Founded in 2002 in Salzburg, the Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) is a privately owned medical university that offers a combination of the faculties of human medicine, nursing science and pharmacy that is unique in Europe and stands for strong research performance and multi-professional education and training with the highest professional standards. In cooperation with the Nuremberg Hospital, a second PMU location was founded in Nuremberg in 2014. The aim of the PMU is to train and further train outstanding physicians, nursing scientistsand pharmacists who are characterized in practice by a high level of competence and social responsibility and who are capable of achieving special achievements in research and teaching.
Company Name: Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU)
Short description of the project:
“PMU originally chose sproof as its digital signature solution to make its certificates forgery-proof. Today, sproof sign is in daily use. The decision was based on sproof’s long-standing partnership and reliable service.”
Why sproof sign:
“sproof sign offers us the opportunity to have a partner at our side who is tangible and approachable. We are not left alone with our problems or suggestions, but have great support. In terms of functionality, we see the solution on a par with other providers on the market.”
How did the decision to introduce the digital signature come about?
Nobis: “PMU has been a customer of sproof sign from the very beginning. The initial contact with sproof sign came about when we were looking for a solution to make our certificates forgery-proof. This was a function that sproof offered from the beginning and subsequently we decided to use sproof sign as well. Today it is in our daily use and we are very happy with the tool.”
How important is digital transformation for PMU?
Nobis: “Covid has brought the topic of digitization to the fore. Many areas and processes had to be digitized in a very short time. With regard to teaching, for example, we had to provide ‘hybrids’ but also pure ‘online courses’ in a very short time. Paracelsus University stands for sophisticated, science-based teaching and research. Of course, this includes the topic of digitalization. We are constantly working to live up to this demand on ourselves.”
How was it signed before?
Nobis: “That was quite classic, as you know it from the big companies. There was a signature folder that was passed from one person to the other – regardless of whether someone was absent or not. The period until a document was signed by a committee, rectorate or board of directors was accordingly a time-consuming process. With sproof sign, we were able to significantly improve this and make it more efficient. But above all, safer!”
For which use cases is the digital signature used?
Nobis: “We use both the advanced signature and the qualified signature. We use the advanced one in-house for classic purchase orders, time bookings and cash expenses. That is, internal documents, vacation requests and minutes. However, as soon as the processes are directed towards authorities, partners and customers, the
What demands does an institution like the PMU have in terms of security, compliance and data protection?
Nobis: “Our standards are high, as in all comparable institutions. We are subject to the eIDAS regulation and must sign in accordance with the law. That’s why it’s immensely important and advantageous for us that we have the speed and the ability to map this in a coherent process. By that I mean moving away from the process of printing, signing and scanning again and replacing it with a new process quality.”
“However, as soon as the processes are directed towards authorities, partners and customers, the qualified signature is used. With the solution from sproof sign, we can handle the conventional processes faster and much less complicated.”
Daniel Nobis
IT Manager
What are your thoughts on the GDPR and our server location?
Nobis: “Here, too, both are very important for us. A prerequisite for choosing a cloud solution is clearly that it is GDPR-compliant and therefore all servers are located in Europe. sproof sign meets this coupled with very good usability 100%, which is why it has become our tool of choice. It not only provides us with security, but also perfectly combines advantages such as close support and fast implementation.”
How did the integration of the cloud work?
Nobis: “Implementing it into our system was really easy. This was mainly due to the close cooperation with sproof sign support and the prefabricated API interfaces. That’s why we decided to use a cloud solution. Feedback is implemented by sproof sign in a timely and best possible way in an uncomplicated process by customer support. For us, approachability and close cooperation are generally a decisive criterion when choosing our software providers.”
Since this year, sproof sign has had the QES hub. What significance does this interface have for you?
Nobis: “When the topic of digital signatures came up, we initially had the challenge that our colleagues were using a wide variety of providers. For example, the Bürgercard was used, which is now ID Austria. Other colleagues already had identification with other providers. sproof sign has made this extremely easy with the ‘QES Hub’. No matter who signs with which ID from which place, sproof sign has integrated and summarized all providers relevant to us into their software. And last but not least, features such as the integrated search function for providers have greatly improved usability for us thanks to the sproof sign solution.”
Are signature workflows used for your use case?
Nobis: “In the workflow, we witnessed step by step how new features and functions were constantly being released at sproof sign. For example, the possibility to predefine signature positions, to leave a comment directly in the document with the chat function or to create an electronic folder. This allows processes to be declined and simplified, which is particularly well received by our legal department.”
