Procurement Forum October 16, 2012

Electronic signatures Arkansas Department of Human Services Ray Stafford Electronic signatures

Requirements Adobe forms, utilizing electronic signatures, must be created using Adobe Pro. Adobe Pro is the program that will allow approval of reader rights to the signature fields Adobe Form Creation Assign Reader Rights to the Form Currently used at DHS for: PCS Contracts Leave slips Time sheets

The end user sets up a signing certificate on his/her computer. End user can sign using the signing certificate, which is protected by the user’s logon password or by a password for the signing certificate itself. Signed documents can be emailed back to the sender or to an additional person for another signature.

Adobe Forms Creation Adobe electronic forms can be completed and signed using Adobe Reader, if Adobe reader rights are enabled. Adobe forms use “Reader Rights” to allow completion, signing and saving of Adobe documents. An Adobe form, without reader rights enabled, can only be completed and printed. The form data cannot be saved.

Electronic Form Creation Using Adobe Pro, you can convert other document formats into an adobe electronic format and can enable signature fields Once converted to Adobe, the form wording cannot be adjusted so care should be taken to word the form correctly while it is still in the original format.

Fields can be placed and adjusted in Adobe, including fonts, read only and fields with default information Using the same field in different places allows the end user to complete all the fields with the same information at once. For instance, if you need to complete the same information on pages 1,3 and 8 of a form, the same field can be placed in those locations. When you complete the field on page 1, it appears in all 3 places.

Once completed and saved, the form can be given “Reader Rights”, which allows anyone with the “free” reader to complete the form, sign it and save it.

Signing a form When an Adobe form has been saved and given reader rights, it can be emailed to the provider. The provider can sign it and send it back electronically, if the provider has the free Adobe Reader software.

Prior to signing a document, a signing certificate must be set up on the user’s computer and is usually protected by the user logon and password or by a password attached to the signature certificate. This verifies that the signature is valid, and created from the end user’s computer and is much more secure than a handwritten signature where you wouldn’t know who signed the document. Once the signature certificate is set up on the end user’s computer, they can sign any document that has a signature field.

If the provider has Adobe Reader, they can sign and save the form and email it back to the agency.

Other Adobe Features Adobe Reader (free), Standard and Adobe Pro versions are available from Adobe. Adobe Reader, Standard and Adobe Pro allow you to create, complete and Save documents Both Adobe Standard and Adobe Pro allow you to “place a signature” on any PDF type document.

Both of these software packages can create forms and issue reader rights Adobe Pro only can give signature rights to signature fields. When loaded, both packages also load an Adobe Printer. The adobe printer converts email or other documents and saves them as electronic files in PDF. This creates an image of the document. Choose this printer as you would any other printer.

Select 2 or more documents and create a single document: Combines all the documents into a single document. Select 2 or more documents and create a portfolio: Combines all the documents into one document but keeps them as separate files and can maintain the original formats.

Arkansas Procurement Rules Revisions Update Received a favorable review by the Administrative Rules & Regulations Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council New rules will be effective November 15, 2012 and published on the OSP Website under Guidelines

Large file attachments in AASIS The capability to attach large files to a document in AASIS will be available around November 1, 2012 This is now available in AASIS production. If you have any problems please call Theodore James at AASIS 501-683-2255

Facebook OSP is now communicating to the Vendor Community via Facebook Help us spread the word to your suppliers Click “Like” on Facebook – Arkansas Office of State Procurement Notifications of new solicitations, amendments, cancellations Inclement weather FaceBook Name: Arkansas Office of State Procurement If you see two, click on the one with the picture/graphic.

Upcoming!!!! Five on-line PO Courses Purchase Order Process Overview Create Purchase Order Standard Purchase Order Revise and Customize Purchase Order Reconciliation and Reporting Create Purchase Order Simplified All modules will be available to end users at their workstation (on the State Network).  Each one has a matching certification activity (exam). ASC will continue to offer the instructor-led Purchase Order course at the ASC Training Center. 

Gui XT – The Easy Screen How’s it working since implementation? Problems? Questions? Enhancements? OSP will develop a survey & post on eNews.

Next Meeting January 10, 2013 10 – 11:30 There will not be meetings in Nov & Dec 2012 10 – 11:30 University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Auditorium 2301 South University Avenue Little Rock