10 features of Docusign that our team can’t do without

By Vidya Narayanan, Sr. Technical Program Manager - Docusign at Docusign

This is the first article in our Docusign@Docusign series, which explores the ways we use our own products and features to run the Docusign business. It’s not just so that we can take advantage of the benefits of eSignatures, CLM and more; but it’s to get insights into our customers’ experiences and keep improving our products. Here, we share our learnings.

Curious to know which features and tools the Docusign team loves most about Docusign?

A bit like asking Yotam Ottolenghi about the ten ingredients he keeps in his cupboard at all times, but perhaps a little less mouthwatering, we asked Vidya Narayanan, Senior Technical Program Manager, about the top ten features that she and her team simply can’t do without.

1. Org Admin This tool is gold for administrators of complex Docusign accounts. It’s the best way to manage many users under one umbrella, delivering more security, better visibility and the ability to lock down domains.

With Org Admin, it’s easy to set up Single Sign-on (SSO) and manage user permissions centrally. It really does let you control everything from a simple, easy-to-use and central location.

Learn more about Org Admin.

1. Responsive signing

We’ve raved about responsive signing before, and we’re doing it again now. A responsive signing experience is so important these days, with everyone trying to tick things off the to-do list on their phones.

Docusign’s responsive signing functionality – which is easy to switch on at the account level – makes life so much easier for document recipients – they don’t have to pinch and zoom on their phones, and don’t risk missing out on seeing a crucial piece of information in the document because they’ve zoomed in on the wrong spot.

Learn more about responsive signing.

3.Templates

At face value, Docusign templates may seem like a super basic feature – they’re designed to help you streamline the sending process when you frequently send the same or similar documents. But if you dive a little deeper, you’ll see that they come with some very handy advanced features.

For example, did you know you can set up password lock if you don’t want people to play with your templates; or you can lock down recipients? The possibilities are (almost) endless.

Learn more about templates.

1. PowerForms

A PowerForm is basically a template that allows you to create self-service documents for signature without writing any code – it’s initiated from a unique, secure URL that you make available for signers to complete. Once it’s signed, a PowerForm looks just like a Docusign envelope, making the extraction of data super easy.

You can use PowerForms to set up event registration pages, run a survey and more – really, it’s just like a web page that you can pop on your website, host on other sites, or distribute as a secure link via email.

Learn more about PowerForms.

1. Signing groups Put the power of collaboration into document management with signing groups, which allow you to manage envelopes as a team. By setting up a signing group, you’re allowing multiple individuals to sign or approve a document – but only one of their signatures is needed. It’s a great way to remove bottlenecks and mitigate risk if someone’s away or leaves the business.

Plus, if one group member starts signing a document but wants to finish it later – perhaps they need to ask a manager something – then their progress will be saved, except for signatures, initials and dates.

Learn more about signing groups.

1. Comments

This is another great collaboration tool. Using comments, you can ask questions within a document – it’s handy if someone wants to clarify the meaning of a clause, suggest a change to some wording, and so on. You can select who can see the comment, keeping it private to just one recipient if you choose.

Say you’re in HR and you’re working with a candidate on their offer letter. They can ask questions about the offer directly in the document instead of having to sign out, send you an email, and wait for a response. It’s a much better experience for your potential new hire, and may just make them want to work for you.

Learn more about comments.

1. Connectors Did you know that there are more than 350 connectors in the Docusign ecosystem, to help you get more from your investment in other software platforms? Using these handy connectors, you’re opening the door to automation and improved business workflows. Data flows from one system to another easily and in near real-time.

For example, with Docusign for Salesforce, you can set up a connection between your Salesforce account and Docusign, so that any changes in Docusign are updated in your Salesforce account – giving you the assurance that you’ve always got the latest customer information on record.

Learn more about connectors.

1. Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)

Most people are blown away when they discover how much they can accomplish with Docusign CLM. It’s a powerful tool to help you prepare, act on and manage your more complex document like MSAs, NDAs and SOWs. Essentially, any agreement where people may potentially pull out a red pen to cross out clauses in T&Cs will benefit from CLM – it transforms previously manual processes into a digital, automated workflow.

Once it’s set up (and, yes, this does take a little dev experience or the support of Docusign Professional Services), CLM helps you save money, decrease time to revenue, and make it easier for customers to do business with you.

Learn more about CLM.

1. Bulk send

Hit send once, reach many. That’s the premise behind Docusign’s bulk send feature – you can send a standardized document to many recipients at one time. It’s useful if you need to get a new company policy out to all employees; or you need to send sales commissions out in bulk; or you need to notify a bunch of customers about something.

The number of people you can send a document to is limited to 999 (your bulk list can contain up to 1,000 rows, but row #1 is the header), so you can’t blast millions of people at once. But once it’s set up and ready to go, it’s guaranteed to make your life easier.

Learn more about bulk send.

1. Reporting

Who doesn’t love a hearty report that shows just how awesome your team has been? With Docusign, you can set up reports at the account level, Org Admin level, or CLM level – giving you access to information about everything from your users to the success rate with envelopes. Reports help you identify hiccups in workflows, opportunities for growth, and more.

The good news? It’s really easy to help your staff or colleagues to get the most out of Docusign with features like reporting (and, of course, with all the other features listed above). By giving them access to useful information, they can keep on improving the way they use the platform to engage with customers and grow the business.

Learn more about reports.

Got questions about these features? Get in touch today.