Enterprise forms automation is a company-wide computer system or set of systems for managing, distributing,
completing, and processing paper-based forms, applications, surveys, contracts, and other documents. It plays a vital role in the concept of a
paperless office
A paperless office (or paper-free office) is a Workplace, work environment in which the use of paper is eliminated or greatly reduced. This is done by converting documents and other papers into digital form, a process known as digitization. Propone ...
.
JetForm
JetForm Corporation was the name of a Canadian software manufacturer created by four consultants (Wayne Hall, Bob Allum, Tom Hicks, John Gleed and Ed Deinstadt) that was based out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and an electronic form software product ...
Corporation first used the term "enterprise forms automation" in the mid 1990s to describe their solution to automating paperwork. This process was later acquired by
Adobe Systems
Adobe Inc. ( ), formerly Adobe Systems Incorporated, is an American software, computer software company based in San Jose, California. It offers a wide range of programs from web design tools, photo manipulation and vector creation, through to ...
, and is now part of the
Adobe LiveCycle suite of products. In 2004, Efficient Technology Inc, became the first company to apply this term to
software as a service
Software as a service (SaaS ) is a cloud computing service model where the provider offers use of application software to a client and manages all needed physical and software resources. SaaS is usually accessed via a web application. Unlike o ...
.
Enterprise forms automation refers to the automation of paper-based processes that specifically rely on documents (forms, applications, etc.) that retain a paper-based look and experience, even if not printed out for interaction. To be considered an ‘enterprise forms automation’ solution, a system must meet
enterprise software
Enterprise software, also known as enterprise application software (EAS), is computer software used to satisfy the needs of an organization rather than its individual users. Enterprise software is an integral part of a computer-based information ...
requirements, and specifically focus on automating paperwork and paper-based forms.
Impact
Organizations implement enterprise software solutions to automate major functions and large processes, as these areas offer the greatest cost savings compared to smaller projects. Enterprise-level implementations often cost over $100,000 and therefore take many months to produce cost savings. As such, organizations ignore automating smaller functions, due to the lack of immediate financial benefit or cost savings. As functions become more automated while software costs for enterprise systems drop in price, organizations begin automating lower-level functions to become more efficient. In addition, through the advent of standards like Adobe's PDF model and service models like Quik!, companies seek to automate the filling out of forms via enterprise forms automation solutions.
Automating forms also has a positive ‘green’ impact on the environment. To reduce waste and carbon emissions, companies seek ways to eliminate paper. An enterprise forms automation system can eliminate paper entirely, or significantly reduce how much paper a company uses—also reducing shipping costs, and printing and storage costs of paper forms. In addition, automating paper-based processes greatly speeds up the time it takes to perform transactions, which results in fewer errors, rejections, and revisions—and frees up time spent by users on manual labor.
Implementation
DMS
Modern implementation of the paperless office concept has two main focuses: creating documents and managing documents. Since major systems have already displaced paper altogether (e.g.,
enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is the integrated management of main business processes, often in real time and mediated by software and technology. ERP is usually referred to as a category of business management software—typically a suit ...
,
customer relationship management
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a strategic process that organizations use to manage, analyze, and improve their interactions with customers. By leveraging data-driven insights, CRM helps businesses optimize communication, enhance cus ...
,
accounting software
Accounting software is a computer program that maintains accounting, account books on computers, including recording Financial transaction, transactions and Balance (accounting), account balances. It may depend on virtual thinking. Depending on ...
, etc.), paper that remains in use is largely generated by processes that capture data, generate reports, and distribute communications. As software and computers have evolved, the first problem addressed has been management of existing and legacy documents through
document management system
A document management system (DMS) is usually a computerized system used to store, share, track and manage files or documents. Some systems include history tracking where a log of the various versions created and modified by different users is r ...
s.
Document management and archiving systems do offer some form automation functions. Typically, the point at which document management systems start working with a document is when the document is scanned or sent into the system. Many document management systems can read documents via
optical character recognition
Optical character recognition or optical character reader (OCR) is the electronics, electronic or machine, mechanical conversion of images of typed, handwritten or printed text into machine-encoded text, whether from a scanned document, a photo ...
(OCR) and use that data within the document management system. While this technology is essential to a paperless office it does not address the processes that generate paper in the first place.
The ultimate step towards eliminating paper is to change the way that documents are created. In 1993 Adobe Systems introduced the
Portable Document Format
Portable document format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating syste ...
(PDF) to facilitate the exchange of documents in a universal manner across most computer platforms. This format has laid the foundation for creating, transporting, working on, and archiving electronic documents—and in 2008 became an ISO standard. In addition, the PDF model established a method for automating forms that can be pre-filled with existing data and manually entered on a PC screen—which can reduce or eliminate printed forms.
Implementation tools
A typical enterprise forms automation implementation typically combines:
* A library of electronic versions of paper-based documents (PDF format or comparable format)
* Data store of existing data or web pages that collect data to fill onto forms
* Software that pre-fills existing data from databases and data stores onto electronic forms
* Software that saves forms in process or partially completed
* Software that captures and translates electronic form data
* Workflow systems that manage interaction with forms and data
* Two-way messaging between forms and systems during submission and validation
* Barcode software that matches images of forms with electronic form data
*
Digital signature solutions that capture signatures electronically
Implementation challenges
The primary challenge to using these technologies is resource planning and implementation costs. However, all necessary technologies have existed since at least 2000. Furthermore, the U.S. Congress signed the
Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act
The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN, , ) is a United States federal law, passed by the U.S. Congress to facilitate the use of electronic records and electronic signatures in interstate and foreign commerce. T ...
(ESIGN Act) into law, which lets companies accept digital signatures as valid signatures. Even with the law in effect, companies have been slow to adopt such solutions due to the cost and skills required to design, build, and maintain them at reasonable cost.
A secondary challenge is integrating electronic forms into an existing process, whereby existing data stores can be accessed and supplied to and from the forms. While tools to assist with integration exist, most implementations require custom programming for specific forms and data sources.
Many of these challenges are addressed by
middleware
Middleware is a type of computer software program that provides services to software applications beyond those available from the operating system. It can be described as "software glue".
Middleware makes it easier for software developers to imple ...
solutions, technology platforms, and services that tie the pieces together. Known as
Enterprise Application Integration (“EAI”), developers of EAI solutions are continually introducing new cost-effective methods to take advantage of web-based and centrally-managed capabilities and leverage legacy systems.
With each advancement in EAI technologies enterprise forms automation becomes easier to implement and manage.
See also
*
Document automation
Document automation (also known as document assembly) is the design of systems and workflows that assist in the creation of electronic documents. These include logic-based systems that use segments of pre-existing text and/or data to assemble a new ...
*
Form (document)
A form is a document which contains blank spaces (also named ''fields'' or ''placeholders'') in which one can write or select an option. Forms can be distributed to several signatories at once, or made available on demand. Before being filled out, ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:enterprise forms automation
Adobe Inc.
Documents
Office work
Open formats
Paper products
Business software