Investing in a digital solution for your previously paper processes can be a difficult decision. Not all solutions will meet your company’s needs, and some may have benefits that you had not even initially considered. With such varying products on the market, making an informed decision relies heavily on knowing what features exist and which ones your company can benefit from. Some universally useful tools that many people fail to consider include:
Automating Math from Index Data
While there are certainly benefits to simply digitizing your paper processes, an ideal transition usually involves changing these processes altogether. Automating totals and other math needed to complete your forms is a fantastic feature to have for this reason, as it removes the need for manual calculations, saving time and decreasing the likelihood of common errors. Say, for instance, you were filling out an expense report. Some web forms may be unable to populate any information for you at all, while others may be able to fill out totals and other basic functions. However, an ideal web form solution would not only be able to fill in these simple variables but would also be able to perform more niche and complex calculations such as mileage rates on a company car.
Key Software Integration
Another great feature to look for in a web form is integration with other software. These integrations can help simplify and streamline your processes by removing the need to transfer data between programs manually. A great example of this involves the mileage rates from the expense report we mentioned earlier. A well-tailored solution with integration with Google Maps may track the mileage of a vehicle directly and instantly apply it to the expense report.
Live, Editable Forms Throughout the Workflow
This may sound like a trivial feature, but it’s an extremely useful one for saving time and headaches over small but frequent mistakes. Going back to the expense report example, let’s say an employee lists a private lunch as one of their expenses and sends it to the controller to sign off on. Upon receiving the report, the controller notices the expense and realizes it is non-refundable and therefore should not be listed. With many solutions, the controller would have to email the employee and have him, or her resend the entire form, wasting time waiting for a response. With a live, editable form, the controller can make the change himself right on the spot. There is no back and forth, no redoing the entire report to be resubmitted saving both the employee and the approver time.
Recallable database Info
In departments and industries with lots of paperwork, the same information tends to be used repeatedly on different forms. Recalling information used in the past and populating it on a new form as needed makes completing repetitive paperwork much faster and easier. Still using our expense report example, let’s say an employee has an expense that they incur fairly regularly. The employee would populate all the information relating to this expense with only a few clicks. This saves the employee precious time and allows him to dedicate it to more important tasks. It also ensures that the information collected is consistent for each submission. There are no typos or input errors that may cause delays and time spent looking for the correct data.
Proven, Pre-Designed Solutions
In form-heavy industries such as Legal, HR, and Accounting, certain workflows and form designs have been proven effective across the industry. Having access to solutions that are already built and ready to use saves time and money on consultation and development while still providing effective results.
Square 9 is dedicated to providing top-notch solutions with the tools you need to successfully digitally transform your organization. To learn more about what our GlobalForms solution has to offer visit https://www.square-9.com, or visit the Forms Gallery and see what you can do with web forms.
