How AI is Transforming eSignature Workflows in Life Sciences

Learn how to automate and optimize your workflows from start to finish.

It’s no secret that life sciences organizations are looking to artificial intelligence (AI) to help them be more efficient and productive. AI is doing a phenomenal job of this in electronic signature (eSignature) workflows. It enables your organization to automate and optimize these workflows from beginning to end.

AI helps you create dynamic templates that adapt to your documentation requirements and minimize the need for manual adjustments.

Furthermore, natural language processing (NLP) algorithms enable you to easily understand the document’s content and identify key names, dates, and signatures. Together, AI and AI-powered methods virtually eliminate errors and significantly improve accuracy throughout the signing process.

What Improvements Can You Expect to See?

Incorporating AI in the eSignature workflow further advances your organization’s digital transformation. It’s a strategic move that helps your teams be more agile and empowers you to future-proof business processes.

Examples of how AI is streamlining eSignature workflows include:

• Speeding up the process. AI automates routine tasks and enables you to prepare customized documents quickly. Machine learning algorithms determine the sequence of signature requests and ensure that documents reach the recipients quickly. With automation, AI expedites the eSignature workflow and minimizes delays caused by printing, scanning, and mailing paper-based signatures. 

• Automating document handling. AI reduces your organization’s documentation burden by categorizing and organizing documents to be signed, then identifying key elements like signature lines, dates, and relevant text. Documents are automatically directed to the appropriate signatories and stakeholders. Overall, automation contributes to a speedy process while minimizing manual data entry errors. 
• Improving accuracy. AI—and NLP in particular—analyzes the content of documents to determine semantics and context, which helps reduce errors caused by manual data entry or misinterpretation. Patterns and user interactions enable machine learning to improve the accuracy of AI-assisted features and instill confidence in the authenticity of electronically signed documents and the reliability and integrity of the eSignature process. 
• Reducing bottlenecks. AI is instrumental in overcoming workflow obstacles and ensuring a streamlined signing process. Machine learning algorithms prioritize signature requests based on historical data and user behavior to prevent congestion and optimize the flow of documents in the approval pipeline. AI quickly verifies the identity of signatories using multi-factor authentication (which also enhances security) and maintains a smooth eSignature workflow.

Make Regulatory Compliance Seamless and Efficient

You know what else isn’t a secret? Life sciences organizations are subject to strict regulatory requirements.

How you comply with these requirements will determine the level of trust stakeholders and the general public have in the safety of your products.

In light of digital transformation in the life sciences industry, eSignature solution providers are getting better and better at providing the features and functionality you need for regulatory compliance.

For example, regulatory standards such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are non-negotiable. Compliance with the European Union (EU) electronics identification and trust services (eIDAS) and the E-Sign Act establish the validity of eSignatures and the trustworthiness of digital transactions.

Learn more about regulatory compliance for eSignatures—download the Enhancing Security and Ensuring Data Integrity in eSignature Solutions white paper

Benefits for Your IT Team

AI-powered eSignature solutions align well with a modern IT infrastructure, especially since they reduce the burden on IT teams that are responsible for security and maintenance.

Advanced authentication and encryption technologies used for eSignatures empower IT professionals to automate workflows, fortify the security of critical documents, and minimize the need for IT intervention in routine tasks. They free up valuable time and resources for other strategic IT initiatives, like building a more agile, responsive, and technologically advanced infrastructure in your organization.

Benefits for Your Quality Team

In addition to the improvements we’ve already discussed in this blog, AI-powered eSignature solutions help your Quality team to: 

• Create a centralized digital document repository 
• Expedite the review and approval process for documents 
• Use built-in audit trails to demonstrate regulatory compliance 
• Simplify the change control process with automated approval workflows 
• Generate reports on who signed a document, when, and with what authentication method

How USDM Can Help

Having extensive experience with eSignature vendors, AI-enabled signatures, and regulatory compliance, USDM Life Sciences enables your organization to streamline eSignature workflows and efficiency.

Examples of AI-supported services that USDM uses to reduce manual efforts and ensure that eSignature processes comply with industry-specific regulatory requirements include:

• Dynamic templates that adapt to your organization’s documentation requirements. They use NLP algorithms to better understand document content, which helps reduce errors throughout the signing process. 
• Automated approval workflows to simplify change control processes and generate reports for Quality teams that detail who signed a document and when. 
• Workflow automation that enables the quick preparation of customized documents. Machine learning algorithms determine the sequence of signature requests and ensure timely document delivery to recipients. 
• A digital document repository to centralize digital documents and simplify compliance with built-in audit trails.  
• Consultation and customization that tailor AI-driven eSignature solutions and ensure that eSignature features and functionalities align with regulatory standards such as HIPAA, GDPR, eIDAS, and the E-Sign Act.

Let USDM help you experience fewer bottlenecks and greater accuracy in your eSignature workflows. Contact us today to automate your document handling and speed up the eSignature process.