Administrative management is an essential task within training organizations, and optimizing it is a way to reduce the team’s workload. Administrative procedures are time-consuming, which has led some training centers to outsource this activity to specialized external providers. While outsourcing can offer many advantages, it also involves an investment that could impact the organization’s budget over time.

The most practical and cost-effective option is to automate administrative management. This concept is gaining significant traction in the professional training sector.
Which tasks should be automated?
What is the benefit of automating administrative activities?
How can it be done?

The answers to these questions could be valuable to training providers, especially those who are still hesitant to start the process. This article will reveal the advantages of automating administrative tasks.

What does it mean to automate administrative tasks?

Automating administrative tasks involves performing them with digital tools, primarily computers, thus limiting the need for human intervention in each operation.
The attendance management process is one of the most burdensome administrative tasks, especially in a training organization. This process involves collecting participants’ signatures at the end of each session to verify their attendance. Maintaining accurate attendance records is necessary to meet the requirements for public or mutual fund financing.

Manual management of attendance sheets presents numerous challenges. Firstly, a large volume of documents must be printed daily, and the trainer must ensure they reach each participant, which can be challenging for online training.
Additionally, there is a risk of data entry errors. The storage, verification, and management of signed documents add another layer of tedious work.
This process also comes with certain costs and could place an additional burden on participants, as they may need to travel just to sign documents. A practical solution is needed to address these issues.

Automating the attendance process involves using electronic signatures. The creation, distribution, and collection of signed documents all take place online.

Automating the attendance process: A way to simplify it

How does automating attendance make it simpler? First, registration takes place online, so participants’ information is automatically recorded.
The training organization can create a comprehensive database quickly and easily. There’s no longer a need to print attendance sheets for each session; documents are digitized, and participants can sign them electronically.

What about verifying the compliance of attendance records and signatures? Nowadays, electronic signatures are timestamped and highly reliable, meeting the specific requirements outlined in the eIDAS regulation.
Additionally, collecting and storing signed documents becomes simple. Tracking and updating these records is now an easy task that takes only moments.
The training organization retains legal proof of each participant’s attendance in each training session. Automating attendance is crucial for providers offering remote courses.

Tip: It’s highly recommended to carefully select the type of electronic signature to use. This depends on the content and importance of the documents to be signed.

Automating attendance: Solutions to adopt

The question now is how to automate administrative tasks, particularly attendance management. Here are some solutions to consider.

Invest in high-quality digital equipment

To automate attendance, you’ll need:

  • High-performance computers,
  • A document scanner for editing attendance sheets or contracts,
  • An internet connection to distribute documents quickly.

Use a reliable electronic signature solution

Automating attendance also requires an effective electronic signature solution. This is essentially a powerful software tool that enables you to:

  • Create a database with participant information,
  • Generate documents that need signing,
  • Ensure documents reach recipients and collect them,
  • Track and analyze data in real time.

How can participants sign documents? Simply send them a link via email. They will be directed to an interface with the document ready to sign.
They can then read and validate it with an electronic signature. The attendance process takes just minutes.

Edusign offers training organizations an innovative electronic signature solution, enabling them to generate attendance sheets recognized by OPCO, FSE, DIRECCTE, and other accreditation bodies. The software also supports eIDAS-compliant certified electronic signatures.
This tool is a SaaS system, meaning data is securely stored and protected on reliable servers. The platform allows for the automation of other administrative tasks, such as:

  • Generating detailed statistics on participant attendance,
  • Document management,
  • Analyzing signed documents.

Edusign is compatible with various digital devices, including computers, tablets, and even smartphones.

Educating and training participants and staff

Automating administrative tasks is a major change. The training organization must therefore inform and train its team to ensure project success.
It’s also essential to inform participants about how the attendance process will work. People sometimes need reassurance regarding the security of their confidential information, as data hacking is a real risk.