Star Building Systems implements digital signature solution

Star Building Systems, Oklahoma City, has implemented a digital signature solution that will enhance the collaboration between engineers located in different offices and expedite engineering approval processes. This new service solution enables Star to raise the bar on exceptional customer service and innovation in engineering. “It used to be ‘we can get you the signed drawings next day’. With digital signatures, it’s ‘we can get you the signed drawings in the next hour’. We want to provide world-class service and this helps set us apart from our competitors,” said Dustin Cole, director of engineering, Star Building Systems. The adoption of the digital signature solution was initiated by Cole, who recognized an opportunity for improvement upon witnessing the time it takes for engineers to manually sign and seal upwards of 200 pages of engineering drawings daily. With digital signatures, Star’s engineers can review, seal and digitally sign drawings in a PDF format for distribution to their customers and partners. “Without digital signatures, we could provide PDFs of drawings that could be used only for reference – not for submissions or permits,” Cole explained. “Now, we can provide digitally signed and sealed drawings to anyone in a matter of minutes, whether for submissions, or when a customer requests additional copies.” With the implementation of digital signatures, Star remains dedicated to their commitment of using cutting-edge technology in providing superior customer service. In addition to increasing Star’s responsiveness to changing customer demands, digital signatures will enhance collaboration among the organization’s engineers, in various locations, who can now sign and seal drawings from any place that has an internet connection. Star also uses the digital signature solution within StarWeb, their customer-facing web portal.
“The CoSign solution that was implemented invalidates the signature if the drawing is modified,” Cole said. “This level of security is crucial to sharing information with our clients via the web.” Star was initially impelled to consider digital signatures when more than 30 US states permitted the use of digital signatures in engineering. As more states join in this trend, Star plans to expand their business to reach a wider geographic scope. Star is working with ARX (Algorithmic Research), a leading provider of digital signature solutions to implement the CoSign solution. “The quickly-spreading acceptance of digital signatures in engineering across the US is very exciting,” said Gadi Aharoni, CEO, ARX. “It shows that people are recognizing the ability this technology has to enable better, faster customer service at reduced costs and with the necessary security and regulatory compliance, and we’re very excited to continue offering and improving upon a solution that makes such a difference.”