The importance of forms and how digitizing them can transform your organization

The importance of forms and how digitizing them can transform your organization

Making decisions in any organization usually requires collecting and analyzing essential data, and the most common way to accomplish that is by using forms. Figuring out a return to office plan post the pandemic? A survey form will allow you to understand the vaccination rate among your employees and their expectations of safety measures to be taken by the organization. Need to provide a quote for a client project?? A site survey form is key to understanding project requirements and thereby making a profitable decision.

With the growing imperative for data-driven decision-making, forms become even more important for capturing valuable information accurately at the source.

Quote preparation, HR administration, Finance processes, resource optimization, strategy planning and execution, are but a few examples that require the use of forms to source the right data to make decisions. But although error-prone paper forms are a thing of the past, many organizations are still relying on them to operate. The good news is that today, e-forms (electronic forms) are the go-to method of gathering vital information for organizations of all types and sizes.

E-forms: What are they and what purpose do they serve

Simply put, e-forms are digital or computerized versions of paper forms. An e-form is a web or mobile-based rendering of what traditionally has been a paper form that helps collect, organize, and store essential data from various stakeholders including customers, employees, investors, vendors, and suppliers in order to make decisions.

E-forms help gather real-time information and enable instant processing of data and generation of reports. You can use e-forms in multiple ways depending on your organization’s structure and needs. E-forms are all-pervasive due to their simplicity and high level of customization – you can put them to use in educational institutions, companies, manufacturing, hospitals, and more.

For instance, in an educational institution, e-forms can be used for the following purposes:

• School/college applications
• Teacher assessment surveys
• Course selection and registration
• Course evaluation and student progress reports
• Scholarship applications
• Graded quizzes and MCQ tests

In contrast, e-forms work just as effectively in a business organization for purposes such as:

• Customer information request form
• Site surveys to prepare quotes
• Customer satisfaction survey
• Call back form
• Market research
• IT service ticket
• Job application collection
• Employee performance review
• Employee grievances
• Client onboarding and immersion

How can e-forms benefit your business?

If you’re still on the fence about digitizing forms in your organization, let’s look at some of the significant ways e-forms can benefit your business.

• Help in being more customer-centric

Customer preferences and pain points transform rapidly and e-forms allow organizations to respond faster to these new changes and requirements. From customer feedback forms to incident reports and everything in between, e-forms allow you to be more customer-centric and acknowledge your customers’ needs and wants. With the help of e-forms, you can make your customers a part of the solution by seeking their insights about various aspects such as product design, service experiences, and more.

• Make way for digital transformation

The process of digitizing various business processes has only been expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey by McKinsey shows that in 2020, 58% of all customer interactions globally have been digital. In such an environment, it’s important to recognize and adopt quick and efficient ways to digitize your business. E-forms are an integral part of digital transformation because they help with automation and document management efforts.

One of the tougher steps in this transition is overhauling the well-entrenched paper-based processes. Modern document management systems like Tessi Docubase® include features to make the most from electronic forms to capture, store, and index data from these forms seamlessly.

• Increase accessibility and efficiency

Unlike paper forms, you don’t need to physically hand out and collect e-forms as they can be accessed from any device. This allows you to gain varied insights from stakeholders from wherever they may be across the globe. E-forms also do away with the tediousness of forms for both the users and respondents and reduce the possibility of errors. You also have easier accessibility since e-forms are stored in a central cloud-based system so you don’t have to search through countless filing cabinets for key information when required.

• Establish cost-effective and convenient processes

E-forms are a simple and convenient way for you to create forms. They offer a range of features for customization and flag errors in formats, data input, etc. E-forms also reduce the need for personnel required for data entry and admin work, thereby allowing you to better utilize your human resources. In addition to saving time and money, e-forms also help maintain the confidentiality of critical data by making the process direct, limiting middlemen, and providing access to only authorized users.

With today’s leading e-form tools like DBS LiveForms, you can quickly create and process a range of custom, responsive, and sophisticated electronic forms. This will enable your organization to streamline information capture and automate the flow of information for decision-making.

You can access and organize all your e-forms from one location because it’s a cloud-based system so you don’t need to install any software. Your users can seamlessly include attachments, provide e-signatures, pay for services, and more when filling out the e-forms.

By leveraging the power of modern tools like DBS LiveForms, all types of organizations can eliminate paper forms altogether and enjoy all the benefits e-forms can provide.