Working with Digital Signatures

Digital signatures are cryptographically-based signature assurance schemes that make it possible for PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management to provide full online contract document processing. They are often used in the context of public key infrastructure (PKI) schemes in which the public key used in the signature scheme is tied to a user by a digital identity certificate issued by a certificate authority, usually run by a third-party commercial firm.

Adobe and Microsoft Word Signature Methods

The Adobe and Microsoft Word signature methods support the ability to lock the Microsoft Word version of a contract and prepare an equivalent and separate PDF file or .docx file that the system uses to capture signatures only. You can run this prepare process and capture signatures in an internal or external order, as well as before, during, or after approvals for capturing internal signatures. After the contract or amendment has been executed, the Microsoft Word version of the latest document is made available again for the next amendment cycle.

Note:

When you have the Document Types check box deselected on the Installation Options page, you cannot control the collection of digital signatures, such as before, after and during approvals, the same as you can when you have the check box selected.

Note:

Preparing your system for digital signing and setting up digital signatures is described in the Understanding PeopleSoft Supplier Contract Management Setup topic.

Note:

The requirement for using the .docx format is that all signers, both internal users and external suppliers, must use Microsoft Word 2007, or later version. Unlike the PDF format the .docx format is still a Microsoft Word document and in certain statuses can be edited. After the first signature, for example, the contract specialist is placed on the document and the .docx file can no longer be modified itself unless all signatures are cleared. Therefore, you should take care when using a .docx format to ensure that the contract specialist signs the document as part of the prepare process, and as a follow-up ensure that the document signatures have not been cleared by other users.

Internal and external users (supplier-side) who intend to sign a contract document or amendment can use digital signatures. You can route a document intended for digital signatures in several ways:

• Internally where you can configure to route the document manually using a sequential list of users before, or after approvals or both before and after approvals. You can also route the document during approvals in which case any approver designated as required to sign will be provided a button to do so during approval.

• Externally where you can capture needed signatures of prepared document before internal approvals by using the Send to Contacts button, or after approvals using the Send to Contacts or Dispatch buttons. When an external portal is enabled for suppliers, they can sign the document online instead of passing documents through emails.

The document type along with installation options control how the system processes and routes documents.

Adobe Sign and DocuSign Signature Methods

The Adobe Sign and DocuSign signature methods support cloud-based document approval lifecycle management. With these signature methods you can route documents, guide signatures and approvals, generate notifications, and store signed documents in a secure, cloud-based environment. The contract specialist can easily prepare the document (create signature fields) and route the document in one step—there is no need to export the document for preparation and re-upload it into the PeopleSoft application.

In addition, these signature methods enable you to employ multiple methods for authenticating the identity of signers—including password and social media account login—and enables document signing without logging into the PeopleSoft application.