ALBANY, N.Y. -

Auto/Mate Dealership Systems announced Monday the release of its E-Signature Capture engine, a tablet-based application that allows service and parts staff to accept and store digital signatures from customers.

By making it easier to obtain customer approvals and finalize contracts, the company said that the app can reduce paper trails, improve compliance and increase customer satisfaction.

“Dealerships are among the last business entities that rely heavily on paper-based processes, but today, there is no reason for it,” Auto/Mate president and chief executive officer Mike Esposito said in a news release. “Most customers prefer digital transactions, and the capacity to manage documents electronically provides a number of benefits to dealers.”

Following the completion of paperwork, in addition to dealers being able to easily email them to customers, employees can also quickly search for and obtain any needed documents, the company said.

Additionally, the E-Signature Capture engine is built into the Auto/Mate’s dealership management system (DMS), and can be used on the same device as Auto/Mate’s Mobile Service Consultant.

“It may be a few more years before dealerships are entirely paperless, but E-Signature Capture is a tool that can be used to take meaningful steps toward that goal,” Esposito added.