E-Signatures Cut Contract Cycle Time from Three Weeks to One Day and Reduce NDA Workload by 50%
Global Brains Co., Ltd. (GBC)
Interviewee
Akira Ogami, Director / Head of Corporate Management Division
For years, GBC relied on paper-based contracts for documents such as basic outsourcing agreements and NDAs. Contracts were created in Word or Excel, printed, and sent by mail. Internal approvals were handled individually through email or chat.
In practice, this created bottlenecks. Approvals stalled, revisions led to repeated back-and-forth, and General Affairs spent significant time checking status and following up with stakeholders. Even in the fastest cases, execution still took about a week. In slower cases, it could take two to three weeks.
As part of compliance efforts related to Japan’s Electronic Books Preservation Act and a broader push toward paperless operations, GBC introduced the e-signature service SignTime. After implementation, postal handling for agreements processed through SignTime was effectively removed, signing status became easier to track, and execution time improved to same-day/next-day, with most agreements completing within 2 days.
- Industry
- Software development
- Number of Employees
- Large
- Pain Points
- Cost Consumption
・Long execution time：Printing, stamping, and mailing contributed to contract cycles of 1–3 weeks.
・Low visibility into signing status：Postal delivery and scattered communications made progress difficult to confirm, increasing follow-up work for General Affairs.
・Fragmented management of approvals and revisions：Approvals and edits spread across email and chat made it difficult to maintain a single, consistent record of what was approved, by whom, and when.
Contract turnaround time reduced from as much as 3 weeks to same-day/next-day for most agreements.
General Affairs workload for NDAs and basic agreements reduced by about 50%, primarily by removing printing, stamping, and mailing, while also reducing postage-related costs.
Internal control improved through automatic recording of contract progress and history (an audit trail of status and actions), reducing oversight risk and making audit preparation easier.
Before vs. after (workflow snapshot)
Before
- Draft in Word/Excel
- Print, stamp, and mail
- Approvals handled ad hoc via email/chat
- General Affairs manually checks status and follows up
- Status visibility depends on individuals
After (with SignTime)
- Standardized templates managed by General Affairs
- Predefined approval workflows (including CC recipients)
- Contract and approval status visible during the process
- Progress and history recorded consistently as an audit trail
- Fewer follow-ups and fewer delays tied to mail and handoffs
Why GBC chose SignTime
GBC compared several e-signature services, including most domestic Japanese providers and some international ones. SignTime stood out for its cost performance and a “no hidden pricing” approach that was straightforward to evaluate over the long term.
Adoption and rollout
Initial setup and implementation were smooth. While GBC anticipated the need to establish internal rules and drive broader adoption over time, the company began using the system without major disruption and continued refining workflows in parallel.
Client response
There were no significant issues from GBC’s clients during the transition. Faster document exchange and fewer confirmation errors contributed to smoother day-to-day operations.
What’s next
Next, GBC plans to digitize monthly purchase orders, with the expectation of additional time savings. The company also aims to digitize HR documents and scan and archive past contracts to further strengthen company-wide paperless operations and document management.
| Company Name | Global Brains Co., Ltd. (GBC) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software development |
| Company Profile | Global Brains Co., Ltd. (GBC) is an IT services company headquartered in Fukuoka, with offices in Kumamoto, Saga, and Tokyo. Founded in July 1988, GBC began with system development and IT infrastructure construction and has since expanded into web and mobile application development, cloud integration, and solutions leveraging emerging technologies such as AI and RPA. One of GBC’s in-house services, “FL.OPS,” provides cloud platforms covering design, implementation, operation, and monitoring. Through this multi-regional network and service breadth, GBC supports customers across Japan with reliable, flexible IT solutions. |
| Number of Employees | Large |
| URL | https://www.gbc.co.jp/ |
