Digital Signatures - Please help me understand!

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
October 2, 2019
2 replies
4113 views

If anyone can help me understand this I will be forever grateful. When a digital signature field is added (Prepare Form – Digital signature – add the box) the properties on the signed tab field default to ‘Nothing Happens when signed’. However, I understand that only limited changes are allowed when signing a document, at most additional signatures, so the properties on the signed tab field should be changed to ‘Mark As Read only’ (except another digital signature, if required). Is this a bad set up on Adobe’s part? Is that why I’m so confused when I now know a document can’t be changed after the first digital signature is applied?

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ls_rbls

Community Expert

Sorry for my tardiness in replying back.

What I meant by wizard was to use the "Fill & Sign " Action Wizard or tool.

This is entirely and only in Acrobat Pro. By exttended version I meant is a Save As option that converst the forms that you create in Acrobat Pro to a Acrobat Reader form which does not allows further editing to the users. It just allows literally fill and sign the form, print , comment, and save a local copy of the form

T

traceyc28668387Author

Inspiring

If the workflow we are currently doing is acceptable and not compromizing the integrity of the document, then it's all good. But if it's a design issue, then I will need to ensure the document will be set to read only when the first signature is applied. It's possible they may need to be used for legal reasons so I want to make sure we're doing everything right.

T

traceyc28668387Author

Inspiring

I think the best explanation I can offer is my reply above . I am sharing my personal experience in this area with you. It is very hard when you land in toxic work environments where these things that you are concerned about do happen.

In my work environment, the employees signing the timesheets do not have Acrobat Pro, they are signing with Acrobat Reader. I don’t think it’s necessarily that the contents can’t be edited after it’s been signed, I think it’s more like they shouldn’t be. As quoted on the Adobe website ‘Document integrity verification confirms whether the signed content changed after it was signed. If content changes, document integrity verification confirms whether the content changed in a manner permitted by the signer’. I think it’s important for us to question, is the employee fully aware that content may be changed by the foreman and/or manager after they are signing it? Many of them have no clue about computers. It should be also considered that the employees’ time may be filled out on behalf of a crew lead or foreman, it’s not necessarily the individual filling out their own timesheet. Personally, I think we to re-consider if the employee should even be adding their digital signature when filling it out and submitting for approval. It is not required that an employee sign a timesheet, but it is recommended they keep a copy of what they submitted. Could it possibly be more of a risk for us if they add their digital signature? Maybe it could, unless each individual were to fill out their own time and the document goes to read only when signed, but that simply doesn’t work for us. It’s the foreman’s responsibility to know what the employees are doing and sign off to approve the contents are accurate and the manager signs off to make the final approval. I’ve had to re-create the timesheets for my department so they are fully functional from the person filling it out to the timekeeper entering the time. In order to do that I had to apply JavaScript, so they work fantastic and look great, which my employer recognized by presenting me with an innovation award. That was cool. They would also like to re-create the timesheets for the other departments, which I’m hoping I will be able to do and be in control of them, but first the we need to iron the wrinkles. You have been tremendously helpful for me and I simply can’t thank you enough for helping me. You ARE the best!!