How to integrate electronic signatures into business systems and processes

Why integrate electronic signatures into existing systems?

When a company introduces electronic signatures, one of the first questions should be: where is the document that needs to be signed created?

An employment contract may be generated using data stored in an ERP or HR system. A commercial agreement may originate in the CRM. Meeting minutes may be stored in SharePoint, while a completed contract needs to be archived in the DMS or associated with the relevant case.

If, in each of these situations, the document has to be downloaded, manually uploaded to a signature platform and then transferred back to the original system, the process remains fragmented.

Electronic signature integration instead makes the signature part of the existing workflow. The process can follow a continuous sequence:

1. Business event
2. Document generation
3. Signature request
4. Signature
5. Status update
6. Archiving

The signature platform can therefore communicate with ERP and CRM systems, document management systems (DMS), Microsoft 365, SharePoint, BPM and workflow management platforms, customer portals, project management systems, ticketing tools and automated document generation solutions.

For this reason, when choosing an electronic signature solution, integration capabilities are just as important as the signature features themselves.

Native integrations, APIs and custom integrations

Not every company has the same IT infrastructure, so there is no single integration model that suits every situation. In general, it is useful to distinguish between native integrations, APIs and custom development.

Native integrations

Native or preconfigured integrations connect the electronic signature platform to software that is already widely used on the market. They are particularly useful when an organisation uses standard applications and wants to introduce electronic signatures without developing the connection from scratch.

A connector for an ERP, CRM or DMS can, for example, allow a signature request to be initiated directly from the application and automatically return the completed document to the system.

Integration via API

Electronic signature APIs offer greater flexibility. They are particularly important for companies that use proprietary applications, customer portals, industry-specific software or specific processes.

Through an API, an application can automatically send a document for signature, define the signatories, check the status of the process and continue the workflow once all the required signatures have been collected.

Custom integrations

In more complex IT ecosystems, it may be necessary to combine APIs, automation and custom-developed components.

For this reason, assessing a platform solely on the number of integrations it lists can be misleading. A more useful question is: does the integration model allow us to implement the business process we actually need?

Integrating electronic signatures with ERP and CRM systems

ERP and CRM systems often contain the very information and events from which a document requiring a signature originates.

Consider the recruitment of a new employee. Data entered into the ERP or HR system can be used to generate the employment contract automatically. Following internal approval, the document can be sent for signature and, once the process is complete, archived in the employee’s file with the corresponding status update.

The logic is similar in a CRM. When a sales opportunity reaches a particular stage, this can trigger the generation of a contract using data that is already available and initiate the signature request. Once completed, the CRM can automatically record that the agreement has been signed.

This approach can be applied to systems such as Salesforce, HubSpot or Microsoft Dynamics 365 through existing connectors or APIs, depending on the environment and the process to be implemented.

For Swiss companies and organisations, integration with Abacus, the most widely used ERP system in the Swiss market, is also particularly relevant.

The case of OBT AG provides a practical example of how electronic signatures can be incorporated into this ecosystem. The consulting firm, with 11 locations and around 550 employees, introduced DeepSign as an integrated solution within Abacus to make its signature processes more consistent and efficient. Just a few months after its introduction, 60% of employees were already using DeepSign. OBT also highlighted the solution’s ease of use within the Abacus environment and plans to extend the integration further across its systems.

The benefit therefore goes beyond simply being able to sign digitally: the signature becomes part of the business process exactly where it is needed.

Microsoft 365, SharePoint and DMS: signing without interrupting the document workflow

Many organisations work with Microsoft 365, SharePoint or document management systems on a daily basis. In these environments, electronic signature integration allows the document to remain within the workflow in which it is already managed.

A document stored in SharePoint or a DMS can, for example, be sent for signature and, once completed, automatically archived in the correct folder or file.

The same principle can be applied to DMS solutions such as DocuWare. In more complex Microsoft environments, tools such as Microsoft Power Automate can also connect the signature process to events and actions originating from different applications.

The result is a more continuous document workflow, with fewer repetitive tasks and less risk of a signed document being archived in the wrong place or remaining outside the intended system.

Automating signature processes based on a specific trigger event

Integration is not limited to transferring documents from one system to another. It can also determine what needs to happen before and after the signature.

A specific trigger event can become the starting point for an automated sequence. The internal approval of a contract can initiate the signature request. The signature of the last person involved can update the status of the case. The completed document can be archived automatically, and its arrival can trigger the next step.

This removes the need for someone to check the status of the request periodically to determine when the next stage should begin.

Integrating electronic signatures into customer portals and applications

In some processes, the signature needs to become an integral part of the digital experience offered to the customer.

This is the case with insurance portals, financial services, digital onboarding processes, platforms for fiduciaries or SaaS applications. The user is already completing a process within an application and should be able to proceed through to the signature without having to switch to disconnected procedures.

In these scenarios, the availability of APIs and flexible integration options is particularly important.

The case of Revio, Switzerland’s leading software for SME audits, provides a practical example of how DeepSign can be integrated into a third-party application. The auditor prepares the report and financial documentation directly in Revio. DeepSign becomes part of the process when the report needs to be signed with a qualified electronic signature. Once the signature is complete, the document is automatically saved back to the client’s file in Revio.

The signature therefore completes a digital process that has already begun within the audit application, without requiring the professional to create a parallel workflow.

From document generation to signature and archiving

Many signature processes begin even before the document is created.

Data stored in an ERP, CRM or another business system can be used to populate a template automatically. The resulting contract can then go through an internal approval process, be sent to the signatories and, once completed, be returned to the appropriate system.

This approach can be applied to employment contracts, commercial offers, supplier agreements, mandates, meeting minutes and many other recurring documents.

What to consider when a custom integration is required

Standard connectors can cover many scenarios, but an organisation with proprietary applications or specific processes should assess how extensible the platform actually is.

Some of the most important aspects include:

• availability and quality of APIs
• clear and up-to-date technical documentation
• authentication and security
• availability of test or sandbox environments
• webhooks or other event-based notifications
• technical support for integration projects
• the ability to integrate signatures into proprietary applications and portals
• flexibility in creating specific processes

For an IT team or software provider, these elements can be more important than the availability of any individual connector because they determine what can be developed over time.

Integrating electronic signatures into the Swiss software ecosystem

For Swiss organisations, choosing an electronic signature platform also means considering the technological environment in which it will operate. The ability to connect to software widely used in the local market, access to implementation expertise and the flexibility to adapt to different IT architectures can all have a tangible impact on the success of the project.

This is where DeepSign comes in: a Swiss electronic signature solution designed to integrate with existing business processes and systems. Organisations can start with integrations already available for solutions such as Abacus ERP, Microsoft Power Automate, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and DocuWare, choosing the approach that best suits their environment. A complete and up-to-date overview is available on the page dedicated to DeepSign integrations for smoother processes.

When a process requires a specific configuration, DeepSign can be integrated via API into proprietary applications, portals and custom-developed workflows. IT partners and software providers can also use these capabilities to incorporate electronic signatures into their own solutions or develop processes tailored to a specific industry.

The flexibility also extends to the deployment model. In addition to cloud-based use, DeepSign is available as an on-premises solution for organisations that require greater control over their infrastructure, data and integration with their own systems. This option is particularly relevant when internal requirements, IT architectures or governance policies call for a solution configured to meet the organisation’s specific needs.

You can explore the available DeepSign integrations or contact the team to discuss a custom integration.

Conclusion: start with the process, not the platform

For a company or IT manager evaluating an electronic signature solution, the starting point should be a practical question: how should electronic signatures work within our process?

Where is the document created? Which event should trigger the signature? What needs to happen once the signatures have been collected? Which systems need to be updated, and where should the document be archived?

The answers help determine whether a ready-made integration is sufficient or whether APIs, automation or custom development are required. The platform should therefore be chosen based on its ability to adapt to the organisation’s processes and IT architecture.