Automate letterhead signatures

Modified on Wed, 16 Oct, 2024 at 1:44 PM

Imagine never having to worry about physical signatures on letters again. With automated signatures in document containers, you can save valuable time by eliminating the need for manual signatures whilst improving the overall quality of your letters.

This article will guide you on how to automate your signatures in document containers. Once you’ve set this up, you can efficiently streamline your firm's document management process.

Best practice signature setup

EvolveGO allows you to automate staff signatures in the best method for your firm.

You can automate signatures based on one of the following:

Person Responsible field in a matter file
Current User
Ask automation (selecting the required signature automation from a dropdown menu upon generating a letter).

These are ranked according to how simple it is to set up. Decide on which data field best suits your firm.

For example, if the signature on client letters must always be from the matter’s Person Responsible, then it is simplest to base the automation on that data field.

You must create If/Then/Else statements for firms with more than one staff member to ensure the automation of the correct image file. Inserting automation fields may account for other data such as name and role title.

We recommend using Word’s Show Paragraphs feature when editing a container to easily identify line breaks.

To insert and verify signature automation:

Go to EvolveGO Settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner, then select Document Containers.
Right-click the container that requires signature automation, then select Modify to open the container in Word.
Type a sign-off (e.g., Yours Sincerely) after the <<Body Content>> tag. This allows the signature to automate below any typed text.
Insert signature automation below based on Person Responsible, Current User or an Ask by using the EvolveGo Toolbar.
Before saving the container, place the cursor in front of the <<Body Content>> tag. This allows the cursor to go straight to the correct location when generating letters in a matter file.
Save & Close the container.
Repeat the process for each relevant document container.
Test the automation by generating test letters in a matter file.

Automating based on an Ask

Using an Ask is like creating your own custom data fields for automation. It allows for complex signature automation when required. However, this is also the most difficult signature automation to set up.

It is simplest to base automation on existing data fields. So, it is best to avoid Ask automation if multiple signatures can be automated using data fields such as the Person Assisting field.

To automate signatures based on an Ask:

Open the container in Modify
Select the Ask heading in the EvolveGo toolbar.
Click Add.
Complete the dialogue window on the screen:
- Field name: Give a reference name to the Ask. It does not appear in automation, so you can give any relevant name for e.g., ‘Signatures’ is a common Field name.
- Question: This question pops-up upon generating the document and is viewable by any precedent editor for e.g., ‘Who is signing this letter?’ is common.
- Answer type: Select the Choice option for signature automation.
- Choices: Enter each possible sign-off scenario for your firm. Using staff initials is common.
Click Create. The Ask automation now appears in the list.
The next step is to create If/Then/Else statements for every option in the Ask.
Click the If/Then/Else heading in the EvolveGO toolbar.
Place your cursor below the letter sign-off (for e.g., Yours Sincerely).
Select Ask in the If dropdown menu.
Select the newly created signature Ask from the list.
At the bottom of the toolbar, make sure the Equal option in the Is dropdown menu is selected.
In the Equal data entry field, type a choice from the Ask (case sensitive).
- This action satisfies the If condition of the If/Then/Else statement.
Select Insert.
The If/Then/Else statement appears in the container.
Replace the word TRUE in the statement with the signature image file(s) relevant to the choice and name/role information.
- This action satisfies the Then condition of the statement.
  changes to:
  - As is, the statement says that if TH gets selected in the Ask, Tony’s signature automates on the letter. If TH is not selected the word ‘False’ automates on the letter.
Remove the word ‘False’ and leave the cursor between the <<ELSE>> and <<END IF>> tags.
Repeat steps 12-16 for each choice in the Ask.
- Make sure to remove the word ‘False’ from the final choice’s statement.
Complete steps 5-8 from Best Practice Signature Setup.

Use Word tables to automate signatures side-by-side

It is possible to leverage Word’s Table feature to place multiple signatures side-by-side on your letterhead/container.

When using data fields (such as Person Responsible and Person Assisting) you can automate multiple signatures by creating a separate If/Then/Else statement in each table cell.

When basing automation on an Ask, you can create a new Word table after the relevant <<IF (xy) THEN>> tag, then place the signatures relevant to the choice in each cell.

If the signatures need to appear side by side:

Insert a 1x2 Word table.
Create the first signature automation in the first cell.
Create the second signature automation in the second cell.
Make the table borders invisible using Word formatting tools.