Signing a sourcing agreement electronically
Check that the signing file matches the approved agreement, every referenced attachment is present, and each signer is authorised for the named business. Agree which terms take priority and how to download the completed agreement and signing record. Apply these checks to your agreement with Cambridge China Bridge.
Check the actual file you are about to sign
Open the complete document inside the signing platform, rather than relying on the attachment reviewed earlier. Compare it with your approved copy, including schedules, signature blocks and any changes made after negotiation. Check the company names, product specification, payment triggers, inspection approval and delivery arrangements. If anything differs, stop and request a corrected signing package.
Give the agreed package a clear version label and date. Ask the sender to withdraw superseded invitations so colleagues cannot sign an older draft. Factory capability checks belong in the factory audit checklist; here, check that any agreed audit findings or production conditions have reached the final agreement.
Confirm the parties and each signer's authority
Check whether the agreement names the sourcing business as your seller or as an agent arranging a factory purchase. Match the signature block to that role and to the exact company named in the agreement. Use agent or seller: who you contract with to resolve that distinction before signing.
Ask each business to confirm the signer's name, role and authority for this agreement in writing. A familiar sales contact or company email address is not enough for your approval checklist. Confirm authority through an established company contact, and check your own delegated approval limits. If authority is unclear, request suitable written authorisation before proceeding.
Freeze the terms and attachments
List every document the agreement refers to: quotation, specification, inspection criteria, approved sample record, delivery schedule and standard terms. Obtain a saved copy of each, with its version or date. Ask for missing attachments and for a fixed copy of website terms rather than leaving the package dependent on a changing webpage.
Agree an explicit order of priority where documents conflict. Ask whether your purchase order, the seller's terms or the negotiated agreement takes precedence, and put the agreed answer in the final package. Use resolving conflicting purchase order terms for the underlying terms review. Do not leave negotiated exceptions only in an email that the agreement never identifies.
Check the signing method before clicking
The Law Commission confirms that electronic signatures can be used to execute documents, including where a signature is required by statute. For your agreement, ask the person preparing it to confirm the intended signing method and any execution formalities. If it is labelled a deed, includes a guarantee or requests witnessing, have a solicitor check the signing instructions before proceeding.
Verify an unexpected signing invitation through a contact route you already trust. Read the full document before applying your signature, use your own assigned signing access and do not share verification codes. If a colleague must sign instead, ask the sender to reissue the invitation to the confirmed authorised signer.
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Keep a complete signing evidence bundle
Before signing, check that you can export the completed agreement and the platform's completion certificate or audit record. After completion, download the file showing all intended signatures, every incorporated attachment and the available record of signer identity, authentication, signing times and document identifiers. Keep the authority confirmations and correspondence approving the final version alongside them.
Store the bundle in a controlled company location, with access for the people managing orders and disputes. Keep the downloaded original files, test that they open and arrange a backup. Agree a retention period with your legal adviser for this agreement. Treat this as a recordkeeping recommendation, rather than relying on continued access to a platform account or a completion email.
Frequently asked questions
What if the signing file differs from the agreed draft?
Stop signing. Identify the differences, request a corrected package and ask the sender to withdraw the old invitation. Compare the replacement with your approved copy.
Can my sales contact sign the sourcing agreement?
Ask the business to confirm that person's authority for this agreement. Check the named company and role, and obtain written authorisation if authority is unclear.
Should I save terms linked from the agreement?
Yes. Obtain a fixed, dated or version-labelled copy before signing. Ask for the agreement to identify that copy and clarify priority where documents conflict.
What evidence should I keep after electronic signing?
Keep the completed agreement, incorporated attachments, completion certificate or audit record, authority confirmations and final-version approval correspondence. Download them to company-controlled storage.