A thousand franchise document sets, signed electronically

The numbers

We began issuing and signing franchisor disclosure documents, franchise agreements and the associated paperwork electronically two years ago. Since then:

• over 1,000 electronic envelopes sent;
• over 93,000 pages of documents contained in them;
• over 10,000 recipients; and
• over 3,200 people signing electronically.

Roughly 470kg of A4 paper was not used, which is around 940kg if those documents had been printed in duplicate and 1,400kg in triplicate. That is about 2,342kg of wood, or eleven trees.

Why it matters beyond the paper

The environmental saving is a pleasant side effect rather than the point.

The real benefit is time. Franchise grants involve a large document set, a mandatory disclosure period before signing, and several parties in different places. Handling that on paper adds days at every step, and days matter when a lease or a settlement date is fixed.

Electronic issue and execution also produces a clean, timestamped record of what was given to whom and when. Under the Franchising Code, the timing of disclosure is not a technicality, and being able to demonstrate it precisely is worth having.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee has acknowledged the benefits of electronic franchise documentation, which was encouraging to read.

If you want to know more

Our franchising team is happy to talk through the electronic documentation process, whether you are a franchisor issuing grants or a franchisee about to receive a set.