Sign documents with Validated ID

To sign documents in a workflow at the advanced and qualified security levels, DocuWare works with external signature service providers such as Validated ID.

Validated ID is a provider of trust services. It verifies the identity of the signer and returns the signed document, together with the signature certificate, to DocuWare.

This article describes how to integrate and configure electronic signatures with Validated ID in DocuWare workflows. You will learn:

• which steps the signature process involves,

• how to register your organization with the DocuWare Signature Service,

• how to connect your organization to the DocuWare Signature Service, and

• how to integrate the Validated ID signature methods into a workflow.

These instructions are aimed at administrators and users who want to sign documents digitally and in a legally compliant manner in DocuWare.

The signature process at a glance

To apply an advanced electronic signature, the document must be stored in DocuWare and located in a workflow.

The signature process consists of the following steps:

1. Triggering the signature: In a DocuWare workflow, the condition under which the document can be signed is met.

2. Transmission to Validated ID: The document is transmitted from the DocuWare Signature Service to Validated ID. The DocuWare Signature Service is a web service provided by DocuWare. It acts as the interface between DocuWare and Validated ID.

3. Authentication and signing: Validated ID sends a link to the document to the signer. The signer logs in to Validated ID and signs the document. The signature method and the security level, AES or QES, depend on the type of authentication used at Validated ID. As an administrator, you define the authentication when you configure the signature in the workflow. Validated ID offers three authentication methods:

   1. Remote, authentication via SMS, AES. The signer receives the link to the document and an SMS message that lets them add their signature via TAN. The signer does not need to be registered with Validated ID.

   2. Biometric, on-site authentication, AES. The signer signs on a tablet. The devices used must be registered in advance and are therefore known to Validated ID. See the supported devices. Only with the biometric option is the document sent directly to a registered device for signing. The signer does not need to be registered with Validated ID.

   3. Centralized, one-time authentication with Validated ID, AES or QES. The signer must also be registered with Validated ID. After identification, a certificate confirming the signer's identity is stored at Validated ID. The signer can then log in and sign documents without authenticating again.

4. Applying the signature: Validated ID adds the signature to the document and places a graphic element for the signature in the document.

5. Transmission of the signed document: Validated ID notifies the DocuWare Signature Service that the document has been signed or rejected. DocuWare receives the signed document and stores it in the file cabinet. The signed version can either be clipped to the original document or replace it. Some index fields are also updated.

A service contract with Validated ID is required

To use the DocuWare Signature Service with Validated ID, a service contract with Validated ID is required. For more information on licensing, see the White Paper Electronic Signatures.

Registering your organization with the Signature Service

Before the Signature Service can load and update your documents, or update the index data of a document, you must register your DocuWare organization with it.

To register your organization with the Signature Service, proceed as follows:

• Open https://signature.docuware.cloud/registration/vidsigner  

• Enter the login credentials. The login credentials for your DocuWare organization are used for all DocuWare actions. They should therefore have the necessary permissions for the file cabinet used in the workflow.

• You are also asked for the name and password of your organization's Validated ID subscription, and for an email address to which a token can be sent.

• Validated ID offers two registration options, the Demo Subscription and the Production Subscription, which are available via the link above. A separate access for ADPs is also available.

  1. DocuWare partners can request the Demo Subscription, for example for the customer's evaluation phase. To sign documents in a production environment, the Production Subscription is required.

  2. Authorized DocuWare Partners (ADPs) can use their own access for demos and presentations. This access is only available to users with special permission.

     If you have any questions, contact your DocuWare contact person.

Notes on the DocuWare Signature Service

• Signatures for PDFs only: The DocuWare Signature Service supports only PDFs, so the document is converted if necessary. Annotations from the DocuWare document are not carried over into the PDF to be signed.

• Behavior after signing: The signed version of the document can either be clipped to the original document or replace it. An index field is also updated with a specific value. This value can, for example, serve as a trigger condition for another workflow.

• Granting access for the Workflow Engine: To use the Signature Service in workflows, the DocuWare Workflow Engine needs access to the Signature Service, and the Signature Service needs access to the DocuWare Platform. With DocuWare Cloud this is always the case. For an on-premises system, the server and firewall may need to be configured accordingly.

• An internet connection is required: The Signature Service is hosted in the DocuWare Cloud. Every organization that uses the Signature Service must therefore be reachable via the internet.

Connecting your organization to the Signature Service

After registration, store the Signature Service as a web service in your organization.

1. Go to DocuWare Configurations > Integrations > Web Services.

2. Create a new web service connection of type SOAP.

3. To transmit documents to Validated ID with the DocuWare Signature Service, enter the following URL:

   https://signature.docuware.cloud/ViDSignatureService.svc

   Both DocuWare Cloud and Validated ID require SSL, so that the documents are secure during and after the signature process. Every locally installed DocuWare system must also be configured for SSL to use the Signature Service. The documents are then securely encrypted during transmission between DocuWare and the signature provider.

4. Save the web service connection. The DocuWare Signature Service then becomes available in a workflow activity of type Web Service.

Integrating a signature method into a workflow

A signature method can be a workflow of its own or be integrated into an existing workflow. The detailed configuration depends on the use case.

The following guide describes only the steps for configuring the signature method within a workflow:

1. Insert the Web Service activity: In the Workflow Designer desktop app, add an activity of type Web Service to the workflow.

2. Select the Signature Service: Under Web Service > General, select the web service that you created for the DocuWare Signature Service. In this example it is named "Validated ID":

   

3. Select the service method: When the Signature Service is integrated, the service methods provided by Validated ID, such as AddNewDocumentRemote, become available in the workflow. Under Web Service > Request, select the method you need.

   • Read more about the function and the properties of the service methods.

4. Enter parameters: Each service method has its own set of parameters. In the Parameters window, assign the required values to these parameters. For example:

   • To transmit the document to be signed, map the corresponding parameter to the DocuWare index field that holds the DocID.

   • Or create global variables that can be filled dynamically with values from the workflow. To make mapping in the request easier, give the variables clear, unambiguous names from the outset, for example the name of the parameter.

     

5. Enter result parameters: In the Data Assignment tab, you can map the result parameters to global variables and use them to decide the next step in the workflow. For example, if the Success value is false, the workflow can take a different path than when it is true. If an error occurs, the workflow outputs a message with the reason, so the error can be tracked and resolved.

   

   Parameter	Variable type	Description	Values
   Message (string)	Text	Contains information about the error message.	—
   Success (boolean)	Text	If the value true is returned, the call to the web service was successful.	true / false
   Enveloped (string)	Text	Unique ID that Validated ID has assigned to the document.	—

6. Optional: Wait for event: An additional Wait for event activity pauses the workflow until the document is signed. A web service returns its response as soon as the call finishes. To prevent this from ending the workflow before the document is signed, add a Wait for event activity. The workflow then waits for the signer or signers to complete the signature. The most common wait condition is a change in the value of the index field selected for the StatusFieldName parameter.

   • When the field is filled with the value of the SuccessStatusValue parameter, the workflow continues with the newly signed document.

   • If the field is filled with the value of the FailureStatusValue parameter, the workflow also continues, on the condition that the signer declined to sign the document.

For more information on configuring a DocuWare workflow, see the Workflow Designer Help.

Supported versions: DocuWare Cloud + 7.14 + 7.13 + 7.12 + 7.11 + 7.10