Is an electronic signature on the SSC legally valid?

Yes. Electronic signatures are generally enforceable under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws where adopted; confirm exceptions for testamentary documents and court filings.

When does the SSC require notarization or witnesses?

Most SSCs do not require notarization, but attachments that affect real property or legal acknowledgements may; witness or notary rules depend on state law and the document type.

Can I use remote online notarization (RON)?

Many states permit permanent RON, but rules vary; verify state notary commission guidance and retain required audio-video records and identity-proofing evidence for the notary journal.

Who is authorized to sign an SSC on behalf of a company?

Authorized signers are those with delegated signature authority under the company’s bylaws or procurement policy; procurement or legal teams should confirm signer limits before execution.

How do I correct an error after signing?

Minor clerical errors typically require an amendment or corrected SSC signed by the same authorized parties; do not alter an executed PDF without a formal amendment and new signatures.

How long must I retain executed SSCs?

Retain per applicable law and policy: IRS records 3 years (IRC §6501(a)), HIPAA 6 years (45 CFR §164.530(j)), and longer where industry or state rules require it.

Business Services SSC

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BUSINESS SERVICES SSC

Parties

Client Name: Client Address: Service Provider Name (SSC): Service Provider Address:

Recitals

WHEREAS, Client desires to retain Service Provider to perform business services described in this Agreement, and Service Provider represents that it has the qualifications, experience, and ability to perform such services; and

WHEREAS, the parties wish to set forth the terms and conditions under which the Service Provider will provide such services to Client, commencing on .

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

Scope of Work

Service Provider shall provide the following services to Client in a professional and workmanlike manner in accordance with the terms of this Agreement:

Payment Terms

As compensation for services rendered under this Agreement, Client shall pay Service Provider the amounts and in the manner set forth below.

Service Fee (per term or project): Payment Schedule / Milestones: Payment Method: Invoice Due (days after invoice): Late Fee / Interest:

Client shall reimburse Service Provider for pre-approved, reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the performance of services. All payments are due in full when invoiced unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Term and Termination

This Agreement shall commence on and remain in effect until unless earlier terminated in accordance with this Section.

Either party may terminate this Agreement for convenience upon written notice to the other party given at least days prior to the effective date of termination. Either party may terminate immediately for material breach by the other party if such breach remains uncured thirty (30) days after written notice specifying the breach.

Confidentiality

For purposes of this Agreement, "Confidential Information" means all non-public, proprietary, or business information disclosed by one party to the other, whether disclosed orally, visually or in writing, that a reasonable person would understand to be confidential. Confidential Information does not include information that: (a) is or becomes public through no fault of the receiving party; (b) is rightfully known to the receiving party prior to disclosure; (c) is independently developed by the receiving party without use of the disclosing party’s Confidential Information; or (d) is rightfully obtained from a third party without restriction.

The receiving party shall: (i) hold the disclosing party’s Confidential Information in confidence and not disclose it to any third party except as permitted herein; (ii) use at least the same degree of care to protect the Confidential Information as it uses to protect its own confidential information, but in no event less than reasonable care; and (iii) use Confidential Information only to perform its obligations under this Agreement. Upon termination or upon written request, the receiving party shall promptly return or destroy all Confidential Information as directed by the disclosing party.

Exceptions to Confidentiality (if any):

Indemnification and Limitation of Liability

Each party shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the other party from and against any losses, liabilities, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of third-party claims to the extent caused by the indemnifying party’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, or material breach of this Agreement. Except for liability arising from a party’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, or a breach of confidentiality or indemnification obligations, neither party shall be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages.

Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of without regard to its conflicts of law principles. Any dispute arising out of or related to this Agreement shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in that state, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts.

Entire Agreement and Miscellaneous

This Agreement, together with any attachments and written statements of work signed by the parties, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, whether written or oral. No amendment or modification of this Agreement is effective unless in writing and signed by both parties.

If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. Neither party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other, except that Service Provider may assign to an affiliate or successor in interest provided that such assignee assumes all obligations under this Agreement.

Additional Provisions / Special Terms:

Client:

By:

Date:

Service Provider:

By:

Date:

What the Business Services SSC Is and When It’s Used

The Business Services SSC is a standardized service scope and request document used by shared services centers, internal business service teams, and external providers to record requested services, deliverables, timelines, and billing details. It documents roles, acceptance criteria, and handoff responsibilities so teams have a single authoritative record of the work requested and performed. The form supports both internal approvals and external supplier commitments, and can be executed electronically or on paper depending on organizational policy and applicable law.

Why a clear Business Services SSC matters

A concise SSC reduces scope disputes, clarifies billing and acceptance criteria, and speeds approval cycles across functions. It creates an auditable record of what was requested, when work should start and finish, and which organization is financially responsible.

Who typically completes or signs a Business Services SSC

The SSC is used by a mix of requestors, approvers, and service owners across departments; responsibilities differ by role and organization size.

Business requestors: Department managers or project leads who specify scope, deliverables, and requested dates for services.
Service owners: Shared Services managers or external vendors who confirm capacity, acceptance criteria, and estimated cost or billing code.
Approving finance or procurement: Finance or procurement approvers who validate budget codes, compliance, and payment terms before execution.

Use role-based signatory fields on the SSC so each party signs only the sections relevant to their authority and responsibility.

Core elements to include in a professional SSC

A complete SSC groups administrative, operational, and financial details into clear sections so reviewers can quickly verify obligations and approvals before work begins.

Identification

Unique document ID, version number, and effective date so stakeholders reference the current agreement and avoid version confusion during execution.

Parties

Full legal entity names, contact persons, and billing addresses for requestor and service provider to ensure accurate invoicing and legal attribution.

Scope of Work

Detailed, measurable description of tasks, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and success metrics to reduce later disputes about what was agreed.

Timeline

Start and end dates, milestones, review windows, and any escalation timelines so both parties align on scheduling and delivery expectations.

Pricing and Billing

Rate structure, billing frequency, expense rules, PO or internal billing codes, and invoicing instructions to prevent payment delays and chargebacks.

Signatures and Approvals

Designated signature blocks, authorized signers and dates, and any required witness or notarization steps to validate the document legally and procedurally.

Essential data and compliance checks to include

Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3

Data at rest: AES-256

Audit trail: Timestamps and IP

Access controls: Role-based

BAA availability: HIPAA requires BAA

Retention policy: Follow legal hold

Step-by-step: completing and routing the SSC

A clear sequential workflow ensures the SSC moves from request to execution with the right approvals and documentation attached.

01

Prepare: Enter all requester, scope, and cost details accurately.
02

Attach: Include supporting documents: SOWs, quotes, and budget approvals.
03

Approve: Route to finance and procurement for validation and sign-off.
04

Execute: Capture signatures and return executed copies to all parties.

Common online workflow settings for SSCs

Configure fields and routing to match your approval matrix. Below are typical field-to-configuration pairings for most shared-services workflows.

Field	Configuration
Service Description	Required text area, 2,000 characters max
Approver Sequence	Order-based routing, send to finance then procurement
Signature Type	Electronic signature with audit trail
Attachments	Allow PDF, DOCX, XLSX up to 25 MB

Where to send, file, and store the completed SSC

Follow a single distribution plan so all stakeholders can access the executed SSC and related invoices or delivery confirmations.

Primary Storage: Save executed PDF to enterprise content repository.
Corporate Finance: Send signed SSC and invoice to AP for payment.
Service Owner: Deliver final copy to the service owner for fulfillment.
Audit Folder: Archive with version history and access logs.

Digital signing and distribution: technical considerations

Choose a platform that supports secure e-signing, audit trails, and integrations with your content systems to minimize manual steps.

Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace
File formats: PDF, DOCX, XLSX supported
Authentication: Email, SMS code, or MFA

Ensure the platform meets any regulatory requirements relevant to your industry (for example HIPAA for healthcare) and provides a durable audit trail for every signed SSC.

Typical timelines, deadlines, and processing expectations

Define internal SLAs and external delivery windows so payments, resourcing, and acceptance testing align with project schedules.

Acknowledgment window:

Service owners acknowledge requests within 2 business days.

Initial response:

Estimate and schedule issued within 5 business days.

Approval SLA:

Finance and procurement complete review within 7 business days.

Delivery milestone:

Milestones set in SSC guide acceptance dates.

Invoice submission:

Send invoices within 30 days of accepted deliverable.

Common preparation and submission errors to avoid

Incomplete scope descriptions that force iterative clarifications and delay work acceptance.
Missing or incorrect billing codes that cause invoice rejections and payment delays.
Unsigned or improperly authorized SSCs that are legally unenforceable or rejected by vendors.
Using inconsistent document versions when multiple stakeholders edit without a controlled versioning process.

Potential risks and consequences of an incorrect SSC

Payment delays: Invoices disputed

Scope disputes: Deliverables contested

Compliance breach: Regulatory exposure

Contract invalidity: Unauthorized signature

Audit findings: Recordkeeping gaps

Financial loss: Penalty or write-off

eSignature vendor comparison for signing and routing SSCs

Compare common plan features and starting prices for typical e-sign providers used to execute SSCs. signNow appears first in the table per supplier ordering rules.

	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	Yes, 7-day trial	Varies — check vendor	Varies — check vendor	Varies — check vendor	Varies — check vendor
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Varies
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Frequently asked questions about completing and signing an SSC

Answers to common questions about legal validity, notarization, signature authority, corrections, and recordkeeping when using an SSC.

Need help? Contact support

Is an electronic signature on the SSC legally valid?
Yes. Electronic signatures are generally enforceable under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws where adopted; confirm exceptions for testamentary documents and court filings.
When does the SSC require notarization or witnesses?
Most SSCs do not require notarization, but attachments that affect real property or legal acknowledgements may; witness or notary rules depend on state law and the document type.
Can I use remote online notarization (RON)?
Many states permit permanent RON, but rules vary; verify state notary commission guidance and retain required audio-video records and identity-proofing evidence for the notary journal.
Who is authorized to sign an SSC on behalf of a company?
Authorized signers are those with delegated signature authority under the company’s bylaws or procurement policy; procurement or legal teams should confirm signer limits before execution.
How do I correct an error after signing?
Minor clerical errors typically require an amendment or corrected SSC signed by the same authorized parties; do not alter an executed PDF without a formal amendment and new signatures.
How long must I retain executed SSCs?
Retain per applicable law and policy: IRS records 3 years (IRC §6501(a)), HIPAA 6 years (45 CFR §164.530(j)), and longer where industry or state rules require it.

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