Simple PDF centralized signing/approval system for LAN environment

Question

In our office we typically have this highly in-efficient workflow:

User A writes a technical report with recommendations

There are between 4-5 people that must sign this document for it to be released

Option 1: User A then hunts down each approver and gets their signature which he later scans and submits. The end result being either a PDF document that is no longer electronic or a lengthy process of splicing in the signed page to a digital copy.

Option 2: User A wishes to perform the same task digitally. He emails the document to approver 1 of 5 to sign and an instruction to pass that signed document on to approver 2 of 5 etc until the process is completed. This is a lengthly process which can be completely interrupted by a delay from one of the approvers preventing the next one from signing. Sometimes one of the approvers hasn't setup electronic signatures and so prints, signs & scans thereby defeating the entire point.

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There are many online services that fix this [e.g. PandaDoc]. You upload a document with the list of approvers and they can sign/approve it online with a digital signature in any order at any time.

I would like to implement such a system, however, since our work is highly confidential the solution must be deployable in a LAN environment on our own servers - I would really like to avoid writing this software myself.

Answer 1

We normally use adobe acrobat dc which has Fill and sign feature, for electronic signature. we use it when we have to submit or give an approval on documents, You can also use Sharepoint to share and manage files easily.

You can search for document approval systems. mostly they are paid and have on request demos.

Openkm paid, demo on request, has electronic signature, process automation, file manager, history, all relevant features