Can digital and electronic signatures open doors to new efficiency and innovation the Hospitality Industry?
From busy city centre bars and restaurants to concert venues and hotel brands and more, the industry is one of the most people-centric in the world. I’m constantly awed by the people in the hospitality industry and their energy fizzing around efficiency, innovation and the drive for consistency across sites, staff and brand.
In a people-centric industry where speed, efficiency and accuracy are regarded as table stakes, and innovation is paramount, what difference could eSigning technology make?
In other industries, eSigning has already revolutionised documentation handling. For workforce managers, HR professionals and operations leaders in the hospitality sector, adopting the tech could deliver similar significantly streamlined processes and enhanced productivity.
What is eSigning?
Before we dig into the specifics, it's important to understand what digital signatures are and how they differ from electronic signatures.
- Electronic Signatures are essentially a digital version of your handwritten signature. They're not particularly secure and are normally used for low-risk documents like permission slips or rental agreements.
- Digital Signatures are a more advanced, secure type of eSignature. Digital signatures use cryptography to create a unique digital ‘fingerprint’ and link it to the signer's identity through a digital certificate. These are ideal for high-risk documents such as financial contracts or legal agreements.
Ideally, users choose and apply the right type of signature for the task at hand. However, introducing choices can create space for mistakes. A hybrid signature or an automated signature choice based on the type of task further leverages the impact of electronic signatures.
For this blog I'll refer to eSigning as a shorthand for both electronic and digital signatures.
eSigning in Hospitality – opening doors to cost savings and less hassle for document management
eSigning offers several advantages for hospitality businesses, staff and guests. The hospitality industry thrives on rapid service delivery and operational efficiency. The potential cost savings from reduced paper, printing, storage and mailing offers a clear incremental benefit.
eSigning bolsters security and compliance for audit trails and document encryption, in turn helping to ensure the authenticity, integrity and legal validity of signed documents. This is crucial for financial contracts, employment agreements and other high-risk documentation within the hospitality sector, where even a minor breach can have significant consequences.
eSigning improves operational efficiency by significantly speeding up document processing for staff. Agreements and forms are sent, signed and stored electronically, eliminating the need for printing, scanning, filing and chasing down physical signatures - particularly beneficial in a fast-paced industry like hospitality, where managers and staff are often on the move or there are multiple signatories.
eSigning dramatically speeds up transaction times and improves workflow efficiency for quicker employee onboarding and contract finalisation.
eSigning securely activates more complex tasks. Digital signatures use smart automations to trigger workflows, like releasing funds or automatically placing orders immediately after a document is signed. This level of automation further reduces the time and effort involved in document and supplier management.
eSigning within a management system opens doors for a wider pool of people, suppliers and skills without creating new operational risks.
Customers benefit too
eSigning also enhances guest experiences and flexibility by reducing the need for physical paperwork.
Guests sign registration forms, waivers and other documents electronically from their own devices, saving time and hassle during check-in or other interactions. If those documents are accessible online, there’s no need to be on-site or wait in a queue to fill in the required information, electronic and digital signatures allow guests to sign ahead of arrival.
What does the future hold? Platform, eSigning and blockchain?
So eSigning is more than new tech dropped on the industry, and the short-term potential to improve operational efficiency and guest experiences is significant. But what about the longer term?
What if we combined a SaaS management platform, eSigning and blockchain? Remember blockchain? Blockchain is a special type of super secure database that cryptographically stores information in chunks called blocks, linked together in a chain. Blockchain first hit the big time around 2008. It was in the news alongside cryptocurrency like bitcoin for months.
The security and integrity of advanced electronic signatures, combined with AI and blockchain, have the potential to unlock significant innovations in document and contract management.
- Authentication: Digital signatures ensure only authorised users initiate transactions.
- Non-repudiation: Once a transaction is signed, the sender can’t deny their involvement.
- Immutability: Transactions recorded on a blockchain are permanent and tamper-proof, providing a secure record.
Consider the impact of embedding all those elements into audits, supplier contracts, professional resumes, career progress. Completely trustworthy, portable and transportable.
There’s an obvious opportunity for a new generation of standardised digital first forms, contracts, invoices and receipts dynamically generated by tasks and processes and accompanied by an indelible record of the terms of the agreement.
This has the potential for better predictability, reduced legal drafting costs, misunderstandings and disputes.
Where do I eSign up?
eSigning offers numerous immediate benefits for hospitality operators, including faster processing times, reduced effort, minimal face-to-face contact and improved efficiency.
It also unlocks the potential for more innovation. The integration of management platform with eSigning and other technologies could usher in an entirely new level of security and trustworthiness, offering peace of mind to underpin new workflows, processes, customer and staff experiences.
eSigning in Mapal Workforce Suite simplifies document management and saves time
eSigning is now an integral part of the Mapal Workforce Suite, thanks to a collaboration with Signaturit. This integration allows customers to send, sign and store electronic documents securely within Mapal Workforce. The initial release includes capabilities for signing contracts, timesheets and more, with plans to expand functionality across all the applications in Mapal OS.
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