How to free IT from the chore of managing email signatures

The IT department is the technical backbone of many companies, protecting against threats like ransomware, maintaining and expanding IT infrastructure, and assisting with technical issues. But what happens when additional tasks are piled on?

Everyday life in IT is already stressful enough. In many companies, the IT department also has to manage email signatures, a task that can be both detailed and time-consuming.

In this article, we will explore:

• The impact of managing email signatures on IT workload
• How to simplify and reduce the cost of email signature management
• How email signature software can alleviate the burden on IT

How does email signature management impact IT workload?

Without IT, nothing works. Whether it’s installing hardware and software, ensuring compliance, or handling IT tickets, IT staff always have a long to-do list.

A study by Yerbo revealed that 62% of IT professionals report that they feel “physically and emotionally drained”. Given the increasing importance of IT, this is unlikely to change.

So, what does it mean when IT specialists also have to create, manage, and implement email signatures? Here are three scenarios that illustrate the high workload involved:

Scenario 1: Sending signatures with instructions

The process:
The IT department creates the signatures as HTML templates and sends them to all employees, who must then insert the signatures into their email clients themselves.

The problem:
Employees may not understand the instructions or the process, leading to issues. They might forget to add the signature or find it too cumbersome.

The consequence:
Many email signatures bounce back to the IT department as support tickets. Whether due to a lack of technical know-how or because the signature wasn’t added at all, IT must then either set up the signatures themselves or guide employees step by step, which takes a lot of time.

Scenario 2: The DIY solution

The process:
IT staff manually insert the email signatures directly on each employee’s PC.

The problem:
This method is extremely time-consuming, especially in larger companies.

The consequence:
Instead of focusing on important issues like IT security, IT staff must spend time implementing email signatures.

Scenario 3: Inserting signatures by code

The process:
The IT department uses scripts, such as PowerShell, to insert the signatures via code.

The problem:
Besides the effort of creating the scripts, they must be regularly maintained. Small updates can require script adjustments, which only the IT department can handle. Additionally, design options are limited with scripts.

The consequence:
When interfaces change, scripts need to be updated, requiring time and IT expertise. Marketing’s design expectations for the signatures cannot always be met with scripts.

Why managing email signatures is a hassle for the IT department

With increasing cyber threats and data breaches, IT is already fully occupied. Managing email signatures adds extra stress, straining important resources that could be better used elsewhere.

High maintenance

Email signatures need to be maintained and updated. New employees, promotions, and other changes require frequent updates. IT must constantly adjust signatures to stay current.

Requests and tickets

Support tickets arise from outdated, faulty, or problematic email signatures, leading to time-consuming communication with employees to resolve these issues. Additionally, departments like marketing often request design changes, links, or new graphics and banners for their campaigns.

More sources of error

Decentralized implementation of signatures increases the risk of errors. A simple typo in code-based signatures can prevent proper display. While errors can also occur with centralized solutions, they are easier to identify and fix since the optimized signature is updated across all devices simultaneously.

Email signature software: Spend less time managing signatures

IT departments handle compliance, security, and technical support, making their task lists long. How can companies use professional email signatures without overburdening IT?

Email signature software provides a centralized platform for managing signatures, banners, and other content, saving time and offering numerous benefits:

More freedom for IT

The time saved by using software to manage signatures can be used more productively. IT staff can focus on defending against cyber threats, expanding infrastructure, or pursuing important certifications like ISO or SOC II. Centralized solutions free up resources, allowing IT to work where they are needed most.

Professional appearance through consistency

Inconsistent or poorly designed email signatures can leave a negative impression in communications, potentially looking like phishing emails. Emails serve as digital business cards and contribute to brand building.

A uniform design reflecting corporate values, colors, and logos creates a consistent brand image. Manual implementation of signatures can lead to errors, but email signature software allows for easy, centralized updates that ensure consistency across all signatures.

Scalability

Signatures need frequent updates due to new employees, company growth, or new locations. Imagine sending a new email signature to hundreds or thousands of employees simultaneously with the push of a button. Instead of spending hours or days on manual updates, the latest signature is quickly distributed to everyone.

Calculate how much time and money manual email signature management costs your IT team annually: 

Save time with email signature software

Your IT department is already handling cybersecurity, compliance, and other challenges. Automating repetitive tasks that don’t critically impact IT infrastructure is essential.

With Mailtastic, you can quickly and easily create, manage, and update email signatures. Mailtastic integrates with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, allowing you to roll out signatures company-wide with a few clicks and automate updates through directory synchronization. Users see their signature and banner when composing emails and can insert them with a click. This saves valuable time for both you and your employees, allowing you to focus on more important tasks.

Book your demo now to experience the benefits of Mailtastic. Simplify your workflow for creating and maintaining email signatures and reduce the workload on your IT department.