Not Sure If You Need the Web Application or API? This Resource Will Be Your New Travel Guide

Congratulations!  You’ve decided to implement Docusign.  Now you’re wondering whether you should use Docusign through the Web Application or go immediately to an API implementation.

This question is common among new enterprise customers.  To help answer it for your company, we’ve pooled what we’ve learned through our customers in the form of a handy white paper. The white paper is a travel guide to help you plan the (implementation) trip that’s right for you.  It explains the criteria used at other businesses to make the Web Application vs. API decision in real life use cases.

For instance, a major insurance customer has asked the Web Application vs. API question in three different projects and arrived at a different answer each time.  Once they chose the API, next the Web Application and the third time a hybrid approach. Random?  No. The direction they chose was different each time because the situation was different in each case.

There are many reasons our customers decide to use Docusign and the product has enormous adaptability to fit virtually any business need.  The great bulk of Docusign functions are available through the Web App as well as the API, but there are a few factors by which you can discriminate between the two implementations and get the best outcome.  The white paper focuses on just four areas in which the implementations differ in ways that might matter to you:

Value: How much money can you save or make and when?  There are trade-offs in cost/value/time-to-market between approaches.

Document Life Cycle:  Documents that move through Docusign deliver value in many ways, such as faster transactions, reduced errors, ease of tracking, and much more.  You can pick the approach that gives you the biggest bang and bucks.

Signer Experience:  The user experience is crucial and Docusign offers many ways to support your UX model.  Certain features, such as embedded signing, are only available through the API.  For some use cases, however, the Powerforms feature can give you API-like features without the development cost and time.

Senders:  Senders matter, too.  Your business may work through representatives, brokers or others who are in direct contact with the customer and manage the document exchange. Making them effective, efficient and visible to your customer may be critical, and there are differences in how that is done using the API or the Web App.

If you’re in the early stages of implementation, this white paper is your trusty sidekick that helps you navigate through challenges and be absolutely confident with your final decision. And if you’re mid-stream implementation, you should definitely check out the use cases for added inspiration. Worried about making a wrong decision?  Don’t fret.  A Web Application and an API implementation can coexist and provide a smooth path forward. Talk to Docusign about taking the next step.

As always, we’re here to serve as your guides for your organization’s digital transformation.

Got Questions? E-mail us at KMteam@docusign.com