Preview is likely the easiest way to get something done on a Mac. Open a pdf. Annotate. Fill fields. Add a signature. Export. Send. Done. With Preview, you don’t have to install anything else to sign a document. And for some users, that is all that is needed.
For businesses, the convenience of Preview is a given. What is less clear is when Preview stops being convenient enough.
How Preview Is Convenient for Users
Preview is convenient because it eliminates barriers. A user doesn’t need to find, download and install additional software to view a pdf or to add a signature. The application is familiar. The actions are straight-forward. The file stays local unless the user decides to make it available somewhere else.
As such, Preview works well for narrow use cases:
- A founder signs a vendor agreement
- A freelancer signs a short contract
- A team leader annotates a document and sends it back to the group
In each case, the process is limited to a single person. The document path is simple. And there is little need for traceability.
That is where Preview is most successful. It is good at handling static files. Especially those that require direct action. There is no need for a dashboard, if the only thing that needs to happen is place a signature on the document and return it, Preview will do the job. But, Preview is not designed to perform these functions.
The Difference Between Signing a Document and Running a Workflow
While a signed document might appear complete, in the context of business operations the signed document is only a small piece of a larger puzzle.
Documents are not typically isolated files in a business environment. Rather, they are part of approval chains:
- Sales cycles
- On-boarding flows
- Vendor management processes
- Procurement
- HR Administration
The signature is just one event in the chain of responsibility. Therein lies the difference. Many teams continue to use ad-hoc methods for managing their signing processes beyond the point of diminishing returns. They email files back and forth. Rename versions manually. Store final versions in inconsistent locations. Rely on staff to recall the next step. All of these factors contribute to delay. And error.
At some point, a company may believe it has a signing process in place. However, it may merely have a loosely assembled collection of manual practices tied together with email threads and memory.
What Full E-Signature Workflows Provide
The first advantage of using a dedicated workflow solution is that it organizes how you prepare your documents. As mentioned earlier, the reusable template eliminates repeated steps in preparation for creating the same type of document over and over again. The other advantage is that it reduces the likelihood of producing different versions of a document. Workflow solutions are especially important for teams that create many of the same types of documents.
Another advantage of a dedicated workflow solution is that it clarifies who participates in each step of a workflow. Using a workflow solution, the person that creates a document (such as an employee or contractor) has control over which employees will review the document. Who needs to sign off on the document? What is the order in which signatures are needed? These types of questions are answered in the workflow solution. When these decisions are made, there is less chance of accidentally sending a document to someone that should not receive it. Additionally, there is also less chance of bottlenecks occurring due to confusion as to who is responsible for reviewing a document.
A third advantage of using a dedicated workflow solution is that it gives more visibility into the status of your documents. With a workflow solution, instead of wondering where a document is located or if it has been completed by certain individuals, employees can track the progress of their documents. The workflow solution also helps to reduce the amount of redundant follow up communication that is typically associated with tracking down missing documents.
A fourth advantage of using a dedicated workflow solution is that it creates a more consistent document record. Because actions taken while working through the workflow solution are tied to the process, it is easier to recreate the documentation history from start to finish. Instead of trying to recreate all of the documentation history from emails, file timestamps, etc., the workflow solution does this automatically.
Lastly, a fifth advantage of a dedicated workflow solution is that it is scalable. A workflow solution that was able to handle 10 documents per month will likely fail once it is asked to handle 100. A workflow solution is not necessarily about adding complexity; it’s about providing a baseline structure to help keep things organized as volumes increase.
To a macOS team considering a Docusign alternative. The evaluation is not based upon branding. It is based upon whether the business needs a signing feature. Or an operational workflow.
Where Preview Fails in Business Use Cases
The first break point occurs when the signing process requires repetition. A business that sends the same NDA, contractor agreement, order form or client approval document weekly should not be starting that process over again every week. Each time the process is repeated, the likelihood of creating inconsistencies increases. Manual repetition is wasteful and time consuming.
The second break point occurs when multiple people within a company participate in the process. As soon as the process requires more than one employee, friction increases. One employee creates the document. The second reviews it. The third forwards it to the appropriate party. The fourth stores the signed copy. Without a system in place to manage handoffs. These steps will be accomplished via forwarded emails. Chat Messages. Folder Instructions. While this is not control. It is certainly creative.
The third breaking point occurs when visibility is lost. Once a document has left the sender’s inbox, ad hoc signing processes offer little insight into its status. Companies waste time trying to determine the status of the document. It’s not because the signing process is complex. It’s because the status of the document is unknown.
The fourth break point occurs when there is a need for evidence. In many industries a signed document is insufficient. The organization also needs to demonstrate the process, when the document was sent, when the document was opened, whether the required fields were completed and whether the final version of the document was properly archived. Visual completion is not the same as process integrity.
Why macOS Teams Wait Until Later to Upgrade
Mac users prefer clean workflows, minimal software and native applications that run with little to no support. This approach provides for efficient individual performance. However, it can also mask underlying structural inefficiencies in document-based workflows.
A team may choose to avoid a dedicated e-signature solution because Preview meets their needs. At first glance, that seems to be a practical decision. No training. No monthly fees. No workflow changes. But, the simplicity is often a deception. The underlying complexities are not eliminated. They are merely moved into the realm of manual effort performed outside of the native application.
Therefore, businesses often do not fully appreciate the costs of using a native application alone. The application is free, because it is included. The hidden costs exist in the repeated manual interventions.
Why Repeatability Matters in Business Workflows
The area where well-structured (mature) processes differ from unstructured (impromptu) processes is repeatability.
When an organization produces only one document, almost any procedure can be used. When the same kind of document is produced every day, it is the procedures for producing this document that are important.
Repeated actions cause weakness in poorly constructed processes. Find out where automation is unnecessary. Find out where errors build up. Find out where time is lost.
Document workflow processes should therefore be judged by their repeated use, and not solely on their initial success. A process that works fine as an occasional process, may rapidly become inefficient as volume increases.
In organizations using macOS, these problems typically manifest themselves in certain patterns. Documents are copied. Renamed. Versions become confused. Fields are placed incorrectly. Files are completed but placed in different locations. Follow-up communication depends on who remembers.
Although each of these issues appear to be relatively minor individually, collectively they produce operational drag. Operational drag is rarely documented formally; however, it does impact your organization’s speed. Consistency. Accountability.
Where Preview Can Still Be Useful
This doesn’t mean Preview won’t fit into a business environment. It will. However, we have to be able to define how far it goes. Internal approval is where Preview is best suited. Once off digital signatures. Simple PDF review. For many organizations, Preview is a good all around utility for managing PDF’s within their Mac based workflows. In fact, Preview could be considered the default tool for reviewing documents before sending them through a formal signing process.
The issue isn’t with using Preview as a local productivity tool. The issue is trying to expect Preview to handle your entire document workflow. Businesses that understand this can successfully combine the two methodologies. Use Preview for local productivity and use a structured workflow system for all recurring and trackable multi-party agreements. This is a very practical approach to divide up the workload. And much more sustainable than requiring a native app to do something outside of its purpose.
