With the proliferation of web-based applications, e-readers and mobile computing platforms that make it easy for consumers to do more online and stay connected 24x7, it is no surprise that most people want to say bye-bye to paper documents. The nearly three in four (72 percent) adults who are frustrated with completing paper-based forms, documents or business agreements cite the following reasons filling out hardcopy forms is a pain:
- 72% stated the fields in many forms and documents were often too small to write in
- 38% said it’s too inconvenient to return signed paper documents by fax or mail
- 34% said their handwriting was too messy for others to read
- 23% make too many mistakes
Forty-four percent agreed that overnight express services like UPS and FedEx cost too much and are too slow for signing business documents and agreements. More than a third (36%) would stop using an overnight express service if they could sign forms and business agreements online; this number spikes for people in their prime working years: 54 percent aged 18-34, and 40 percent aged 35-44 would stop using express services to shuttle paperwork around the world if they could.
For tech-savvy consumers used to searching for and storing documents electronically, keeping track of paper can be challenging. For example, only twenty percent of all adults admitted to accidentally losing or destroying important paper-based documents, but nearly one in three (30%) young adults aged 18-34 have trouble keeping hardcopy documents safe.
Untethered and Always On
Eighteen percent of all adults said, in addition to a computer, the use of a mobile device—such as a RIM® BlackBerry® or Apple® iPhone®—was needed to conduct their day-to-day business. Nearly half (44%) were in the highest income groups (household incomes of $75,000 or more), suggesting that their high-powered professions were faster paced and required immediate client responses or turnaround.
E-Sign Rising
Virtually all adults (96%) agreed that their handwritten signature is an important part of their identity. Yet, the majority (63%) preferred typing on a computer to writing by hand, and 2 in 3 (66%) wish they could complete and sign certain forms and business agreements online. The good news is that modern e-signature services enable consumers to upload an e-copy of their signature to better replicate the ceremony of signing and retain that sense of personal identity.
The types of forms most U.S. adults wish they could sign online include, among others (respondents could select more than one):
- Employment or HR documents—job applications, W-2 or 1099 forms, 401K enrollment, etc. (47% overall, 62% of those with “high-powered careers,” defined here as adults residing in households with annual incomes of $100,000 or higher)
- Child’s school documents—immunization forms, field trip waivers, absentee excuses, etc. (47% overall, 62% of those with high-powered careers)
- Insurance documents—enrollment forms, policy change authorizations, claims, etc. (44% overall, 65% of those with high-powered careers)
- Business contracts—purchase orders, approvals, etc. (38% overall, 55% of those with high-powered careers)
- Medical or dental documents—patient information forms, insurance carrier or coverage documentation, etc. (36% overall, 47% of those with high-powered careers)
- Real estate documents—rental or lease agreements, realtor contracts, inspections, waivers, etc. (30% overall, 49% of those with high-powered careers)
“This survey reflects the changing behaviors among adults across the United States and their desire to complete and sign documents online to be more productive and environmentally friendly,” said Steve King, president and CEO of DocuSign. “DocuSign is seeing a tipping point of adoption of our web-based electronic signature service, and as a company we’ve processed roughly 80 million transactions to date. Consumers who use the service for the first time to secure a loan, sign real estate documents and manage other paperwork are usually surprised as to how intuitive DocuSign is and how closely it replicates the experience of signing documents the old-fashioned way, but without the delays and hassles of paper.”
