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In companies with large document flows, important papers are often lost in offices, wait weeks for the signature of a director who is on a business trip, or are returned to the beginning due to a minor error found at the last moment.
Business digitalization and the transition to online document exchange (ODE) solve these problems. Thanks to the configured signing route in ODE services, you can determine in advance who works with the document and in what sequence.
In this article, we will tell you how signing routes work, what types there are, and how to configure the process so that documents are signed quickly, without errors, and without legal risks.
What is a signing route in ODE
A signing route is a predetermined scheme for the movement of an electronic document within a company and beyond. It is a digital chain that determines:
- who should review the document;
- who should approve it (certify it without signing);
- who has the right to apply the final qualified electronic signature (QES).
Without a configured signing route, the implementation of ODE in large companies is just a replacement of paper documents with electronic ones. True efficiency comes when the system itself knows where to send the file after uploading.
This approach eliminates chaos, excludes the human factor, and allows you to control each stage of approval in real time.
What are the types of signing routes?
Depending on the complexity of the company structure and the type of document, different logical schemes can be used. The Vchasno.ODE service most often uses three types of routes.
➡️ Sequential route
This is the classic sequential document approval. Each subsequent participant gains access to the document only after the previous one has performed their action (approved or signed).
Where is it used? In the approval of contracts, where a lawyer must review the amendments before the document is seen by the CFO. For primary documents, if a specific official is responsible for the order.
💡 Advantage. Process control. The manager will never receive a document for signature that has not yet been reviewed by relevant specialists.
↔️ Parallel route
The document is sent to several people at the same time. The order in which they sign it does not matter.
Where is it used? For internal orders that need to be reviewed by managers of several departments, or for documents that require the signatures of several responsible persons who are not dependent on each other.
💡 Advantage. Maximum speed. You don’t have to wait for one colleague to return from lunch before another can start working.
🔀 Mixed route
A combination of the first two types. For example, first, the document is approved in parallel by an accountant and a lawyer, and then it is sent to the director for signature.
Where is it used? For mass documents (e.g., invoices or acts). Purchasers and accountants can simultaneously review the terms of delivery or the correctness of the documents for the shipped goods, and then the document is sent to the signatories.
💡 Advantage. Flexibility that allows you to adapt ODE to any business process.
How to determine which route is right for your company
When building a document approval route, the main task is to make the process logical. Before setting it up, answer a few questions:
- Who is responsible for the content — usually the initiator of the document or a lawyer.
- Who controls the finances — an accountant or financial director.
- Who has the right to give final approval — the director or a trusted representative.
There is no single correct route. To make document approval effective, follow these principles:
- Minimize links. If a document can go through three officials instead of five without losing control quality, choose three.
- Do not duplicate roles. If a document is approved by two managers from the same department, leave one in the approval route or make them interchangeable.
- Take into account the absence of employees at the workplace. Delegate approvals so that the process does not stop due to the vacation of the person in charge.
How to set up a signing route correctly
Regardless of the ODE system used by the company, the logic of setting up a route is almost always the same.
Step-by-step instructions
Define the criteria for dividing document routes. If different employees are responsible for different types of documents, areas of activity, departments, and partners in the company, then it is worth creating a separate route for each process.
Build a logical diagram of document flow. Define the document path in detail: from creation to archiving.
Select signatories and approvers. Add specific employees or roles in departments to the route.
Determine the order of signatures. For each stage, select the type of route — sequential, parallel, or mixed.
Specify the type of electronic signature for each stage. Specify what kind of signature is required at each stage: simple approval (without electronic signature), employee signature, or company seal.
Set up automatic reminders. Enable notifications so that the ODE service speeds up approval in case of delays.
Add substitutes (delegation). Set up substitution rights in case of sick leave or vacation.
Test the route. Create a test document and go through the route yourself to make sure everything works correctly.
Common mistakes when setting up a route
Even experienced managers sometimes make mistakes that, instead of speeding up work, create new obstacles in document flow. Here’s what to avoid:
- Unnecessary approval steps. Each step adds from several hours to several days to the total signing time.
- Lack of delegation. If document approval is locked to one person, their absence stops the entire process.
- Signature of the counterparty before internal approval. This is a critical mistake. If you send the contract to the client and then your lawyer finds a mistake in it, it will be much more difficult to recall the document and sign it again.
- Ignoring statuses. Monitor at which stage the approval is delayed. If 80% of delays occur at the accounting approval stage, you should find out what management decisions will help solve this problem (additional hiring of employees, optimization of the approval route, etc.).
How the signing route works in Vchasno.ODE
The Vchasno.ODE service is designed so that route configuration is intuitive even for those who have never worked with electronic document management systems.
Online document approval is simple and convenient thanks to the following service features:
- Flexible settings. You can create unique scenarios for any business processes that require document approval.
- Role model. Assign officials involved in the approval process, and the system will automatically send them the necessary documents.
- Real-time approval control. In the service’s web office, you can always see the status of a document: «Awaiting signature», «Approved», «Signed by the counterparty». If a delay occurs at a certain stage, you can quickly resolve it.
- Automatic notifications. The system will send a push notification or email to the signatory as soon as it is their turn.
- Action history. Every change, approval, or rejection is recorded in the history. You can always check who made the changes and when.
- One-click signing. Use your electronic signature (on cloud storage or a secure token) directly in your browser window.
Setting up an approval route in the Vchasno.ODE service takes just a few minutes and saves hours of working time every week.
For more information on how to set up a document approval route in Vchasno.ODE, see the service help section.
The signing route is the foundation of healthy electronic document management. A properly configured scheme transforms chaotic file transfers into a clear, transparent, and fast business process.
Document flow automation is not just a trend, but above all, it frees up time for truly important tasks. Start with a simple sequential route for one type of document in the Vchasno.ODE service, and you will quickly feel the difference.
Set up the signing route in Vchasno.ODE
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