The short version
- A good digital process begins with one link to the client and ends with a signed document where any change is detectable.
- The real saving isn't just paper, it's the “I'm missing one more detail” rounds and the hunt for documents.
- An audit trail (who, what, when) matters as much as the signature itself.
- Every form type has its own requirements. Check them with your compliance adviser before giving up paper.
Onboarding a new client on paper looks like this: the client comes in or is sent a PDF, prints it, fills it in, signs, photographs it on the phone, sends it over WhatsApp, and an employee retypes the data into the system. Along the way details go missing, photos arrive blurry, and sometimes you start again. A digital process doesn't remove the need for forms, but it shortens the road from enquiry to signature.
The flow: from a link to a signed document#
The agent or operator creates a link
Choose a form, tie it to the client, and send a link by SMS or WhatsApp. No app and no login.
The client fills in on mobile
Guided fields, one after another. Details that already exist in the system can be pre-filled, so the client confirms rather than types.
The client signs with a finger
The signature is embedded in the document itself, not saved as a separate file that can be detached from it.
The document is sealed
An asymmetric digital signature is applied over the PDF (in Financi: an AWS KMS seal), so any later change to it is detectable.
An audit entry is written
The event is recorded in a hash chain with object lock, in Financi for 7 years, so history can't be deleted or rewritten.
The CRM is updated
A signed event reaches the CRM and the operations card, and the next task opens by itself.
And insurers' own forms?
Financi has a capability called AI Magic: point it at a blank insurer form in Hebrew and it maps the fields, even on a scanned document that isn't fillable. As with any AI use, review the mapping before sending it to the client.
What you really save#
Paper-and-photo process
- Print, sign, photograph, send
- Manual re-entry once the document returns
- Missing details only surface after receipt
- Documents scattered across email, WhatsApp and folders
- Hard to prove who sent what and when
End-to-end digital process
- One link, fill and sign on mobile
- Data goes straight into the client card
- Mandatory fields prevent incomplete forms
- One signed document, in the same place as the client
- An audit trail of events
The saving is measured less in sheets of paper and more in rounds of back-and-forth. Every time you must go back to the client and ask for “one more detail”, they cool off and the process drags. A form that can't be submitted until mandatory fields are filled saves those rounds.
The audit trail: what to keep, and why#
The signature is only part of the picture. When a question arises (from the client, an insurer or a supervising body) you need to show what was sent, to whom, when, what was signed and in which wording. So it's worth knowing what is kept.
| What's kept | Why it matters | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| The signed document (PDF) | Evidence of what the client approved | In what format and where it is stored |
| Seal and hash of the document | Lets you detect later changes | How integrity is actually checked |
| Event log | Who created, who sent, when opened and signed | How long it is kept and who may read it |
| The wording shown to the client | Shows what they saw before signing | Whether form versions are retained |
| Link to the ops task | Shows the signature led to action | Which events open a task |
- The signed document (PDF)
Why it matters
Evidence of what the client approved
What to confirm
In what format and where it is stored
- Seal and hash of the document
Why it matters
Lets you detect later changes
What to confirm
How integrity is actually checked
- Event log
Why it matters
Who created, who sent, when opened and signed
What to confirm
How long it is kept and who may read it
- The wording shown to the client
Why it matters
Shows what they saw before signing
What to confirm
Whether form versions are retained
- Link to the ops task
Why it matters
Shows the signature led to action
What to confirm
Which events open a task
Requirements differ by form type
Not every form has the same requirements for how it is signed, how identity is verified and how long it is kept. The differences depend on the document type, the body receiving it and the law that applies. You shouldn't decide alone which forms go digital: check each form type with your compliance adviser or the agency's legal counsel.
How to start#
- Stage 1
Map your forms
Which forms you actually send, how often, and which generate the bulk of the work.
- Stage 2
Clear it with compliance
For every form you plan to move: what are the requirements for signature, identification and retention.
- Stage 3
Pilot with one form
The one you send most, with clients comfortable on mobile.
- Stage 4
Expand
Add more forms once the team and clients are used to the process.
Readiness for digital intake
0 of 7 checked
To see it in practice: Financi Forms: forms and e-signing — how it works in the product.
Frequently asked questions
Want to see the flow from a link to a signed PDF?
We'll walk through the process as the client sees it on mobile, and as the team sees it on the card.
Book a demoSources and further reading
The information in this article is general only and is not financial, pension, legal or tax advice, nor a substitute for personal advice. Demos and calculators are illustrative models: your numbers will differ.
