AMECAFÉ: In search of the best electronic signature service

“We switched to Mifiel because it offered an advantage in terms of time, costs, maintenance, and ease of integration with our systems.”
_{Daniel Pérez, ICT Engineer at AMECAFÉ}

More and more companies are choosing to use advanced electronic signatures, as they provide greater legal support and document security compared to conventional signatures. However, because it is a relatively new technology, many people do not know how to choose the most suitable service.

We interviewed our clients at AMECAFÉ, one of the early adopters of this technology. In this article, they share their experience with different systems and offer their perspective on the features you should look for when hiring a secure and reliable electronic signature service. They also tell us why they decided to switch to Mifiel.

The logistical obstacles faced by a National Association

The Mexican Association of the Coffee Production Chain (AMECAFÉ) is responsible for connecting producers, exporters, customs brokers, and other stakeholders within the coffee industry.

We had the opportunity to speak with Daniel Pérez and Miguel Ángel Ruiz, ICT Engineers at AMECAFÉ. Regarding the Association, they commented, “A fundamental part of the work at the Association is the creation of agreements between the members and AMECAFÉ.”

For AMECAFÉ, sending documents to its members was complicated and expensive, given that they have an average of 300 to 350 members. Most of these members are distributed across various states such as Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Veracruz. Consequently, shipping costs and waiting times began to hinder their workflow.

The challenges of Digital Transformation

Starting in 2012, AMECAFÉ began a phase of technological advancement by incorporating electronic signatures into their workThis helped them resolve the issues of sending documents the traditional way.

In their research on advanced electronic signatures they found a "Certification Service Provider" (PSC), which, in addition to generating private certificates, also allowed them to sign with the FIEL.

When they started working with the PSC, their experience was not entirely satisfactory. "With the other service, we had to set up a server, a database, and provide maintenance," Daniel mentioned, which resulted in high costs in terms of time and technical resources. In addition, there were charges such as an annual license, training, and regular service maintenance.

Their associates also began to complain, as the clients had to meet certain requirements on their computers to use this service. Some of these included having an operating system that allowed them to download third-party programs and keep them updated.

Because their expectations were not being met, they decided to look for a change and found Mifiel.

Seeking a better electronic signature service

AMECAFÉ saw in the Mifiel platform various qualities that solved the problems they had with their previous provider.

Daniel commented: "[Mifiel] is a good service, especially innovative, which makes use of current technologies such as REST APIs (a technology that facilitates the relationship between two applications for the exchange of messages or data)," because in their case, the Association was looking to integrate the signing process directly into their website.

Another aspect they were able to resolve was the conflict their clients had in accessing the service, given that other providers use components such as Java, Silverlight, or Flashapplets, which require installing third-party programs. In contrast, with Mifiel, you only need an internet connection and an updated browser.

Improving your workflow

The Mifiel platform has improved the relationship with their associates, as distance is no longer a factor. They can now have direct, personal interaction with each one of them.

For the Association, using the platform also resulted in improved operations. Daniel told us that they have streamlined their workflow by using the Mifiel app. Currently, instead of waiting days to get an agreement, it only takes a few minutes.

Furthermore, they are notified almost immediately when an associate signs a document, as the app sends a real-time notification.

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