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10–1 Add Digital Signatures to Electronic Documents
Exhibit 10.1 Summary of Filing Best Practices 185
Best Practice Cost Install Time
Computer-Related Filing Issues
10–1 Add digital signatures to electronic
documents
10–2 Archive canceled checks on CD-ROM
10–3 Archive computer files
10–4 Implement document imaging
10–5 Eliminate stored paper documents if
already in computer
10–6 Extend time period before computer
records are purged
10–7 Extend use of existing computer database
10–8 Improve computer system reliability
Other Filing Issues
10–9 Adopt a document-destruction policy
10–10 Eliminate attaching back-up materials to
checks for signing
10–11 Eliminate reports
10–12 Move records off-site
10–13 Reduce number of form copies to file

storage to extend the time period over which records are kept in the computer
system. In both cases, one should carefully research costs with the assistance of
the computer department before taking any additional implementation steps.
The remainder of this chapter covers the best practices for the filing function
as presented in Exhibit 10.1.

10–1 ADD DIGITAL SIGNATURES TO ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

One of the primary difficulties with converting paper-based forms to electronic
ones is that many documents require a signature to be affixed to them. This
results in an electronic form being printed out, signed, and then either scanned
back into a digital format or else used from that point forward as a paper docu-
ment. As a result, the multitude of benefits associated with digital documents—
minimal storage costs, infinite replication, ease of search, and so on—are lost.
This problem has recently been corrected through the passage of a new federal
law in June 2000 that legalizes the use of digital signatures.