E-Signature Tools

E-signature tools enable documents to be signed electronically, allowing for a paperless and remote-friendly sales or service process. In a dealership scenario, important documents like credit applications, purchase agreements, lease contracts, or repair order approvals can be signed via a tablet in-store or sent securely to a customer’s email for remote signing. In Canada, e-signatures are legally recognized (with laws like PIPEDA and provincial acts laying out criteria for electronic documents), so long as proper consent and security are in place. These tools often provide an audit trail (recording when and where the document was signed, and by whom) and can be integrated with the dealership’s DMS or CRM to store signed copies. The result is a faster, more convenient transaction – for example, if a customer agrees to buy a car over email/phone, the dealership can send the paperwork for e-signature, saving time when the customer comes to pick up the vehicle. It also reduces the need for printing and storing paper contracts, helping dealerships go more paperless. E-signature adoption in dealerships has grown, especially for remote sales and during situations like the pandemic, proving to be a valuable tool for modernizing the customer experience and improving efficiency.