Accelerating Contract Workflows with DocuSign & Salesforce
Overview
Industry: Telecommunications
Employees: 10,000+
CRM Platform: Salesforce
eSignature Solution: DocuSign
Frontier Communications needed to modernize its contract management process. Sales teams were slowed down by manual document handling, delayed signatures, and limited visibility into deal progress. The company aimed to integrate DocuSign directly within Salesforce to streamline workflows, reduce turnaround time, and improve customer experience.
Objectives
- Seamless Integration: Use DocuSign entirely within Salesforce—no switching platforms.
- Automation: Automatically generate, send, track, and store contracts.
- User Access Control: Manage permissions and document access through Salesforce.
- Real-Time Visibility: Update records instantly as documents move through the signature process.
Challenges
- Contracts took 4–5 days to complete due to manual emails and edits.
- Different document formats and multiple templates required complex setup.
- Salesforce access permissions had to align with DocuSign workflows.
- Needed a unified system to generate, send, and track various documents with a single action.
Solutions
- Installed DocuSign for Salesforce from AppExchange.
- Created dynamic templates using Salesforce data (e.g., customer name, deal value).
- Built custom buttons and components to generate documents and send for signature.
- Used DocuSign Connect to push real-time updates to Salesforce records.
- Automated follow-ups and record changes using Apex, Flows, and Process Builder.
- Signed documents were stored automatically in Salesforce for compliance and reference.
Results
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Contract Turnaround Time | 4–5 days | < 1 day |
| Document Errors | Frequent | Rare |
| Signing Visibility | Limited | Real-time |
| Customer Satisfaction | 72% | 90% |
| Deal Closure Time | — | ↓ 40% faster |
Technology Used
- Salesforce Sales Cloud
- DocuSign CLM & Connect
- Apex Triggers, Process Builder, Flow
- Dynamic docx templates and configuration URLs
Key Takeaways
- Starting with standardized templates significantly reduced manual effort.
- Real-time syncing via DocuSign Connect ensured accurate tracking in Salesforce.
- Giving users intuitive tools inside Salesforce boosted adoption and satisfaction.