Vision App Maker lets users sign documents electronically from the portal and records what happens to users, data, documents and processes. Signatures support non-repudiation: signed actions and documents can be attributed to the users who initiated them.
Electronic signature
The portal supports two types of digital certificates for electronic signatures. The signature type is set in each user's profile.
| Type | Where the certificate is | How signing works |
|---|---|---|
| Local signature | On a token connected to the user's workstation | The portal calls Vision Desktop Experience, which uses the certificate on the token to sign the document |
| Remote (cloud) signature | In the cloud of a trust service provider, without a physical token | The platform extracts the hash of the document and sends it for signing to the provider's signing server |
| Electronic seal | A seal certificate available to the platform | Documents generated automatically are signed without human intervention |
Users of the internal portal sign documents directly in the portal, without downloading them. The original documents and the valid signature files are stored together.
Local signature with Vision Desktop Experience
Local signing requires the Vision Desktop Experience application on the workstation. The user configures a signing profile in the application.
- a profile name;
- the address of the portal from which documents are signed;
- the portal user account that will sign;
- the certificate used for signing.
Once a profile is marked as active, it is used automatically. When a portal feature needs a signature, the portal asks permission to open the local application. The user enters the certificate password and the document is signed in the portal.
The portal shows in the browser whether the user's token is operational and whether a cloud certificate is synchronized. The user can switch the active certificate between the two. Vision Desktop Experience can also be updated from the portal.
Remote signature
Access credentials and the connection mode are configured for the chosen provider. The platform is integrated with several established cloud signature providers.
Handwritten signature
Vision Desktop Experience also connects signature tablets. The document to sign is shown on the tablet automatically, and the applicant signs it there.
Logging
The platform keeps three main types of logs.
| Log | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Application log | All entries generated by the App Maker Engine, for every installed application domain; stored in the database and shown in the administration area |
| Access log | Every authentication attempt and its result, including failed attempts |
| Data entity audit | All changes made to selected data entities |
Across these logs, the platform can record:
- general system events;
- successful and failed sign-in attempts;
- user actions and administrative operations;
- changes to data and to documents;
- workflow events;
- requests and responses processed by the API Gateway.
The logs screen lists entries with user, date, type, source context and technical message. Each entry can be opened for audit, troubleshooting, monitoring or incident investigation.
Process audit and traceability
Every record, whether a request or an entity, has a history list that fills in automatically with each action. Each entry shows:
- the user who performed the action;
- the date of the action;
- the request status before and after the action;
- a description of the action.
The portal also shows a timeline of actions and statuses, the state changes of each instance and an audit trail per user and process.
Document traceability
Document traceability relies on versioning, metadata, audit and electronic signature. The platform can track these document actions:
- creation, upload, viewing and modification;
- approval, signing and sending;
- archiving and deletion;
- restoring a previous version;
- linking to workflows or files.
Documents are edited after check-out. At check-in, the version number increases automatically and the user can add a comment. The platform distinguishes between versions and can restore earlier ones.
- Notifications and alerts can be configured for document changes.
- Available actions depend on the document's state and are controlled by roles and permissions.
- Documents can be encrypted both at rest and in transit.
