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WDP scales signatures using QES with itsme® and Docusign
Qualified electronic signatures (QES) are rapidly becoming the standard for secure and efficient digital workflows across the EU. In 2024, usage of QES through the
By adopting QES, WDP demonstrates its long-standing commitment to delivering a fully digital, secure and seamless experience for its customers. QES is the most secure type of e-signature under the EU’s eIDAS regulation, offering the highest Level of Assurance (LoA High), and therefore holding the same legal weight as a traditional handwritten signature.
Based on our conversation with Business Analyst at WDP Veerle Steppé, we take a closer look at the company’s transition to QES and the concrete benefits it has delivered as WDP continues to grow and expand.
Signing with QES using itsme® and Docusign saves us approximately one month of back-office work yearly by eliminating printing, manual follow-ups, and signature errors, making QES highly efficient and reliable - Veerle Steppé, Business Analyst at WDP
What challenges led WDP to adopt qualified electronic signatures (QES)?
Veerle Steppé, Business Analyst at WDP: Before adopting qualified electronic signatures, WDP relied on handwritten signatures and non-qualified e-signatures—both of which came with limitations. Wet signatures were slow and cumbersome, often causing delays due to the need for in-person signing or mailing physical documents. Meanwhile, non-qualified e-signatures (such as simple electronic signature and advanced electronic signature) raised questions around legal certainty, making them less suitable for high-stakes agreements.
Since partnering with Docusign and itsme® to implement QES, WDP has gained legally binding signatures with full legal power. In addition to making secure digital signing possible, we also benefit from streamlined follow-up processes that allow us to easily send reminders and track document signing status in real-time.
Why was it crucial for your team to adopt qualified e-signing?
Veerle: As WDP continues to grow and expand across multiple countries, we needed a standardised, efficient signing process that’s easy to track and manage. QES was the best choice for us since we needed to ensure the legal validity and security of the digital signatures. Additionally, given itsme®’s widespread use in Belgium and its compliance with the highest standards of security in Europe, it was the natural choice to support our e-signing ambitions.
How did integrating itsme® with Docusign affect WDP’s e-signing process?
Veerle: The integration has significantly improved our e-signing capabilities, especially as we continue to expand across multiple European countries.
A major advantage of using itsme® is the one-time identity verification process: clients verify their identity once in the app and can afterwards sign multiple documents without repeating the identity verification step. This is much more user-friendly compared to other solutions that require identity verification before every signature. Using DocuSign, we can also sign multiple documents simultaneously, while itsme® ensures secure and seamless identity verification.
Another major advantage from choosing itsme® is that it supports one or more identity document types from 17 European countries, which allows us to have a seamless document signing experience across borders.
Last but not least, embedding itsme® directly into our Docusign templates reduces errors and makes the entire process intuitive— a true game changer for us.
How did WDP implement qualified electronic signatures in countries where itsme® isn’t known?
Veerle: Implementing Docusign with itsme® is straightforward in Belgium, where the digital identity platform is well established. In other countries, however, introducing itsme® required careful change management. We invested time in informing and training everyone involved—from internal stakeholders who create the documents to external signatories who need to register with itsme®. For example, we developed clear training materials to explain the benefits of QES and how to use itsme®. Once people understood the advantages and the process, they were willing and confident to adopt it.
What are the steps to sign a document with qualified electronic signature (QES)?
Documents are first created outside Docusign. Next, envelopes are prepared within Docusign to start the signing process. Employees are encouraged to use customised templates based on lease value, country, and sales managers’ nationalities.
Qualified e-signatures are used for all external parties, with handwritten (wet) signatures as a fallback if needed.
After sending the siging requests to customers, automated follow-ups track outstanding signatures. Envelopes can be modified mid-process with full visibility on signatory status.
Once all parties sign, a notification and certificate are generated, providing legally binding proof if disputes arise.
By switching to qualified electronic signatures (QES) with itsme® and DocuSign, WDP has significantly reduced turnaround times and minimised errors compared to handwritten or advanced e-signatures. Today, over 80% of the 3,000 envelopes signed annually are completed using QES. This shift has streamlined internal processes so effectively that WDP estimates saving roughly one month of back-office work each year thanks to eliminating printing, manual follow-ups and signature-related mistakes. The result: a faster, more reliable, and highly efficient signing process.
How do Docusign and itsme® enhance the security and trustworthiness of WDP’s e-signing process?
Veerle: Using itsme® ensures robust identity verification, guaranteeing the integrity of the document and confirming the signatory’s identity. This gives the signature the same legal weight as a handwritten one, which is crucial when reassuring hesitant users. Additionally, itsme®’s recognition under eIDAS provides a trusted and reliable foundation for secure e-signing.
Read more: Signing notarial deeds with itsme® is now possible
What has been the feedback from employees and partners since introducing QES?
Veerle: The response has been very positive. Employees and partners appreciate how user-friendly and efficient the combination of Docusign and itsme® is. Those registered with itsme® can sign documents quickly, often with just a few clicks via the mobile app. The process saves significant time and is intuitive. Additionally, even external parties who aren’t directly signing can be integrated into the workflow to stay informed when documents are completed, further improving communication.
What key lessons would you share based on your experience with itsme® and Docusign?
Build a clear business case and define a standardised signing process. This will help you identify which documents require qualified e-signatures.
After establishing a standardised signing process, we trained both internal teams and external partners to use QES with itsme® as the default method—ensuring all stakeholders understood its benefits and how it differs from other signature types.
To ease adoption, we created a one-page, step-by-step guide that we share with tenants before contract signing, reducing confusion and surprises and establishing expectations.
We provide accessible support, such as online calls for clients who get stuck in the middle of the process, as well as regular follow-ups, to ensure smooth implementation.
Consistent repetition and integration of this process are key to its adoption company-wide. Practice makes perfect.
Monitoring the types of signatures used to ensure compliance and continuous improvement of the process.
How do you see itsme®’s role evolving in your organisation’s signing and authentication process?
Veerle: As WDP expands across more countries, itsme®’s role continues to grow in tandem. We’re particularly pleased to now offer e-signing with Romania starting 2025, where we have a high volume of documents. Looking ahead, we expect that nearly all our documents will be signed using itsme®, as its geographic reach and capabilities continue to develop alongside our business.
