Reference story Teekanne GmbH + Co. KG

d.velop has rolled out its digital signature solution, d.velop sign, at Teekanne.

• Significant simplification of work
• Audit-proof document storage
• Efficiency increase of 50 percent

Teekanne Streamlines Administrative Processes with the Digital Signature Solution d.velop sign

Düsseldorf-based trading company continues to drive internal transformation

Teekanne GmbH & Co. KG, founded in Dresden in 1882, is a tea trading company headquartered in Düsseldorf. It is one of Germany’s leading tea manufacturers and is also active in mechanical engineering, producing and marketing filling machines for tea bags. Around 1,500 employees work at the company’s headquarters in the Rhineland and at nine other production and distribution sites across Europe.

Digital Transformation at Teekanne GmbH

The name Teekanne stands not only for tradition and healthy enjoyment, but also for core values such as sustainability and innovation. This applies both to its product range—which regularly features newly developed tea varieties—and to the workflows behind the scenes. The optimisation of these processes, which span all locations and departments, is overseen by Harald Liedtke. As Head of Corporate Process Management, he is responsible for the digitalisation and transformation programme of the Teekanne Group.

Digital Signature: A Tool That Belongs in Every Digital Toolbox

“My role is to support the company in its ongoing development,” explains the manager responsible for organisational development and process consulting. Streamlining administrative areas is just one lever in the broader system of process and cost efficiency. This also includes replacing manual processes—such as handwritten signatures—with digital solutions. “We see the digital signature,” the process optimiser continues, “as a tool that belongs in every digital toolbox.”

Sending Resolutions: Media Disruptions, High Costs, Time-Consuming

But why is the electronic signature so important for a large company like Teekanne? The answer is simple: because the management team of the Teekanne Group frequently travels internationally. With a digital signature, management decisions can be signed more flexibly and from any location. Previously, these documents travelled the world as printed copies or manually tracked emails—resulting in inconvenient media disruptions and costs for paper, printing, and postage. And even more costly: the time lost.

The Solution: A Digital Signature – But Which One?

Signatures are not only part of management processes. In procurement, suppliers also expect signed documents. “Procurement processes at Teekanne used to be paper-based,” says Georg Bilstein, Account Manager Manufacturing at d.velop. “The digital signature replaces the paper process for things like purchase orders and enables location-independent, parallel, and more efficient workflows.” Harald Liedtke adds: “Back then, documents were printed in duplicate, signed, and sent to the supplier.”

Driving Teekanne’s Digital Transformation Forward

In quality management, too, companies like Teekanne often require audit protocols to be manually signed—on paper or using makeshift methods like email distribution and manual tracking. To make all these business processes more efficient and to advance the company’s digital transformation, a digital signature solution was needed. One that is above all easy and flexible to use, audit-proof, and legally binding.

d.velop sign Wins the Selection Process

To find a suitable solution, Teekanne invited several providers to present the capabilities of their digital signature tools as part of a selection process. The focus was on common criteria such as functionality, consulting expertise, and pricing models. “Such a selection and the negotiations are always a team effort between procurement, IT, and my department,” says Harald Liedtke. “After careful consideration, we chose d.velop sign,” he explains.

d.velop sign Tested in Three Pilot Areas

The pilot phase began in three key areas: Teekanne Group management, procurement, and quality management. These departments were the first to trial the digital signature solution d.velop sign, with the aim of achieving demonstrable success and preparing for a broader organisational rollout. “During the pilot phase, we estimated around 1,000 signatures per year,” says Harald Liedtke. “But that’s no longer sufficient.” Fortunately, the contract with d.velop sign allows for flexible adjustments to the signature volume—another point that convinced Teekanne.

Project Execution Fully Remote

The entire project was carried out remotely. “That worked very well with a company like d.velop, which has digitalisation in its DNA,” says Harald Liedtke. “Teekanne uses SharePoint Online for document management,” explains Georg Bilstein, “and we integrated d.velop sign directly into SharePoint.” In the area of Lean Administration, d.velop worked closely with Teekanne’s internal IT team to expand the company’s digital toolkit with the digital signature.

From Contract to Rollout in Just Four Months

Depending on the pilot group, it took between three weeks and four months from the decision to go with d.velop sign to full rollout. “It’s not just about the technology,” explains Harald Liedtke. “You need organisational guidelines, legal consultation, and active support for the pilot groups until everyone is confident with the process.”

Digital Signature as a Key Element of Digital Transformation

“The key to success,” says Harald Liedtke, “lies partly in good, intuitive technology.” But more importantly, it’s about effective change management and transitioning long-standing manual processes to modern, digital workflows—especially in collaboration with customers and suppliers. “Naturally, such changes also enhance our corporate image and improve response times,” he adds.

Signature Types: A Challenge Quickly Resolved with d.velop

The project atmosphere was consistently positive. “One challenge was understanding how the three types of electronic signatures—simple, advanced, and qualified—actually work, and ensuring their legal compliance,” recalls Harald Liedtke. “Then we had to find a way to explain it clearly to our staff.” d.velop provided valuable support in this area. 

d.velop as a Partner That Helps Projects Take Off

“Response times were always short. Whenever we had questions, we received answers quickly,” says Harald Liedtke, highlighting the constructive and professional collaboration. “d.velop is the kind of partner that helps you get a solution off the ground within your organisation.”

Teekanne Scales Knowledge Through Training

To ensure proper use of the digital signature, Teekanne staff received training. “We asked d.velop to show us how the process works,” says Harald Liedtke. “They gave a presentation for our management team, which we then used internally for training.” Together, the IT and Corporate Process Management teams created a support structure to assist with any questions.

Significant Work Relief Through d.velop sign

How has work changed since the introduction of the digital signature? “When quality management sends us an audit report, it’s a huge relief for everyone,” says Harald Liedtke. “It arrives digitally on our platform, which handles the rest. You can immediately see who has signed.” The pilot groups have seen clear improvements in their workflows.

50 Percent Efficiency Increase Thanks to Digital Signature

“Signing has become easier for procurement, for quality management, and for management and their assistants,” says Harald Liedtke. In the quality management pilot, the use of digital signatures in audit-related processes led to an efficiency increase of over 50 percent.

Audit-Proof Document Storage in SharePoint with d.velop

Looking ahead, how does Teekanne plan to continue working with d.velop? “We still have a challenge to solve: finding a solution for audit-proof document exchange with our trading partners,” says Harald Liedtke. The goal is to store documents securely within SharePoint. “We’re heavily SAP-based, where standard archiving mechanisms ensure audit compliance,” he explains. “But we now have a use case in SharePoint where we need the same level of compliance, and we can’t transfer it to SAP.” Teekanne is already in discussions with d.velop about this.