My recent experiences moving my mortgage to one bank and then quickly to another (don’t ask!), brought into sharp focus the challenges of working with paper and electronic documents, and just how many pain points still exist for most of us, especially when moving backwards and forwards between paper and electronic files.

What was particularly interesting over the period of switching (did I mention, twice!) was having the opportunity to use an early beta version of Nitro PDF Reader when I came to switching for the second time.

Getting to use Reader in a real world example gave me the opportunity to see whether we were on the right track and to contrast our product with the traditional way of doing things. It gave me the perfect opportunity to work through a common document workflow and look at how it worked before and after Nitro PDF Reader came into being.

The workflow had many processes and I’ll walk you through each of them below.

Sharing files

To complete the mortgage application the bank emailed me an assortment of Word and PDF files, which my wife and I had to review, fill in, and send.

• Before Nitro Reader. Because we don’t have Microsoft Office or a printer installed at home, there was no way my wife could view any of the Microsoft Word-based files. This meant I would have to print the documents and hand deliver them so she could view, fill in and sign them.
• With Nitro Reader. I was able to convert all Word files to PDF so the 4-5 documents we had to complete could be quickly emailed to my wife for review.

Clarifying and collaborating

During the document review stage we had questions about several clauses we needed to resolve before we could agree to them.

• Before Nitro Reader. I would have had to use email, phone or a bit of both, and get the timing right to do any calls. We would then need to ensure we were both on the same page/s when discussing it.
• With Nitro Reader. I was able to highlight the text in question, include some questions, and then email off to the bank. (I also asked them to call me and left a message but before I got the chance to speak to them I had a detailed written reply in my inbox.)

Filing in forms

We had an assortment of forms to fill (fun!).

• Before Nitro Reader. I would print all the documents while at work. Take them home, fill them out, sign them, and, depending on the bank, mail them or rescan and email back.
• With Nitro Reader. I used the Add Text tool to enter all my information directly into the electronic version of each document. My wife did the same. (These forms did not contain active form fields so I had to type directly on the page.)

Signing documents

The final step to complete forms like these: signing.

• Before Nitro Reader. We would hand write our signature each time on the paper version of the form.
• With Reader. I was able to stamp my (password-protected) handwritten signature on each electronic version of the form. (Note: This requires you to scan a copy of your signature to create your own signature stamp.)

Delivering completed files

The final step to complete the submission process: delivery.

• Before Nitro Reader. Depending on the bank, I would either put them in the mail, or rescan and then email them.
• With Reader. I would email the forms directly to the mortgage approval manager.

Wrap up

So what I found was that much of the clumsiness seemed to disappear, the process could be completed faster, and in the end I had a fully searchable archive all documents. A great outcome all round.

I realize I’m selling Reader to you here, but the best part of it is that there’s nothing to buy. Nitro PDF Reader is free and ready for you to try for yourself whenever you like.

• Learn more and try Nitro PDF Reader