Smartphones, tablets, and the apps we run on them are undoubtedly here to stay in the current business landscape. But they're only valuable if we actually use them to get work done--if they're actually a part of our daily workflow and not just content-consumption devices.

So, instead of introducing a new business app this week, we wanted to give users a practical example of how business apps can drastically improve productivity. Our own Jason Hardy, Manager of Client Relations and Social Media, shares below about how HelloSign, our App of the Week from a few weeks ago, openned up new possibilities for his workflow.

Signature in a Pinch: How an App Streamlined My (Remote) Workflow

Even in the high-tech age of social media and email, sometimes sending an official business letter adds a nice touch in certain situations. A couple weeks ago, I found myself in such a situation. I had written a thoughtful business letter in Microsoft Word and was ready to mail it.

The problem was, the letter needed to be sent from the 3n1media office, and I was working remotely. Sure, I could have just emailed the Word document to a coworker in the office, but what's a business letter without an actual signature?

Thankfully, I had downloaded HelloSign, the digital signature app we had blogged about a few weeks ago, to my iPad. I was able to open the app, import a PDF of the letter from my Dropbox folder, and use the app to insert a signature (which I completed with my finger on the touchscreen) into the letter. You can see it pictured to the left. I then emailed the PDF to a coworker, who was able to mail it out from the 3n1media office.

To me, this experience demonstrates just how powerful my iPad can be in a business workflow. Next time I need to send a signed document in a pinch, I'll know exactly what to do.