1. Microsoft ® Office SharePoint ® 2007 Training Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Jim Taliaferro Community Mental Health Center

3. Overview: Sign yourself up Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Does your organization use a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 site? Do you need people to sign files? If so, you should learn how to use the Collect Signatures workflow, which enables you to quickly and easily gather signatures for a file.

5. Lesson How to collect signatures

6. How to collect signatures Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Does your business require certain files to be signed by employees? Do you routinely go door to door, asking people to sign things? Instead of running around the hallways, use the Collect Signatures workflow. This workflow lets you collect digital signatures for a file stored on a SharePoint Server 2007 site.

7. What is a digital signature? Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file A digital signature is a typed signature that someone can add to a file. Instead of signing a printed document with a pen, they sign the file electronically by typing. In this example, Judy Lew, an event planner, has created a budget for an upcoming conference event. She signed the file, agreeing to the forecasted expense amounts. And she obtained signatures from both Kevin and Dan, since they must approve of any spending she does.

8. What’s special about digital signatures? Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file A digital signature is more than just a box with someone’s name typed inside it. Behind the scenes, attached to that signature, is a digital certificate . A digital certificate accompanies a digital signature. It is a means of proving identity to the signature. Certificates are issued by a certification authority, and, like a driver’s license, can expire or be revoked.

9. What’s special about digital signatures (cont.) Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Here’s something else that’s important to know about digital signatures and files: After the first person signs, the file will become read only . Later, other signatures can be filled out, but no changes to the file can be made. This ensures that the first person doesn’t sign something different than the rest of the signers.

10. Where do you get a digital certificate? Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file So where do you get a digital certificate? Often your IT department will have a certificate established for you on your computer, so in many cases you don’t have to do anything extra; just sign the file and the certificate will be associated with it automatically. But if you don’t have a certificate, you’ll have to get one if you want to sign a file.

11. What’s needed Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file A quick note: the signatures described in this course are only available when using Microsoft Office ® Word 2007 and Microsoft Office ® Excel ® 2007. This course will explain the overall process using Excel 2007. But the process is the same in Word 2007.

12. Prepare the file for signatures Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Now on to the meat of the matter: how to get signatures into a file. Before Judy can collect signatures, she needs to prepare her file. First, she needs to add three empty signature lines to the file so that there are spots for three signatures: one for herself, one for Kevin, and one for Dan. The animation shows how she does it. Animation: Right-click, and click Play .

13. Prepare the file for signatures Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Now on to the meat of the matter: how to get signatures into a file. Before Judy can collect signatures, she needs to prepare this file. First, she needs to add three empty signature lines to the file so that there are spots for three signatures: one for herself, one for Kevin, and one for Dan.

14. Prepare the file for signatures Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Judy inserts her cursor into the file. She clicks the Insert tab, and then clicks Signature Line , as shown here. She types the name, title, and e-mail address for herself. She repeats this process for Kevin Cook and Dan Park. She then saves the file.

15. Sign it yourself Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Another thing Judy should do prior to starting the workflow: sign her own signature line. This will make the file Read-Only to everyone else from that point on, which helps ensure that the file isn’t changed from the time she signs it, to the time that Kevin and Dan sign it. Animation: Right-click, and click Play .

16. Sign it yourself Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Another thing Judy should do prior to starting the workflow: sign her own signature line. This will make the file Read-Only to everyone else from that point on, which helps ensure that the file doesn’t get changed from the time she signs it, to the time that Kevin and Dan sign it.

17. How it all works Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Now it’s time to start the workflow so that the other two signatures can be collected. Unlike the other two workflows you may be familiar with, this one must be started in the program you are using. The animation shows how Judy starts this workflow and what the experience is like for the people involved. Animation: Right-click, and click Play .

18. How it all works Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file Now it’s time to start the workflow so that the other two signatures can be collected. Unlike the other two workflows you may be familiar with, this one must be started in the program you are using. First, click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Workflow . Next, as shown, click the Start button next to Collect Signatures .

19. Certificate Workflows III: Collect digital signatures for a file If a signer doesn’t have a digital certificate, he or she may get this message when trying to sign the file. It explains that a digital ID is needed. The best option is to click the first choice to get a digital ID from a Microsoft partner. After clicking OK , a Web page will open with a handful of providers to choose from.