October, 2021

October 2021

Box Potpourri!

Hello From IT!

This month Techbits is about some of the new features coming to Box that we think will change how we use the platform internally and externally. Box recently had their yearly keynote and I would like to share with you some of the interesting details that are here and incoming!

Box Sign

One of the major highlights of the event was a new feature called Box Sign. This is Box’s e-signature implementation much like DocuSign and Adobe Sign. You may have seen notifications about its release as you go through Box’s Website. Box Sign allows you to turn any document into an editable PDF where you can enter different types of information like a signature, date, or field for text. We will have a training on this feature later this month. Here is a preview of how it works.

Here is a document I am working on. There are parts I need to sign/have someone else sign. On the right, I can click on the new icon that says Request Signature. This will open a new view where I can prepare this document to be signed.

I now have my document with options and actions on the right side. On the Recipients side, I can enter anyone’s email address that I want to have fill this document. I can also choose the signing order, meaning that if I need several people to sign this document I can choose who needs to sign first.

Once I finish placing my fields on the document, I can click on Send Request at the top right. I then have to agree and accept that this signature is considered a legal representation of my own signature. You can not proceed if you do not click on it.

Once I click on the signature field a new window will pop up to give me an option on how I want the signature to look. I can choose to draw it with a mouse/trackpad or type my name and use pre-written signatures. If this is not your first time using Box Sign, it will remember the previous style of how you choose your signature and have it under the saved section.

Once completed, I can click on Sign and Finished. I will receive a message from Box which states “ You will receive an email with the signed document and signing log after all parties have signed” I will be able to monitor the progress of the signing from the box website by clicking on the Sign tab on the far left.

When all parties have signed, the final document will be in your email and in Box!

Here are a few things you can also do with Box Sign

• Create Templates: If you find yourself creating the same document that needs to be signed often; You can create a template of that document and you can send it with all the fields ready to be signed.

• Access to Everyone: If you create a Box Sign document and send it to someone that does not have Box, no worries! They can still sign the document without needing to create an account.

• Turn To PDFs: When you create a document to be signed that was in a different file format such as .doc or .xlsx. It will turn the finished document into a PDF. That it will be readable and interactable no matter the viewing platform.

Box Relay

Another new feature is called Box Relay. It is Box’s version of automation. You may remember that IT performed a training about how Asana performs automations. You can streamline your everyday work in Box particularly work that is repetitive or manual. With Relay you can:

• Automatically create folders

• Assign tasks

• Request people to review or approve changes

• Track processes

Box Relay also has commonly used automations that help you get going and use the feature immediately. Look forward to future Techbits and pieces of training about Box Relay!

Groups in Box.

This is more of a “Did you know?” kind of Techbit! We have different groups set up inside Box for collaboration. Groups are a quick way to add collaborators to a folder or file without having to type every person's email individually. However there is one catch, you will have to let the group know that you are collaborating with them. There is no notification system in place currently that lets a group know that a collaboration has been given to you (opposed to being individually notified) Here is a list of them:

If you would like a group created, let IT know the people you would like in the group and we will create it for you! Folders and Files that are collaborated via group will be added to your All files list view in Box.

That’s it for this month’s TechBits! If you found this information useful and intriguing, let us know the value it provided by emailing us at techbits@episcopalrelief.org. We’ll see you next month!