Electronic Signatures

Following.  I would be interested in policies as well.

Hi there, we use Adobe e-sign for all our payables documents at the City of Dryden. We don't have a formal policy, but I had sent out an email to all departments to say this is what we are moving too and I trained the individuals on how to use it. Below is the email I sent out prior to going live. The only department that is NOT fully on board yet is PW, which we are working towards getting them to use it starting in January. Hope this helps!

Hello everyone,

Finance would like to introduce a new process for coding and signing invoices electronically through Adobe e-sign. 

Key Benefits of Adobe E-Sign:

• Convenience: Sign documents anytime, anywhere, without needing to print, scan, or fax.
• Security: Adobe E-Sign ensures security and compliance with industry standards for electronic signatures.
• Legality: Adobe E-Sign complies with international e-signature laws, ensuring the signed document is legally enforceable.
• Audit Trails: Each document has a secure audit trail to track who signed it and when.

We would like to start this as soon as possible. The process is very easy for the end user (approvers), where you will get an email with instructions to click on the review and sign button, you will fill out 2 fields, one for PO/Coding, and the other is your signature. E-sign also gives you the ability to delegate the invoice to another signatory or decline to sign the invoice completely.

Signed invoices are kept electronically on the network.

I will provide a training document prior to going live. In the meantime, if you can think of any questions/concerns you may have, please let me know and we can address them before rolling this out.

The Town of Aylmer adopted a policy and has been using electronic signing for all matters since 2023. Our By-law, which includes an associated policy, is attached. 

As for your questions: 

1. What platform or software are you using (e.g., Adobe Sign, DocuSign, OneSpan, Nitro, Microsoft Approvals, etc.)? We've used both Adobe Sign and DocuSign. We additionally use Laserfiche Cloud's signing functionality for internal signatures/approvals. 
2. Do you have a formal procedure or policy that outlines when e-signatures are acceptable, how identity is verified, and what records need to be kept? If you’re able to share a copy or a template, that would be extremely helpful. See attached.
3. How do you handle signatures for different document types—for example, bylaws, agreements, HR documents, tenders, internal approvals, or council/committee materials? All signing flows through the Clerk's office, or Laserfiche workflows. 
4. Have you encountered any challenges (e.g., compliance with retention requirements, integration with workflows, auditor expectations, or issues with third-party vendors)? We've ran into very few issues, and adoption has actually addressed retention and workflow issues which arose from physical signing processes. 

If you have any questions, you can reach out to us at clerks@town.aylmer.on.ca and we will do our best to answer.