Signature pages allow Vault to generate a page of electronic signatures for a document and automatically attach that page to the viewable rendition when downloaded. Signature pages are created from templates assigned to a specific lifecycle. You can select one template to apply to all documents in the lifecycle or add specific conditions to control which template a document will use.
Assigning eSignature page templates to a lifecycle is optional: It is only necessary if you wish to manifest eSignatures captured within workflows. Before configuring which template to use, you must create and configure one or more templates.
Note that Vault considers multiple signatures as the same, and only displays one signature page if the following properties are identical:
- The signing user
- Major and minor version of the document
- Task name
- Signature reason code
How to Access eSignature Page Options
Settings are applied at the lifecycle level. To set them, navigate to Admin > Configuration > Document Lifecycles > [Lifecycle] > eSignature Pages.
How to Apply a Universal Template
To use one eSignature page template for all documents using the lifecycle:
- Click Edit.
- Select the Apply one template to all documents option button.
- Select a template from the picklist.
- Click Save.
How to Apply Templates Based on Conditions
You can control when a specific eSignature page template is used by configuring a set of rules for the lifecycle to evaluate. A lifecycle can support up to 25 separate rule sets with up to 10 conditions per eSignature template. Rules are evaluated in order and only one template is ever used per document version. Templates are evaluated and applied when a manifested eSignature task is completed.
To configure conditional criteria when determining which eSignature page template to use:
- Click Edit.
- Select the Apply templates based on conditional criteria option button.
- From the If picklist of the Rule panel, select a document field (country, product, etc.).
- Select a condition (equals, is not equal to, etc.).
- Select a document field value.
- To add additional conditions to the rule, click Add Condition and repeat steps 3-5.
- From the Use template picklist, select an eSignature template to use when all conditions for the rule are met.
- For any additional rules, click Create Rule and repeat steps 3-7.
- From the Use template picklist of the Else panel, select a template to use if none of the rules’ conditional criteria are met.
- Click Save.
You can set up the lifecycle to apply templates conditionally, based on values for certain document fields.
If a document in the lifecycle does not use a condition’s controlling field, Vault treats the document as not fulfilling the condition.
Best Practices for Workflow Design
It’s possible to configure a workflow where Vault generates the signature page at the wrong point in the workflow. This issue typically occurs when a state change with entry actions (Set new major version, etc.) does not immediately follow the user step that includes a manifested eSignature because there are intervening workflow tasks. With this configuration, the signature page displays out-of-date information because Vault only generates the signature page the first time a user downloads the viewable rendition after capturing a manifested eSignature. By adding user steps between the last manifested eSignature and the state change, you’re allowing an opportunity for a user to trigger this activity before the state change updates (Version, Status, etc.).
For example, VeePharm’s Approval workflow captures several signatures and then releases the content as a major version. However, the Admin added a non-signature workflow task (Update Corporate Website) between the last signature step and the state change that increments the major version. VeePharm’s signature pages will show the last minor version, rather than the major version. To fix this issue, the Admin must move the Update Corporate Website step later in the workflow (after the state change occurs) or edit the Update Corporate Website step to include manifested eSignature settings.