Electronic Contracts Alone Are Insufficient for “Signing”—BestSign Japan Releases 15-Item Selection Checklist and White Paper to Optimize Entire Contract Operations

BestSign Japan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter "the Company") announced today the release of its "Electronic Contract Tool Selection Checklist (15 Items)" and a white paper titled "What is the Optimal Electronic Contract Tool for Companies? ~Intelligent Electronic Contracts as the Key to Contract Operations Reform~," both designed to support companies in reforming their contract operations. In recent years, while the adoption of electronic contracts has progressed, challenges that cannot be addressed by traditional "signing-centric" tools have become apparent, particularly from the perspectives of compliance, internal controls, and leveraging contract data. As a result, many companies face issues such as "not knowing which tool to choose" or "having introduced a tool but not achieving overall operational optimization." Against this backdrop, the Company believes it is necessary to redefine electronic contracts not merely as a "signing tool" but as a "contract infrastructure" that supports the entire spectrum of contract operations. Therefore, we are providing an "Electronic Contract Tool Selection Checklist" as a quick guide to assess the current situation, along with a white paper that explains in detail the underlying concepts and selection criteria. Contract operations are an area where multiple processes—such as creation, approval, signing, storage, and utilization—and management perspectives—such as "legal," "authority," "signature," "management," and "analysis"—are intricately intertwined. Thus, it is indispensable to manage them integrally from the perspective of overall optimization, rather than partial optimization. Electronic contracts, by managing these series of processes horizontally, realize advanced and visible contract operations, not just "signing." Electronic Contract Tool Selection Checklist (15 Items) This checklist systematically organizes important points to consider when selecting an electronic contract tool. It provides practical content that allows companies to quickly confirm whether a tool is optimal for their needs, taking an overall view of contract operations. White Paper: "What is the Optimal Electronic Contract Tool for Companies?" This white paper organizes the current status and challenges of electronic contract adoption and presents a new approach that views contract operations as "infrastructure." It also explains the background and specific utilization methods for each item in the checklist in detail. Document Download (Free) Each document can be downloaded for free from the following links: ・Checklist: https://www.bestsign.com/ja/whitepaper/Check_List ・White Paper: https://www.bestsign.com/ja/whitepaper/How_to_Choose_Best_Tool What is BestSign? BestSign is an intelligent electronic contract platform that differs from conventional electronic signature services. It centrally manages "who signs, with what authority, and through what process." Beyond mere signature functions, it enables the digitalization of contract operations while maintaining governance by directly reflecting corporate approval flows and authority structures. This achieves both speed and accuracy while curbing individual dependencies and internal control risks related to contracts. Future Development The Company will continue to evolve electronic contracts not merely as a means of improving operational efficiency but as a "contract execution platform" that integrally manages contract subjects, authorities, and processes. By doing so, we will strengthen our value proposition as an infrastructure supporting corporate decision-making. Company Profile Company Name: BestSign Japan Co., Ltd. Location: Pacific Century Place Marunouchi 13F, 1-11-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6213 Business Activities: Provision of intelligent electronic contract service "BestSign," and DX support for contract operations. Official Website: https://www.bestsign.com/ja/ Contact: BestSign Japan Public Relations (pr_japan @bestsign.com)