated application
Creation of partially signed documents

Partially signed document received from counterparty

What to do if someone sends you a document that is already electronically signed from them?

For a partially signed document received from a counterparty, Signi can provide the signature(s) on your side and send them back to the counterparty for acceptance. This way both parties get a fully signed document.

What a partially signed document from a counterparty can look like - signing with a qualified certificate in Adobe Reader

The simplest procedure for countersigning a partially closed document

The signer for your organisation uploads the document into Signi, signs it biometrically, via BankID or with a qualified certificate and the counterparty then receives a fully signed document, which happens because the signature script says "Noted"

The simplest response to a partially signed document - According to the signature scenario, the Statutory Officer will sign the document himself, have it sealed against further changes and send it to the counterparty for download.

In a document with one signature, a field for placing a second signature is inserted in Signi and the document is sent for signature.

Final document signed and sealed in SIgni sent to all parties. Includes signatures certificates of both parties.

Advanced procedure for countersigning a partially closed document

may look like the following, for example:

The mailroom inserts the partially signed document into Signi and sets the signature scenario to Depending on the order of the signers and according to the scenario
first let the responsible employee , or anyone in a certain role, verify and approve the document,
then the document goes to the statutory officer for signature,
then the fully signed document is sent to the counterparty.
1. for "Approval" which is recorded on a checklist or
2. "To note", where they can download the signed document straight away.
Both parties receive a mutually signed, closed document.

Advanced response to a partially signed document received - 1. The mailroom sets up an internal signature wheel and finally forwards the signed document to the counterparties.

What to do if the document is locked against changes?

It is necessary that the delivered PDF files are not locked against changes and that additional information can be added to the document, e.g. signatures, seals or time stamps. Please note that the content of the document itself is never changed. Attempting to upload a locked document to Signi will result in an error.

If you upload a document to Signi that is already locked against changes, Signi will return an error.

If the document is locked, you must request an unlocked version of the document from the counterparty. Do you need advice from the opposing counsel on how to un/lock a document? For example, in Adobe Reader, when signing with a certificate, don't/check "Lock document when signing".

"Lock document for signing" is not checked during the final signing step

What if you need to upload a partially signed document to your application and not directly to Signi?

For example, a partially signed document needs to be uploaded to a mailroom application, customer service center, service module of a CRM system, etc., and then its re-signing via Signi can be invoked from the application via the Signi API, see Partial Signing via Signi API.

Partially signed document from the integrated application

When it is convenient to split the signing between Signi and the integrated application

Some applications, such as ERP systems, can insert the user's signature into generated print reports or templates. Therefore, when integrating with Signi, the integrated application provides the signatures of the designers.
Signi then provides the signature of counterparties - e.g. customers, suppliers, employees, etc.

The advantage is that:

Signi provides counterparties with signatures of different technical design, from text signatures, through the SIGNI Bank ID to the use of a qualified certificate on a qualified device, and different legal levels from plain, guaranteed to recognized or qualified signatures, including verified.
Advanced remote identification up to AML law level can also be performed before the agreement is signed.
This makes it easy to execute bulk mailings for signature directly from the integrated application.
From an IT security perspective, it is sometimes crucial that you do not expose your internal application to the Internet. Communication with counterparties is handled by Signi, which in turn is available to anyone on the Internet. The connection between Signi and your application is then secure.
Signi is not licensed according to the number of users i.e. even arranging signing for thousands of customers or employees does not have to involve a large cost.

Examples of systems that provide partial signing

An example of an IT architecture where signatures within a team or organization are provided by the EPR system, and Signi is provided in its surroundings.

For details on passing a document through the Signi API, see Partial signing through the Signi API.

Creating partially signed documents

How do I create a document in Signi that can be countersigned in another system?

This is useful, for example, for situations where the counterparty has its own method or system of signing. In this case:

Signi will only be used to provide signatures within your organization, i.e. only the proponents will sign.
The signer will then download the signed document from Signi and send it by another method for countersigning - e.g. email it to the public authority, where they will countersign it in their system.

However, this requires that Signi does not lock the document against changes when it is signed so that additional signatures can be added. Which will ensure that the signature scenario is set up accordingly.

Simplest scenario - The signer uploads an unsigned document, sets the document to lock after signing, signs it, and gets a partially signed document. This is then handled entirely outside of Signi.

How to avoid re-signing outside Signi?

The most common situation where a request to create a partially signed document in Signi arises is when the counterparty, typically a public administration, has its own certificate signing system.

However, if the re-signing of the document takes place outside Signi, Signi cannot provide some of the steps in the signing process, the process is not fully automated and the advantage of digitisation is largely lost.

Partial signing can be avoided if it is agreed with the signatories that they will sign in their signing system (most often with a qualified certificate), but :

instead of sending documents back and forth in an email attachment
the counterparty downloads the document from Signi for signing.
uploads the signed document back into Signi.

This then allows Signi to provide:

Closure of the document, including the insertion of a time stamp and e-seal,
sending the closed document with all signatures to all counterparties,
archiving the document,
transmission of the closed document to the integrated application
etc.

The counterparty signing with the certificate has the possibility to download the partially signed document, to countersign it in his system. By uploading the countersigned document back to Signi, Signi can provide the necessary follow-up.