Reference Story epcan GmbH

Fully digital bookings with d.velop sign – see how epcan GmbH dramatically reduces workload with digital signatures

• Fast implementation
• Barriers eliminated
• Easy process

Action Needed

In terms of digitalisation, Germany ranks second-to-last among the seven leading (G7) industrial nations – and this is the second time in a row. This is the finding of a new study by the European Center for Digital Competitiveness in Berlin. “There is a lot of talk about digitalisation in Germany,” said Philip Meissner, the study’s lead author and professor at ESCP Business School in Berlin, in an interview with Handelsblatt, “but relatively little is actually happening.”

Yet, here and there, some small and medium-sized enterprises are pushing back against Germany’s cautious approach to digitalisation. epcan GmbH from Vreden is one such determined player.

Fibre Optics and High-Security Data Centres

With the mission to connect the region, managing directors Nils Waning, Gerd Gevering, and Christian Meiners founded epcan GmbH in 2008. Their guiding principle: “We make digital life easier.” Today, epcan offers services through three high-security data centres, comprehensive IT services, and broadband networks (e.g., fibre optics) across several German states. These services have become key pillars of digitalisation for both private and business customers. Around 15,000 private broadband customers and approximately 1,000 businesses now count among epcan’s references.

In the digitalisation sector, it is crucial for providers to stay ahead of the curve. With 52 employees (as of September 2021), epcan is already one of the larger players, though not a giant in the industry. For efficiency alone, every working hour must be maximised before being reinvested into expanding the company. Fortunately, the wheel does not always need to be reinvented.

“We are the typical competitor to companies like Telekom,” says Nils Waning, one of epcan’s managing partners. “Only we are much smaller.” The advantage of smaller companies is their ability to react faster and more flexibly than the industry giants. This not only allows them to better meet the needs of their target groups, but also to synchronise earlier with economic and technological developments.

Digitalising Order Forms via API, Integrated as White Label

If you’re going to automate, do it properly. By chance, epcan made contact with d.velop AG – and saw an opportunity. d.velop offers d.velop sign, a digital signature solution that is not only legally secure and browser-based without downloads, but also provides an API – a direct interface to epcan’s enterprise resource planning system.

The first contact was made in October 2020. To ensure smooth API-based automation, the development teams on both sides collaborated from the outset. “Everything was coordinated directly and quickly,” says Waning, “which led to an extremely fast implementation. We had a few additional requests, and the whole process took only one and a half months.”

The order for d.velop sign was placed in January 2021, and by the end of February, the test system was already set up. The full system went live in mid-March. “We provide the data to d.velop sign via a secure channel,” explains Waning, “then d.velop sign generates a digital contract that our potential customer receives in real time. Everything is fully integrated, all data is digital, and no employee needs to handle the booking manually. For us, that is simply perfect.”

Digitising the Entire Application Process

d.velop AG was equally excited about epcan’s interest. “The goal was to digitalise the entire application process,” recalls Christina Elbert, Business Development Manager at d.velop AG. “For example, anyone applying for a fibre-optic connection should be able to complete the process entirely online. Our software, d.velop sign, is perfectly suited for this. Depending on the required signature level, d.velop sign can be used with or without identification.”

The key advantage: epcan GmbH does not have to compromise on its corporate identity at any stage of the application process. d.velop sign works seamlessly without the d.velop frontend. epcan uses the software’s API functionality, allowing d.velop sign to operate as a fully integrated White Label solution in combination with the interface provided to epcan’s customers and prospects.

Advantages of d.velop sign Compared to Other Providers

• Full integration with existing applications: With d.velop sign, employees can work in their familiar environment, and the system integrates seamlessly with applications such as online shops.
• Efficiency: Staff save time thanks to intuitive usability and optimised workflows – freeing up more time for other value-adding tasks.
• Signatures independent of time and location: d.velop sign offers a responsive, mobile web application that displays perfectly on almost all internet-enabled devices.
• Highest compliance with legal requirements – made in Germany: d.velop sign meets the strictest standards for security, data protection, and data retention.
• Legally valid and enforceable: Signatures created with d.velop sign are admissible in court. d.velop sign complies with the EU eIDAS regulation and offers three different signature types, including the qualified signature, for which d.velop collaborates with Bundesdruckerei D-TRUST as a trusted service provider.

“Significant Barrier Removed” Through Electronic Signatures with d.velop sign

Shortly after the end of the test phase in late February 2021, epcan employees began noticing the impact on their daily work. Customers and prospects also found processes much easier, reports Waning: “The threshold to download and fill out a PDF was simply much higher than entering the data directly on the website. The simple process with d.velop sign removed a significant barrier, and we are seeing much higher response rates. The system is designed so intuitively that almost no questions arise about its use.”

From a business perspective, d.velop sign also delivers tangible benefits. epcan GmbH can now deploy staff to more creative tasks rather than spending time on the tedious entry of handwritten forms. “After all, we want to be there for people,” explains Waning, “so automating administration is worthwhile. We save personnel from manual work and can redeploy them elsewhere. Nobody loses their job due to digitalisation – on the contrary.”

epcan GmbH now plans to expand the use of digital signatures to additional processes, including B2B applications. This is particularly relevant for customers with whom epcan frequently enters into contracts. Internal processes will also follow, such as balance sheets or communications with tax advisors. Waning adds: “d.velop sign has also changed our mindset a little. We now know: yes, we can do it – and we can do it more easily.”

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