Efficient e-government: The city of Zug relies on seamless digitalization with e-signatures

The city of Zug is paving the way for seamless digital administrative processes and relies on the e-signature from Skribble. Two weeks after the contract was signed, it is successfully in use for all transactions of the city council as well as in the personnel department. The most frequently used is the qualified electronic signature (QES) under Swiss law. The advanced electronic signature (AES) is exclusively used in the personnel department for employment contracts. In 2023, the city of Zug signs over 5,600 times and saves not only time and money but also a significant amount of paper: 17,854 sheets to be exact.

Why the city of Zug relies on e-signatures

With its commitment to digitalization, the city of Zug has long been a role model for many Swiss authorities. This was also evident when they launched the «eZug» app in January 2021. With the app-based smart city platform, residents of Zug can identify themselves online to municipal authorities, request official documents, and receive them directly on their mobile phones for secure storage. But that's not all: legally binding signing with Skribble is also possible.

At the same time, the administrative processes were also digitized internally: As of February 2021, e-signing is available for the employees of the city of Zug. According to Smart City project manager Nicolas Lemaitre, the signature was the last reason why employees of the city of Zug printed documents at all. "A real waste of resources. And not just in terms of paper consumption."

Why Skribble and not another e-signature provider?

• Strong API: The simple and powerful API from Skribble impressed from the very beginning. With the integration into the CMI solution platform (AXIOMA), which was implemented in no time, it became clear: “Skribble simply has the best API.”
• Recommendations: The Swiss provider of eGovernment solutions "Procivis AG," which developed the eZug app, recommended Skribble among other reasons due to its simple and robust API.
• Security and legal validity: Highest security standards, hosting in Switzerland, all e-signature standards from a single source, and compliance with the ZertES standard were key criteria. The ability to sign legally according to eIDAS was a nice to have.
• Local support: As a local point of contact, Skribble is always there to advise the City of Zug. The e-signature experts at Skribble are available via phone, email, or chat.

"The e-signature was successfully in use within 2 weeks."

In February 2021, the city of Zug implemented the e-signature from Skribble within 2 weeks. Focusing on city council matters, all digitizable steps were first analyzed, and the e-signature was immediately introduced wherever it made sense. The decision-makers, particularly the city council and foremost Martin Würmli, the city clerk of Zug, acted as catalysts in this process. They ensured that all employees of the city of Zug looked forward positively to the transition to digital signatures.

Smooth implementation with consistently positive feedback
The implementation of the e-signature went smoothly and took just under 2 weeks. Within a few months, other authorities – including the Cantonal Police of Zug and the Canton of Zug – approached Nicolas Lemaitre to learn more about Skribble. Shortly thereafter, these authorities also became satisfied Skribble customers.

Handwritten signatures are a thing of the past: The city of Zug signs 100% of its contracts digitally

The city of Zug primarily uses the e-signature Skribble for internal use cases. 100% of all transactions of the city council, personnel matters, and, for example, purchase contracts are digitally signed and stored this way. The usage extends to all employees. Those who wish to sign by hand must submit a request.

Where the e-signature is in use at the City of Zug:

• Municipal council business: The city of Zug exclusively relies on the highest of the three e-signature standards, the qualified electronic signature (QES), for transactions related to the municipal council. This includes, for example, the minutes of the municipal council meeting, municipal council resolutions, or circular resolutions.
• Human Resources Department: In the Human Resources Department of the City of Zug, all parties now sign electronically. This most commonly involves new employment contracts and amendments to these, as well as training agreements.

• Other areas: The city of Zug uses Skribble in additional processes that require a signature, such as for the registration of the cantonal electronic identity or the submission of debt enforcement requests.

In-house identification: The city of Zug trains employees as RA agents
With the exception of the HR department, the QES, the highest of the three e-signature standards, is used for all documents and contracts within the city of Zug. This way, employees do not have to worry about which legal requirements apply to which document or with which standard they need to sign each document. «With the QES, you are always on the safe side,» confirms Lemaitre.

To simplify onboarding, the city of Zug has certified itself as a "Registration Authority (RA) Agency." This allows trained RA agents to identify employees directly using the RA app (Swisscom) and set up the qualified electronic signature (QES) in person, rather than relying on identification at the Swisscom shop or online. «To ensure a successful transition to electronic signatures, the entry barrier must be as low as possible.»

Good to know:
Identification for electronic signing: Signing with a qualified electronic signature (QES) requires prior identification of the signers. However, the specifics of this identification are defined differently by the relevant jurisdictions. Learn more about identification

How the city of Zug benefits from e-signatures

The introduction of the e-signature from Skribble at the City of Zug has brought many advantages. The greatest impact has been:

• Save time and minimize effort: Creating documents digitally, printing multiple times, chasing signers, signing multiple times, scanning, and storing digitally – that was in the past. With Skribble, all of this can be done without lengthy media disruptions in minutes instead of hours or days.

• Increase efficiency: The processing speed of documents to be signed has increased significantly. This has a positive impact on efficiency within the city of Zug.
• Save natural resources: The e-signature saves thousands of sheets of paper each year.

Authorities such as the city of Zug particularly benefit from the Skribble features “Batch signature” and “Observer,” according to Lemaitre.

• Batch signature: The batch signature allows multiple documents to be signed at once. This is particularly advantageous during the weekly city council meeting, when the 20+ pages of minutes do not need to be printed, signed, and filed multiple times, but can instead be signed with a single click and stored digitally.
• Viewers: Viewers can view documents but cannot sign them. They will be notified via email about the signature progress, for example, when someone signs or declines to sign the document. This feature is particularly helpful for the HR department in the City of Zug, especially for employment contracts.

And here's how it continues

By implementing Skribble, the city of Zug has not only optimized its workflows but also paved the way for other authorities seeking efficient and secure e-signature solutions.

About the city of Zug

Zug is a globalized small town in the heart of Switzerland. It is home to 32,000 people from 130 nations and has more than 40,000 jobs. The city offers proximity: to the lake, to the mountains, to the workplace. At its center: the town hall with its employees. They provide their services to the population, economy, and society. Reliable and results-oriented.

About Nicolas Lemaitre

Nicolas Lemaitre is the project manager for Smart City at the city of Zug and is digitizing municipal services for the residents of Zug. At the center of this initiative is the e-government platform eZug, which features an integrated electronic identity. This platform includes numerous government services, as well as the e-signature for seamless processes. Although the e-signature is primarily used for internal processes, it plays an important role in digitization: it is very easy to use, provides great convenience, and serves as a prime example of how digitalization can offer tangible benefits in everyday business.