Setting Up Electronic Signatures for Action Items in Spaces

Electronic signatures let your organization require a verified, recorded signature before an approval action item can be completed. When an action item requires a signature, the approver signs in again with their own credentials at the moment of approval, reviews what they are signing, and confirms. SysAid records the signature on the action item and in the service record's Journey.

Electronic signatures are designed for regulated environments, such as GMP-regulated organizations that must show who approved a change, when, and why. They can support your compliance with regulations such as FDA 21 CFR Part 11. Your organization remains responsible for validating its own processes.

Available for:

Customers using SysAid Spaces. Action items that require an electronic signature can be signed and completed in Spaces only.

How it works

You turn on electronic signatures for each approval action item separately, in the Workflow Designer. Action items that don't require a signature work as they do today.

Only members of the group assigned to the action item can sign it. If no group is assigned, only the assigned admin can sign it.

When the signature is recorded, the action item is completed in the same step. The signature appears on the action item and in the Journey.

Signing takes two steps:

1. Authentication. The approver signs in again through your organization's login method. An existing session isn't accepted as proof of identity, so every signature is a deliberate act.

2. Signature details. The approver reviews what they are signing, adds an optional comment, and confirms.

Require an electronic signature on an action item

1. Open the template's workflow in the Workflow Designer.

2. Select the approval action item that should require a signature.

3. In the action item's attributes, turn on Requires electronic signature.

4. Save the workflow.

The setting applies to service records created from the template after you save it. Service records already open are not affected.

Please note:

Requires electronic signature and Auto complete can't be turned on for the same action item. An action item that requires a signature must be completed by a person.

To learn more about action item attributes, see Configuring Action Items.

Sign an action item

On the service record, an action item that requires a signature shows the label Electronic signature required to complete this action.

1. On the Action Items tab, open the action item.

2. Set Approved to Yes or No.

3. Click Complete.

4. In the Authentication required window, sign in with your organization login.

5. In the Sign and approve action window (or Sign and reject action), review the details.

6. Read the confirmation notice, then click Sign and approve (or Sign and reject).

The action item is completed and marked Signed and approved or Signed and rejected.

Sign in

• Password sign-in: your username is filled in. Enter your password, then click Sign in.

• Single sign-on (SSO): your identity provider's sign-in page opens in a new window. Enter your password there. You must enter your password even if you're already signed in.

Review the signature details

View a signature

Signature records are kept on the action item and in the service record's Journey.

A signed action item shows a signature record with:

The signature is also added to the service record's Journey as an electronic signature entry.

After signing, the Approved value can't be changed. If the action item is reopened and signed again, the earlier signature stays on record as history.

Supported sign-in methods

If your account's sign-in method isn't supported, approvers see the message "Electronic signature is not available for your login method; contact your administrator" and can't sign.

Limitations

• Electronic signatures are available on approval action items only.

• The requirement is set in the Workflow Designer. It can't be added to an action item directly on a service record.

• Action items that require a signature can be completed in Spaces only.

• Only members of the assigned group can sign. Full administrators who aren't in the group can't sign either.

• SSO sign-in opens in a new window. Make sure your browser allows pop-ups from SysAid.

• Failed sign-in attempts count toward your account's login lockout policy.

Troubleshoot electronic signatures

To contact our support team, go to the SysAid Support portal.

Related articles

• Configuring Action Items

• Fulfilling Action Items

• Workflows