Forms Automation Software

What is Form Automation?

If you want an automated process to create digital versions of the paper forms that you already have, then this is called form automation. Client-facing documents, internal company records, contracts, surveys, work orders and applications can all fit into this category.

Forms automation software allows you to perform paperless form creation, management and authorization. Handwriting is not necessary if forms are automated. The forms you create can easily be electronically.

"Enterprise forms automation" is when a forms management system is put into place by an entire company. Regardless of your business's size, there is a forms automation software vendor that will cater to you.

Electronic forms often bear a resemblance to the physical forms they are based on, although significantly less work is involved. Forms automation software is employed across a wide range of sectors and business functions.

Forms automation software can be by HR groups used to collect information on employees. In healthcare, it is commonly used for collecting patient information. In retail and customer service, forms automation software is used to produce invoices and support tickets, respectively.

What Are the Benefits of Using Forms Automation Software?

As a key business tool, forms are vital for the collection and storage of easily analyzed and interpreted data. Here are a few advantages of using forms automation solutions:

• Timely processing: Businesses can process electronic forms at a more rapid pace than paper ones. The data analysis process can be significantly sped up as a result.

• Rules-based data entry: Being able to implement advanced rules for various form fields is quite beneficial to businesses. This prevents users from leaving important form fields blank or with incorrect inputs.

• Simpler file sharing: The process of collecting data is able to be entirely digitized thanks to electronic forms. As a result, businesses are able to save on storage, posting and printing expenses.

What Are Some Common Features of Forms Automation Software?

• Digital signature: This software allows your clients or customers to sign your digital forms electronically. This speeds up the review and validation process that some forms must go though.

• Offline access: This feature can be particularly useful for remote teams, whose submitted information will be immediately updated once they again have internet access.

• Improved inspection and audit: Business users can send inspection data to any relevant recipients and systems with this software application.

• A smoother workflow: Once the flow of documents has been automated, businesses can become a bit more streamlined and productive.

• Centralized storage: Users will have a much easier time locating and categorizing documents since these forms will be securely stored in one centralized place.

• Autofill: Prefilling various fields is a popular feature when it comes to forms automation software.

• User permissions: Depending on an employee's role, Administrators can choose whether to grant them access to confidential forms. This ensures that such forms are only accessed by authorized personnel.

How Is Forms Automation Software Priced?

Forms automation software solutions vary widely in their pricing models. Some use per-use, per-month models of pricing. Others use a simple monthly subscription fee that is based on how many submissions the business will require. If your business requires 1,000 submission minimum, then your monthly cost could be over $30 or under $5, depending on which tier of forms automation service you choose.

What Should You Take Into Account When Buying Forms Automation Software?

Number of forms vs. level of automation: You will find some forms automation solutions that limit your number of monthly forms but offer high levels of automation and customization. Other forms automation solutions, however, are exactly the opposite. They limit your available custom fields as well as your automation capabilities, but they will allow you to generate and share as many forms as you need each month. You must decide whether your business requires higher levels of customization or higher form volume on a monthly basis.

Deployment types: Your business can either deploy forms automation software on premise or on the cloud, depending on the nature of the data you are collecting. Although the cloud option is easier to scale and has a smaller upfront investment, a third-party server will be hosting your business data. Some users are not comfortable with this, especially when sensitive medical and account information is involved. In this situation, on-premise deployment might be a better option, as your own in-house servers will hold all the data.

Trends in Forms Automation Software

Mobile-ready forms: Many forms automation solutions vendors are beginning to offer mobile-oriented forms services via apps. Business can begin taking advantage of options like mobile form creation and distribution.

Graphic-rich forms: The user experience when it comes to electronic forms is constantly being improved. Some vendors now offer forms automation solutions with rich graphical elements like animations, interactive content and visual charts. These graphic-rich forms have a lower rate of abandonment than traditional text-heavy forms.

What Are Your Deployment Options When It Comes to Forms Automation Software?

There are several deployment options for forms automation software. It is important to choose your business's ideal deployment option before you start looking into potential vendors. Before your forms automation software can be deployed, make a decision between these options:

1. Subscription license or perpetual license? Long-term periodic payments are preferred by some businesses, while an upfront lump sum is ideal for others. As a side note, you will likely notice tiered pricing when researching various subscription license software vendors. Their prices for forms automation software will change based on your number of users, If you are intending to distribute your electronic forms to a large number of users, then you can expect to pay higher fees on a monthly or annual basis.

2. On-premise or cloud-based? Although cloud-based forms automation solutions are quite convenient, it is worth taking into account that cloud storage is something that some forms automation software vendors will charge additional fees for.

3. Integrated suite or best-of-breed? Best-of-breed will suit users who only need forms automation capabilities and are not looking for additional functionalities. An integrated suite, however, is ideal for businesses like retailers and marketing companies, as they often desire, on top of forms automation, additional applications for e-commerce, content publishing and social networking.