Why do many companies ask you to send them a signed scan of the same agreement by e-mail before sending a paper contract by mail?

Question

Individual entrepreneur

Each company with which I conclude a normal contract with signatures on paper asks before that to send them a scan of the signed contract.
What legal force does a signed scan of a contract for website development have?
If it is, then there is no point in a paper contract sent by Russian post, and if there is no legal force, then there is no point in sending these scans by e-mail.
The question arose due to the fact that there is an article of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation Article 159. Oral transactions and it is not entirely clear to me whether a contract for the development of something can be attributed to them.

Answer 1

the meaning is that:
1. this is at least some confirmation of the intentions of both parties.
2. allows you to start working right now, instead of waiting n weeks for the paper to go by mail in both directions.
and it's not just the legal side - paper, so far, in many cases, is more convenient than electronics.

Answer 2

In electronic - to speed up the process. Courts now recognize e-mail correspondence.
In paper - for big guarantees. But the work stipulated by the contract can already be started by that time.

Answer 3

What legal force does a signed scan of a contract for website development have?

No.
Don't send. If you want the work with you under the contract to start not immediately after its signing, but only after the party receives the original with a blue seal - two weeks, at least the Russian Post is lucky. Your right :)