Travel Technology - Digital Signature pad for customers signature

Hello travelers

Many reader here are involved in some customer related job, which requires to travel in the first place.

Me doing the same, and I require some paper from the customer that I actually did the job. What we do is fill out a report about our on site work, what we did, findings etc, then find a printer, let the customer sign, copy the report for him, bring it back in the office, then scan the paper with his signature for our electronic documentation. I guess this is something most companies do.

I want to evolve and take a mobile printer and a signature pad with me. So I write the report, sign it myself and get the signature from the customer, print out his copy. That's it.

Specifically I would be happy to hear about your experience and thought with such a "workflow" and also what kind of digital signature pad you made good experience with.

Let me add that it's not about something like trusted digital signature with license etc.

Thank you in advance for your ideas
Wombelero

This kind of workflow should be fine. Tablet PCs are ideal for this. With a mobile card, they could sign on the spot and you could e-mail a copy 'real-time' to them.

If a tablet PC isn't in the offing for you (and I agree that it is the best option by far for this activity) try one of the smaller Wacom tablets (http://www.wacom.com/bambootablet/compare.cfm). I have one that is 4x6" and I'm guessing that it would meet your needs for size/weight as well as functionality.

http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.316~search.tablet

Can't go wrong for $10 :)

I am still in favor of getting a pen on paper signature at some point in time from the customer or client.

On the other hand, if your company considers a signature pad electronic signature good and sufficient, and will never question you, then you may go ahead with that approach.

I have seen and used a variety of signature pads, notably at retail stores when using a credit card, and the quality of the signature is generally terrible. In addition to the coarse pixel low resolution, the written line sometimes shoots off all over the place as I manipulate the pen.

Travel tips: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/travel.htm