Draft in Word, export to PDF, send by email, chase signers by hand, archive on a server: every step risks losing a version or a signer. That is why we built electronic contracts into the heart of the Espero-Soft software as a real product feature. Templates, editor, PDF, signing and reminders: here is how the module works and how your SME can benefit.
The contract, forgotten by sales tools
Most CRMs and invoicing tools handle quotes and invoices but leave the contract aside. The result: scattered files, conflicting versions and forgotten reminders. When you manage electronic contracts in the same tool as your customers and quotes, you keep one consistent file from the first exchange to the final signature.
Templates that stay up to date
Electronic contracts almost always start from a template: non-disclosure agreement (NDA), mandate, specific terms and conditions, partnership agreement. In Espero-Soft, templates are first-class objects: reusable, versioned and multilingual. You edit them once, and every future document benefits from the update.
Variables (client name, enterprise number, amount, date) fill in automatically from the customer record and the quote. You therefore avoid copy errors, especially on the KBO/BCE number.
The TipTap editor
We chose TipTap as our visual (WYSIWYG) editor. It produces clean HTML, supports tables, nested lists and quotes, and stays smooth even on a thirty-page agreement. The history also keeps every change. Your team therefore works in a familiar, word-processor-like interface, without any technical knowledge.
A faithful, sealed PDF
When you click “Generate”, a rendering engine turns the document into a PDF that respects the layout: header with logo, paginated footer, legal notices and a signing block at the end. The system then stores this PDF immutably, with a hash that guarantees its integrity at the moment of signing.
Signing and automatic reminders
The signer receives an email in their language (French, Dutch or English) with a unique link. For electronic contracts still awaiting a signature, automatic reminders go out on day 3 and day 7, a schedule you can adjust per template. Once signed, the PDF goes to both the sender and the signer, then into the archive.
A client lost their copy? You can also resend the signed PDF manually.
Roles to approve before sending
A contract commits your company, so it deserves internal approval before it goes out. The electronic contracts module therefore offers four roles:
- Reader: views without editing.
- Editor: edits and saves.
- Approver: marks the document “ready to send”.
- Sender: triggers delivery to the signer.
Use cases for electronic contracts
- NDAs for prospects: a standard template, sent in one click after the first meeting.
- Mandates: freelancers get a signature before starting an assignment.
- Specific terms and conditions: for clients who negotiate particular clauses.
- Partnership agreements: we use them ourselves in our referral programme.
Rolling out electronic contracts in your SME
A tool alone is not enough: success depends mostly on organisation. Before you switch, set a few simple rules:
- Start small: digitise the two or three templates you use most often first.
- Appoint a template owner, for example management or your legal adviser, who approves every new version.
- Document the approval flow: who drafts, who reviews, who sends.
- Respect the GDPR: tell signers how you process their data and set a retention period for signed documents.
- Test the full journey on an internal agreement before the first client receives one.
How binding are electronic contracts?
The European eIDAS regulation defines three levels of e-signature: simple, advanced and qualified. A simple e-signature cannot lose its legal effect merely because it is digital, and it already covers most B2B uses. In a dispute, however, a qualified signature provides the strongest proof, because it has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature throughout the European Union.
Moreover, some deeds require a specific form, such as a notarial deed, so check this point before you go paperless with a sensitive document.
What comes next?
The next building block: qualified eIDAS signing, through itsme in Belgium and qualified certificates across the European Union, for regulated sectors. Want to automate your electronic contracts or connect them to your own tools? Explore our custom web platforms or tell us about your project.
