Sharing Your Tips: Document Tracking

[susan silva]

Here is an interesting question:  How do you track documents that need  multiple signatures and have deadlines?  Have you ever had a document get lost or stuck on one persons desk that were stubborn and procrastinated on signing a document?   If so, or something similar how would you handle that?

[gee4]

Very rarely have I dealt with documents that required that many signatures.  I assume you are referring to legal documents or contracts.

However if I did have a document that required several signatures, I would engage the relevant secretaries and urge their bosses to assist in meeting the deadline.

[chikky]

Electronic signature is the way I go.  Get email approval, and then post. 

[gee4]

Electronic signature only works if you have permission to use it on behalf of someone else and if the recipient accepts it.  It doesn't mean that your boss or director has read the document and has given his approval.

Most contracts and legal documents require actual handwritten signatures, electronic copies do not suffice as I found out when I made an application for a previous boss's visa.  I used an electronic signature in the cover letter and had to resend it with a handwritten signature for the application to be processed.

[Cathy S]

In the past when I have handled such documents I have walked them round my own building and if it has been necessary to obtain signatures in another site I have had the document hand delivered with a named person responsible for walking it round that building and having it hand delivered back.

When I have had to do this it was as PA to the Finance Director or the Managing Partner - both of whom had the status that was respected by all other Partners/Directors and noone would have challenged or declined this direct approach.  However, I made a point of making an appointment through their secretary as a courtesy.

I also had to do this for grant applications in my last post and those were also booked as diary appointments right at the start of the process - it acted as a focus for the applicant to complete their contribution in time.  I expected to brief the head of division on the content of the application.  The first time I did it in this role the Head of Division mocked ... the next thing I heard if any other admin went for a grant application signature without an appointment and a briefing they were sent away with a flea in their ear!  It is possible to influence change even in very traditionally based colleagues.

In something less critical I would plan a sequence of signatures by discussing availability with other secretaries and booking time in diaries and delegating authority to those secretaries with a request for confirmation.

[Rocket]

There is nothing like a personal visitation to facilitate signing of documents, but my company offices are relatively small so there is no place to hide. 

Sometimes that isn't possible.  I may enlist the help of a Director's Assistant or write a note saying I appreciate they are very busy, but need the document back by such-and-such date.  Alternatively, I may take documents (as I did last week) to a meeting where I knew the signators would be present and asked them to sign there. 

I use electronic signatures, which I hold for Directors and our Chairman, where appropriate. 


Celeste

[Jackie G]

I've done this once for a very important document but it was round several external offices.  I phoned all the PAs to establish who would be in and when, worked out a schedule with their agreement, and sent the document off recorded delivery to the first office.  It went with a letter showing the schedule.  I had to build in some cushion though as there was Easter weekend in the middle of it.  The schedule worked perfectly, everybody signed the document when they were supposed to, and it came back to me when it was meant to.

Careful preplanning is what worked in this instance.

[peaches2160]

We have an internal requisition database that allows one to attach a document and route via e-mail for electronic signature.   This works beautifully and eliminates the excess paper.  Stores all in a central database for retrieval later if needed.