Is an electronic signature legally valid?

Yes. Electronic signatures meet the legal test under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA in most states, provided intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are satisfied. Certain exceptions (wills, some court filings) remain excluded.

Do I need notarization or witnesses?

Not usually. Most Business Priorities Agreements do not require notarization or witnesses to be enforceable. Notarization or RON may be used for added evidentiary weight; specific real estate, deed, or statutory documents may still require witnesses or notarization per state law.

Can I use remote online notarization (RON)?

Many states permit Remote Online Notarization (RON) with identity proofing and audio-video recording requirements. Verify state-specific rules and retention obligations; some states have limited or separate RON procedures. Consult the state notary commission or NCSL for current status.

What establishes signer attribution?

Attribution is established by evidence such as signer authentication, unique access links, email addresses, IP addresses, timestamps, and audit logs. Platforms that capture these elements support attribution; for high-assurance needs, use stronger authentication like multi-factor or PKI-backed digital signatures.

How long must I keep executed agreements?

Follow federal and industry retention rules: IRS three-year minimum for tax records (IRC §6501(a)), HIPAA six-year rule for PHI (45 CFR §164.530(j)), and longer periods for SEC or contract disputes. State-specific requirements may extend these minima.

What common mistakes should I avoid?

Common errors include missing effective dates, inconsistent party names, vague acceptance criteria, absent signatory authority, and failing to capture approvals in writing. These mistakes increase risk of contract disputes, tax withholding, and delayed project execution.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Business Priorities Agreement

Business Priorities Agreement

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

BUSINESS PRIORITIES AGREEMENT

Parties

This Business Priorities Agreement (the Agreement) is entered into as of Effective Date: by and between the following parties.

Party A — Organization Name Party A — Address Party B — Organization Name Party B — Address

Recitals

WHEREAS, Party A conducts business in the field of operations, strategy and resource allocation and seeks alignment of corporate activities with defined priorities to achieve specified business objectives; and

WHEREAS, Party B possesses relevant expertise, personnel, or services and agrees to coordinate with Party A to identify, document, and execute prioritized initiatives necessary to meet the business objectives identified herein; and

WHEREAS, the parties desire to set forth responsibilities, deliverables, payment terms and governance for prioritized work so that each party's expectations and remedies are clear.

Scope of Work

The parties shall agree and document prioritized initiatives, deliverables, and acceptance criteria. The primary scope items to be addressed under this Agreement are described below.

Describe Priorities, Deliverables and Acceptance Criteria

Payment Terms

In consideration for the services and deliverables provided under this Agreement, Party B shall pay Party A the fees and expenses set forth below in accordance with the schedule and conditions herein.

Total Estimated Amount Payment Schedule Payment Due (days after invoice) Late Payment Fee

All payments shall be made in lawful currency. If any payment is not received when due, interest shall accrue at the rate set forth above, and the non-defaulting party may suspend performance of obligations after providing written notice and a ten (10) day opportunity to cure.

Term and Termination

This Agreement commences on Start Date: and continues until End Date: unless earlier terminated in accordance with this section.

Either party may terminate this Agreement for convenience upon written notice to the other party given not less than days prior to the intended termination date. Either party may terminate immediately for material breach by the other party that remains uncured for a period of thirty (30) days after written notice specifying the breach.

Confidentiality

Each party (Recipient) shall keep confidential all non-public, proprietary or business information disclosed by the other party (Discloser) that is designated confidential or that by its nature should reasonably be considered confidential (Confidential Information). Recipient shall not use Confidential Information except as necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement and shall protect Confidential Information with the same degree of care it uses to protect its own confidential information, but in no event less than reasonable care.

The obligations in this section shall continue for years following termination or expiration of this Agreement. Confidential Information does not include information that: (a) is publicly known through no act or omission of Recipient; (b) was rightfully in Recipient's possession without restriction prior to disclosure; or (c) is independently developed by Recipient without use of Discloser's Confidential Information.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Recipient may disclose Confidential Information to the extent required by law or valid order of a court or governmental authority, provided Recipient gives prompt written notice to Discloser and cooperates with Discloser in any lawful attempt to limit or contest such disclosure. Remedies at law may be insufficient to protect Discloser's interests; Discloser is entitled to equitable relief in addition to any other available remedies.

Governing Law; Venue

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of without regard to its choice of law principles. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in that state for any dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

Miscellaneous

Entire Agreement: This Agreement, together with any executed statements of work, exhibits or attachments expressly incorporated herein, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals, and communications, whether written or oral.

Amendment; Waiver: No amendment to this Agreement will be effective except in a written instrument signed by authorized representatives of both parties. Failure to enforce any provision will not constitute a waiver of future enforcement of that or any other provision.

Assignment: Neither party may assign or transfer its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party, except that either party may assign to a successor in interest in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all of its assets.

Severability: If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

Remedies: Except as expressly limited herein, all remedies are cumulative and the exercise of any remedy does not preclude pursuit of other remedies available at law or equity.

Signatures

Party A — Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Party B — Printed Name:

By:

Date:

What a Business Priorities Agreement Covers

The Business Priorities Agreement is a written contract used by organizations to record and prioritize strategic initiatives, deliverables, responsibilities, timelines, and resource commitments between internal stakeholders or between a business and its vendors. It clarifies objectives, success metrics, escalation paths, and acceptance criteria to reduce ambiguity during execution. As a contractual roadmap, it typically includes scope, milestones, roles, dependencies, budget allocations, reporting cadence, and governance provisions. Well-drafted priorities agreements support decision-making, align cross-functional teams, and provide a basis for dispute resolution when expectations diverge.

Why using a formal priorities agreement matters

Using a Business Priorities Agreement reduces operational ambiguity, sets measurable objectives, and allocates accountability. It helps teams focus resources on agreed outcomes, shortens approval cycles, and supports auditability of decisions and changes throughout the project lifecycle.

Who typically prepares and signs this agreement

Teams and external partners use the Business Priorities Agreement to align goals, clarify responsibilities, and document delivery expectations before work begins.

Executive sponsors and program managers who approve strategy and resource allocation.
Project managers and product owners responsible for delivering milestones and reporting status.
Vendors and contractors contracted to meet prioritized deliverables under agreed service levels.

Organizations of any size use the agreement when coordination across departments or with third parties requires formalized commitments and measurement.

Core sections to include in a professional agreement

A complete Business Priorities Agreement contains structured sections that define scope, priorities, responsibilities, timelines, performance metrics, change control, and dispute resolution mechanisms.

Scope

Describe included and excluded work, deliverables, assumptions, and interfaces. Clear scope reduces scope creep and establishes what outcomes will be measured against the agreement's priorities and milestones.

Priorities

Rank initiatives and tasks with rationale, impact, and urgency. Use objective criteria such as revenue impact, regulatory need, customer risk, or operational dependency to justify priority order.

Roles

Name accountable, responsible, consulted, and informed parties for each priority. Include decision authorities, escalation contacts, and backup contacts to prevent delays when primary owners are unavailable.

Milestones

Set measurable milestones with deliverables, due dates, acceptance criteria, and responsible party. Tie milestones to reporting cadence and budget checkpoints for governance and tracking effectively.

Change Control

Define how changes to priorities are proposed, approved, documented, and scheduled. Include thresholds for minor vs major changes, required approvals, and impact assessment procedures for cost and timeline.

Metrics

Identify KPIs, measurement methods, reporting frequency, data owners, and acceptable variance. State how metric disputes are resolved and how metrics formally influence corporate reprioritization decisions.

Step-by-step: complete and execute the agreement

Follow these steps to complete and execute a Business Priorities Agreement accurately, including review, approvals, and eSignature-ready preparation.

01

Prepare Draft: Draft scope, priorities, and roles clearly.
02

Review Internally: Circulate to stakeholders and collect feedback.
03

Finalize Terms: Agree on milestones, budget, and acceptance criteria.
04

Execute & Store: Obtain signatures and archive a signed copy.

How to configure an online signing workflow

Configure an online workflow to collect signatures, route approvals, and store executed agreements with audit trails and secure access controls.

Field	Configuration
Signature Type	Electronic signature with audit trail
Auth Method	Email link or SMS code
Conditional Fields	Show fields based on role
Storage Location	Secure cloud with AES-256 at rest
Notifications	Email alerts and reminder schedule

Where to send and how routing works

This process describes where to send the agreement, how routing typically works, and options for filing or sharing executed copies.

Upload Document: Add final PDF or DOCX to the signing workflow.
Add Signers: Enter signer emails and roles.
Select Delivery: Email link, in-person tablet, or bulk send.
Track Completion: Audit trail records timestamps and IPs.

Platform and security considerations for digital execution

Use an eSignature platform that complies with ESIGN, UETA and supports audit trails, encryption, and integrations.

Auth Standards: ESIGN, UETA, TLS 1.2/1.3, AES-256.
Integrations: Salesforce, Microsoft 365, NetSuite supported.
Access Controls: SSO, role permissions, audit logging.

Key deadlines and timing to track

Key deadlines for a Business Priorities Agreement include effective dates, milestone due dates, approval windows, and retention-related timelines that affect compliance and auditability.

Effective Date:

Date when obligations and priorities take effect.

Milestone Deadlines:

Due dates for each priority deliverable per schedule.

Approval Windows:

Timeframe for leadership to review and approve changes.

Reporting Cadence:

Regular status reports tied to milestones and KPIs.

Retention Trigger:

Events that start statutory retention periods, such as completion.

Common preparation pitfalls to avoid

Failing to define acceptance criteria leads to disputes over whether deliverables meet priority goals and can delay payments or milestone approvals.
Using vague priority labels without objective metrics makes reprioritization subjective and increases conflict among stakeholders during resource-constrained periods.
Assigning responsibility without backup contacts creates single points of failure and prevents timely action when primary owners are unavailable.
Skipping change control or not documenting approved changes undermines traceability and can invalidate budget assumptions tied to prioritized work.

Potential legal and operational risks

Contract Breach: Damages, specific performance, legal costs.

Project Delay: Cost overruns and missed revenue.

Regulatory Risk: If linked to compliance, potential fines.

Tax Implications: Incorrect reporting may trigger IRS withholding.

Audit Findings: Internal or external audit exposures.

Vendor Disputes: Termination, indemnity claims, recovery costs.

Comparing eSignature pricing and core features

Pricing and feature comparison for common eSignature vendors used to execute Business Priorities Agreement workflows.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes (Business Premium)	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

Real-world examples of prioritized agreements in use

These examples show how organizations use a Business Priorities Agreement to align initiatives, manage vendors, and enforce accountable delivery.

Tech Data

Tech Data standardized priority setting across internal teams and external vendors to accelerate approvals and revenue recognition timelines.

Reduced approval cycles and improved coordination.
By documenting priorities and using structured sign workflows, Tech Data reduced manual follow-up, improved transparency, and shortened time-to-revenue. Their legal and operations teams relied on documented acceptance criteria to resolve disputes without escalating to litigation or contract renegotiation.

Martin Properties

Martin Properties used priorities agreements to coordinate closing tasks, contractor deliverables, and inspection schedules across multiple properties.

Prevented closing delays and clarified vendor payment triggers.
The agreement attached exhibit schedules and acceptance criteria, enabling automated milestone payments and reducing disputes. With digital signatures and centralized storage, the team reconciled invoices faster and retained auditable records for compliance and lender reviews.

Practical best practices for accuracy and efficiency

Follow consistent templates, clear metrics, and documented approvals to keep Business Priorities Agreements enforceable and operationally useful.

Use standardized templates and version control

Standardize language for scope, roles, milestones, and change control. Use version numbers, change logs, and distinct filenames. Require sign-off at each significant revision to maintain a clear audit trail and reduce disputes over which version governs performance obligations.

Define measurable KPIs and acceptance criteria

Link priorities directly to measurable KPIs with data sources and owners. Define acceptance thresholds and test procedures. Require objective evidence of completion before authorizing milestone payments or moving resources to lower-priority work.

Assign clear decision and escalation authorities

Name specific decision-makers and their authority limits, plus escalation contacts and timelines for unresolved items. Include alternate approvers to prevent bottlenecks during absence, and document required approvals in the agreement to avoid ambiguity.

Use digital workflows with audit trails

Configure eSignature platforms to capture signer identity, timestamps, IP addresses, and document version history. Require explicit consent for electronic records under ESIGN when consumer-facing, and keep immutable audit logs to support enforceability and regulatory review.

Frequently asked questions about execution and compliance

Answers to common questions about preparing, signing, and storing Business Priorities Agreements, including eSignature, notarization, and retention concerns.

Need help? Contact support

Is an electronic signature legally valid?
Yes. Electronic signatures meet the legal test under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA in most states, provided intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are satisfied. Certain exceptions (wills, some court filings) remain excluded.
Do I need notarization or witnesses?
Not usually. Most Business Priorities Agreements do not require notarization or witnesses to be enforceable. Notarization or RON may be used for added evidentiary weight; specific real estate, deed, or statutory documents may still require witnesses or notarization per state law.
Can I use remote online notarization (RON)?
Many states permit Remote Online Notarization (RON) with identity proofing and audio-video recording requirements. Verify state-specific rules and retention obligations; some states have limited or separate RON procedures. Consult the state notary commission or NCSL for current status.
What establishes signer attribution?
Attribution is established by evidence such as signer authentication, unique access links, email addresses, IP addresses, timestamps, and audit logs. Platforms that capture these elements support attribution; for high-assurance needs, use stronger authentication like multi-factor or PKI-backed digital signatures.
How long must I keep executed agreements?
Follow federal and industry retention rules: IRS three-year minimum for tax records (IRC §6501(a)), HIPAA six-year rule for PHI (45 CFR §164.530(j)), and longer periods for SEC or contract disputes. State-specific requirements may extend these minima.
What common mistakes should I avoid?
Common errors include missing effective dates, inconsistent party names, vague acceptance criteria, absent signatory authority, and failing to capture approvals in writing. These mistakes increase risk of contract disputes, tax withholding, and delayed project execution.

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