Every day, some kind of formal correspondence is being exchanged almost everywhere in the world. Be it internal memos within corporations or communication between two companies, correspondence is and always has been the backbone of business.
And since so many aspects of our lives are becoming digital nowadays, so is the way we communicate. In 2021, both our personal and professional communication mostly happens online.
Letters have largely been replaced with emails and other messaging tools, but the shift from traditional correspondence to electronic one doesn’t (and shouldn’t) end there.
Email is just the beginning
So what exactly is eCorrespondence and how is it useful? Does sending an email count as eCorrespondence?
In a very simplified way, yes. As of now, there is no strict or internationally adopted definition for eCorrespondence and the word can be understood as simply as any kind of correspondence in an electronic format.
Email is one of the oldest and most widespread mediums for such online communication that is used by individuals and organizations daily – sending and receiving business emails is the standard practice. But there are better tools and systems available now that can do way more than email ever could.
Enter: the eCorrespondence solution
Modern eCorrespondence management systems provide businesses and organizations with way more control, efficacy, and insight compared to traditional (physical) correspondence or email.
The goal of these solutions is to centralize and manage the full lifecycle of all correspondence online, standardize procedures and automate reporting, digitize any existing paper-based correspondence and archive it in an electronic format, and secure all communication to make sure only the right people can access it.
Successful implementation of an eCorrespondence solution will result in easier accessibility, visibility, and distribution, faster turnaround, better compliance, and improved security.
What sets eCorrespondence apart from ordinary business email communication?
Based on our experience, a good eCorrespondence solution typically has the following features:
- The medium used for eCorrespondence is electronic document (eDoc)
- The structure of the eDoc content is usually formalized and must follow certain rules and guidelines.
- eDoc content must be typically approved by key stakeholders.
- eDocs must be secured, for example signed or sealed digitally to be trusted and verifiable
- eCorrespondence solutions must handle all sorts of correspondence (incoming, outgoing, and internal)
The crossover with eSigning.
Since most letters have to be signed to have any validity, it is no surprise that eSigning and eCorrespondence go together hand in hand. There is no hard line between eCorrespondence Management and Document Approvals or Electronic Signatures. Depending on the particular use case, those 3 types of solutions can be interlinked, sometimes even one and the same.
The emphasis may be on different features or aspects of the process (document creation, approvals, signatures…), depending on the unique needs and circumstances of each entity. But at the end of the day, the best correspondence management solution is one that suits you, your business, and your goals.
We can make that happen! Get in touch with us and discover the endless possibilities of Circularo eCorrespondence.
