Forms are an essential component of a business. While paper forms can often be a hassle, electronic forms offer a new set of benefits for capturing, storing, and retrieving documents for your business. Here are five reasons why you should consider adding electronic forms to your Mobile or Web Applications.
1. Storage
It’s expensive and time-consuming to store paper documents. Office space that could be used for more productive purposes is wasted. Digital files from electronic forms reduce the need for file cabinets, boxes, and storage bins, which frees up precious office space. Plus, these forms are far more savvy than paper, and you can build them to suit your precise needs.
2. Security
Document security is vital to all businesses. Electronic documents provide better control over sensitive information because permissions can be controlled at the folder level, allowing only specific groups or individuals to view them. Additionally, electronic documents leave an information trail of who had seen the document, when it was accessed, and how or if the document was modified.
3. Accuracy
When using a form built into a web or mobile app, it forces information to fill out accurately, versus a paper document that can contain random answers or have incomplete details. By allowing only complete or proper information, improvements to the documentation will be saving your business time and money. It’s estimated employees can use up to 50% of their time searching for a paper document or seeking corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information. Additionally, some documents can be quite complicated if they include compliance details, so it’s essential to be accurate in this situation. Non-conformance for compliance requirements leads to fines, revoked licenses, and in some cases, criminal liability.
4. Time-Saving
Searching for and retrieving paper documents can be very time-consuming. 7.5% of all paper documents get lost while 3% of the remainder get misfiled. Depending on which solution you implement, electronic files can be retrieved by a word or phrase in a document. You also have the opportunity to access documents remotely. As long as there is an internet connection, documents can be accessed from virtually anywhere.
5. Collaboration
Electronic forms can be viewed on web sites and in mobile apps making information sharing and collaboration a lot easier. The documents can be captured from different sources and accessed from multiple locations. Electronic imaging can be added to makes sharing over mobile and web possible, allowing greater visibility for teams to collaborate.
Time is valuable, and time saved is a definite benefit of using forms within mobile and web apps. For more information about how we can help you create electronic forms in your web or mobile apps, contact Blake Patterson at 502.907.6593.
