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Why are online forms so important to any organization?
Paper-based forms are the most common, yet ineffective, way for employees to submit their requests to managers and administrators. Many times, paper-based address change, vacation, or purchase order request forms fall into a void when being passed between departments. Not only are these paper-based requests hard to track but employees must make numerous calls and/or send multiple emails to find out if their request has been processed.
From a quality management perspective, paper-based form processes are hard to improve and optimize because no structured data is generated that would allow for measuring the effectiveness of the process.
Furthermore, paper-based forms are often misplaced. Because of this the form may not be processed, or even worse, an employee’s or client’s private information may be exposed. With the recent set of Privacy Acts (e.g., HIPPA) imposed by the government, many current paper forms will have to be retired since organizations will not be able to ensure the security of submitted information or provide an audit trail of who viewed the form.
Many organizations tried using various solutions automate form submission and processing. Some organizations failed to do this successfully because of the high cost of such systems that prevented organization-wide roll-outs. Other organizations failed because the creation of forms and work-flows was complex and required highly trained staff.
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