Let’s face it: there are a lot of drawbacks to paper-based forms management. Paper forms cause clutter, they cost money to store and print, and they are easily lost, stolen, or simply filled out incorrectly. And incorrectly entered form data brings business processes to a screeching halt, creating bottlenecks in your workflow.
Luckily, there’s an answer to your forms problem: digital forms management.
Kick Your Time-Consuming Forms Processes to the Curb
Businesses depend on two types of forms: input and output. Input forms are used to capture data, while output forms are used to generate documents (i.e. invoices). Despite technological advances, paper has remained a key component in these forms processes.
Capturing data via input forms is an essential practice—particularly in industries like healthcare or manufacturing and distribution. Yet, all too many forms are still paper-based, and that makes it difficult to enforce the way that the form is filled out. The wrong type of data may be entered into a field—or the field might be left blank entirely. Plus, lack of standardization in capturing data complicates the process of entering the data into the back-end system.
Manual data entry itself can really drag on the forms processes. It often taxes employee time across many companies. It’s redundant—the information has already been taken down once, by hand—and the data entry process is frequently prone to errors.
And when data is captured incorrectly, it can inaccurately inform the creation of key business documents like invoices. When an error like this occurs, the entire forms management process needs to be started over from scratch.
On top of that, once a document is created accurately, it still needs to be approved and be delivered to its destination efficiently.
Simplify the Input Side of Forms Management
By eliminating paper and replacing outdated software with modern technology, you can experience faster, easier, and greener forms processes.
Digital forms management software can replace your existing filing cabinet and speed up data capture, allowing you to web-enable virtually any type of form you can imagine. From work orders and purchase requests to payroll and HR documents, you’ll be able to create web-based forms with ease.
Standardize Data Capture
Ensure that forms are always filled out the way you need them to be by implementing required fields in your web-based forms. You can even go a step further to incorporate controls that restrict entries for certain fields. When you standardize data capture, you’ll improve efficiency and make it easier to ensure that data is collected consistently every time.
Eliminate Manual Data Entry and Expedite Routing
A digital forms management solution helps you remove manual data entry from your data capture process. Plus, implement electronic signature capture in your web-based forms to speed up your approval processes.
Improve Data Accuracy
With digital forms management, you can pull data straight from your databases to create output forms that are 100 percent accurate. You can also customize exactly how you want users to interact with your forms to ensure the data that gets entered is reliable.
Master the Output Side of Forms Management
On the flip side, there are the forms you need to create using the data you’ve captured. Plus, you need the ability to route, print, email, fax, or save that newly-created form into a back-end business system.
Integrate Seamlessly Into Business Applications
With complete digital forms management, the data is captured immediately into the back-end business system. From there, it’s ready and waiting to be used in form and document creation.
Save Money
Creating and managing forms electronically means you no longer need pre-printed forms, reducing spend on paper and printing. The bottom line will thank you.
Say Goodbye to the Paper
Watch the paper stacks disappear at your office. With digital distribution options, you can significantly reduce the number of forms you need to print.
Streamline Business Processes
Digital forms are easy to route wherever they need to go at your organization, saving time and speeding up approval processes.
Successfully Manage Forms Digitally—From Input to Output
The right digital forms management solution will meet your needs from input to output:
- Capture data right into your back-end system through fillable online forms.
- Then use the data you have to create accurate output forms, like professional invoices or billing statements.
Whether you’re a small-to-medium sized business or a large enterprise, if your current forms management practices are costly, cumbersome, or inefficient, you’re missing out on the chance to grow your company and maximize productivity by going digital.
Capture form data, create professional forms to suit any business need, and output your forms to the appropriate department with ease. This not only speeds up business processes, but eliminates the need to re-key information, track down lost forms, or remedy incorrectly-filled forms.
Cover Both Sides of Digital Forms Management
Fortra offers complete digital forms management software that saves money and enables your organization to work more efficiently. Schedule a consultation so we can discuss your processes and show you how we can help.
