Signature Authority Verification (QA)

Signature Authority Verification (QA)

1. 01

   Confirm the signatory holds delegated authority before any envelope leaves the agency

   Pull the client's delegation-of-authority record or board resolution and match the named signer against it. A signed contract from someone without authority is a rework cost, not a closed deal.

2. 02

   Verify entity legal name and jurisdiction against the client's registration filing

   Mismatched entity names are the most common cause of rejected countersignatures at enterprise procurement. Check the exact registered spelling, including punctuation and suffix.

3. 03

   Test the signing order so no party signs before a required upstream approver

   Sequential routing prevents a counterparty from executing a version that later changes. Parallel routing is acceptable only when no clause depends on another signer's input.

4. 04

   Inspect the audit trail configuration for timestamp, IP, and identity capture

   Platforms differ here. DocuSeal and Dropbox Sign both retain signer audit records, but the fields exposed in the exported certificate vary, so confirm the export contains what your client's legal team will ask for.

5. 05

   Reconcile the completed document against the source version before archiving

   Compare page count, exhibit list, and any fillable fields against the pre-send file. Silent field truncation happens on long contracts with many form inputs.

6. 06

   Log the executed copy to the client's designated repository with a retention date

   Retention windows differ by contract type and jurisdiction. Record the destruction-eligible date at filing time rather than reconstructing it during an audit.

7. 07

   Run a quarterly spot check on five executed agreements per active retainer

   Sampling catches drift in how different account leads handle routing and naming. Document findings in the agency's own compliance log, not the client's.