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Electronic Signatures and Audit Trails
Purpose of Electronic Signatures
Electronic signatures are intended for application developers, process control engineers, and workflow users who want or need to incorporate electronic signatures and audit trails into their operations.

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- Electronic Signatures and Audit Trails
  - Electronic Signatures and Audit Trails
    Workflow provides the ability to electronically sign forms in the run-time environment and to create an audit trail of those signatures, as well as audit other configuration changes made to the system.
  - Purpose of Electronic Signatures
    Electronic signatures are intended for application developers, process control engineers, and workflow users who want or need to incorporate electronic signatures and audit trails into their operations.
    - How to Use Electronic Signatures
      Electronic signatures are the computer-generated, legally-binding equivalents of handwritten signatures. They uniquely identify the persons responsible for an action.
    - Signatures During Workflow Run Time
      When a running workflow requires an electronic signature for a particular section, the appropriate operator must sign and/or verify the task/task step action or form; otherwise, the workflow will not proceed further.
    - Electronic Signature Tracking
      Each time an operator signs an action, a detailed electronic record is written to the electronic signature audit trail.
    - 21 CFR Part 11 Overview
      21 CFR Part 11 is a United States Government Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-mandated regulation that requires all electronic records and signatures, paperless records, and reporting procedures related to the manufacture of a product be captured and stored securely for businesses under its control, such as the Bio-Pharmaceutical and Food and Beverage industries.
    - Audit Trails
      Workflow provides audit trail capability that allows you to keep a traceable record of actions that are performed within your system. Actions that regulators are concerned with are typically those actions that commonly occur in a production environment.
    - Configure Audit Trails and Electronic Signatures
      The Audit/E-Signature editor is used to configure audit trails and electronic signature failure limits.
    - Audit Trail Reports
      Workflow provides the ability to generate reports based on your audit trail and electronic signature data.
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Purpose of Electronic Signatures

Electronic signatures are intended for application developers, process control engineers, and workflow users who want or need to incorporate electronic signatures and audit trails into their operations.

Electronic signatures in Workflow show who performed a specific action within a certain process, and thereby legally identify the user who signed for an action.

This section assists users, operators, and supervisors responsible for creating a secure, auditable environment, especially those working with the 21 CFR Part 11 United States FDA government regulation.

Detailed permanent records of operator actions are written to, and stored in, your SQL Server database. You can query and report on these records, and then use this data to provide a comprehensive audit trail detailing the history of your process. For more information, see Audit Trails.

Important: Using electronic signatures by itself does not ensure 21 CFR Part 11 compliance; however, electronic signatures can help provide the necessary electronic verification needed to satisfy the requirements of this regulation. For more information, see 21 CFR Part 11 Overview.