Add Electronic Signature to Purchase Orders

Add Electronic Signature to Purchase Orders

Challenge:

Mainsaver has the capability to email a pdf copy of the purchase order directly to a supplier. This functionality would attach a pdf of the default PO form set in Application Switches to the supplier. However, many organizations want a physical signature of the buyer or approver on the PO form being sent to the supplier. Printing, signing and then scanning the signed PO takes additional time. With one or two easy-to-get free tools, users can print the PO to a pdf file and add an electronic signature into the pdf.

Methodology:

Software Needed – In order to add an electronic signature to a PO, the user needs two pieces of software installed on their computer.

1. PDF Print Utility. All Windows 10 computers should have the ‘Microsoft print to PDF’ printers installed already. If not, this PDF utility may be installed or other free PDF print software is available such as ‘CutePDF’. Hosted Mainsaver customers can always export to pdf because the ‘Ghostscript’ pdf print software is setup for all customers. Hosted customers can also set a pdf printer as their default Windows printer before running Mainsaver in order to save pdf files on a local or network drive. For non-hosted customers, Ghostscript is required to be installed only for the PO to Email capability.

Figure 1 – PDF printer set as default.

2. PDF Edit Utility – a free package such as ‘Adobe Reader DC’ may be downloaded and installed to add signatures to pdf files produced in Mainsaver. Additional functionality such as the ability to combine PO attachments into one PDF file may be added to the free software for a nominal annual or monthly fee.

Produce PDF File – Simply print the PO from PO New window or PO table view using the PRINT button. Hosted customer can also produce the PDF file by using the ‘Export’ button under the green Program menu always in the upper left corner of Mainsaver.

Figure 2 – Print to default printer from table view.

Figure 3 – Use Export command from any report in Mainsaver.

Edit PDF File – Using the installed PDF editor, in this case Adobe, open the PDF file using a right click from File Explorer.

Figure 4 – Edit PDF file with PDF editor.

Create first signature – Adobe allows users to sign with a script font, use an actual scanned signature image or draw a signature with a mouse.

Figure 5 – Creating a signature.

Add Date Stamp – User may add a date stamp and other signature as needed. The final product may be saved and sent to the supplier.

Figure 6 – Purchase order saved with signature.

Benefit:

Where a signature is required on a purchase order, this 3 minute process eliminates the need to print, sign and scan a purchase orders. The process saves paper and created an electric image of the purchase order. Furthermore, some of these PDF editors will allow the user to aggregate PO attachments into one PDF file.