November 26, 2011
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Comments
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Ken
The company that provides our alarm management software Z-Microtech provides. something like Docusign when we take a clients information on completing a service call. Rather than try and explain how the software works directly I have copied Bob the owner of Z-Micro for his comments.
Ken I think your readership is better served by Bob explaining how his products work than me. TechWeb fits right in and maybe aspects of Persuit.
But I do think it is relevant
Mike Macdonald
Intercept Systems Corp.
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Hi Ken,
Hope all is well.
One of our clients (and I believe yours) - Mike McDonald from Intercept Security in Alberta CA - had sent you an email last night related to electronic signatures on one of our products TechWeb. TechWeb is a web-based field service application for an iPad or other tablet that integrates with our Alarm SQL office product. He had asked me to provide you with a few details on the way electronic signatures are captured in TechWeb since he saw your article regarding DocuSign.
When a work order is completed, the customer can sign off on the work performed by entering their initials in the appropriate field on the screen. TechWeb then stores those initials along with the date, time and connected IP Address at the moment the initials are entered. A copy of the work order, with that information, is then emailed to that customer for their records (and stored in the Alarm SQL database as well for dealer review at any time). Alternatively, the technician can email the completed work order to their iPad and using a PDF annotation application have the customer sign with their finger directly on the work order copy and then email that copy along with their actual signature to the customer and themselves.
We always recommend to our dealers that they have wordage in their service contracts when they sign up clients to cover themselves for any legal issues that need to be addressed regarding service. Our work orders would not contain any legal terms that supercede those service contracts and refer them to the original service contract. In fact, I remember many years ago when I met you, you were at a meeting were you talked about the importance of font size (never going below 8 or 9 point, etc.) and that dealers need to be careful that documents signed by customers do not contain legal terms that could be determined to supercede a previously signed contract. I always recommend to our dealers when this question comes up to contact you since I know you are a well known authority in the security industry on legal matters.
I think Mike just wanted some clarity on the electronic signature issue and that's why he asked me to explain to you the way TechWeb works. Please feel free to let me know if there are any specific questions I can answer that would help provide a response to Mike.
Take care Ken.
Sincerely,
Bob Zimmerlich
Z-Micro Technologies