Go Paperless in 5 steps with Dropbox for Business and Docusign

Contributed by Megan Lin, Solutions Architect at Dropbox 

Getting rid of paperwork is about more than just cleaning up the office. There are real costs associated with paper-based processes, in storage, materials like toner and paper, and, of course, considerable time and opportunity costs. Add in the increasing call from workers for the ability to work from home, and going paperless makes good business sense, plain and simple.

Digitizing workflows means more flexibility. With information removed from its cumbersome paper form, your business can have the freedom to work anywhere and share more easily. But what’s the best way to move important documents and processes from a paper-cluttered world to one of bits and bytes? Dropbox for Business and Docusign fit the bill.

Here are five steps to get you up and running, and make your transition to a paperless workplace smooth.

Step 1: Store files in Dropbox for anywhere access

The first step is to make it easier to access and share the documents that matter to you most. By centralizing your documents in Dropbox for Business, you instantly make them accessible from and shareable to any device on any platform. This immediately speeds up your work: Whether it’s an NDA, sales agreement, or an offer letter, it all starts with storing your files in Dropbox. Anything you keep in Dropbox can be shared with other team members or clients, opening up a whole world of possibilities. Collaborative tasks like hammering out revisions on a contract or getting input on a presentation are more fluid for your whole team with Dropbox at your side.

Step 2: Link your Dropbox for Business and Docusign accounts

This is as simple as entering your username and password. Linking your Dropbox for Business and Docusign accounts lets you access and take action on your documents anywhere, anytime, across all your devices.

Step 3: Take action with Docusign

Start signing and returning all your documents via Docusign. This gives you a complete audit trail and lets you securely store completed documents in one location. With Docusign, you can:

●Route documents for others to sign

●Designate signing order if you have multiple signers

●Place “sign here” tags to guide the signers on where to fill out text, add dates, and place signatures

●Gain full visibility into where your document is in the workflow at any given time

●Correct documents midstream, remind signers, and even void documents

●Set up shareable templates across your organization, speeding up the process, and reducing or eliminating missing information

Step 4: Get your entire team on Dropbox and Docusign

Like the productivity boost you’re getting? Connecting additional team members will compound those results. Here’s how:

●Everyone gets access to the same documents — no more emailing large files or wrangling with version control

●You can set user permissions and take advantage of administrative controls

●You can set up templates, storing documents with tags, fields, and workflow routing — circulating best practices, saving time, and ensuring compliance

Step 5: Supercharge your workflows by connecting third-party cloud services

Using Dropbox and Docusign together is just one example of how to get things done faster. But they probably aren’t the only cloud solutions your business is using. Both Dropbox for Business and Docusign can connect to services like Office 365 and Salesforce, to help your team be more productive.

To learn more about how Dropbox and Docusign are accelerating digital transformations, stop by the Dropbox booth at MOMENTUM 2015 March 10–12 in San Francisco. We’ll also be hosting a talk, “Empower Your Team with Dropbox for Business and Docusign,” on Thursday, March 12th at 2:30 pm. There you’ll find out how you can accelerate transactions for dramatic ROI, improved security & compliance, and better employee and customer experiences. Can’t make it? Watch our webinar on going paperless with Dropbox for Business and Docusign.