Low-code drag-and-drop eForm development for digital transformation of business management processes

Dream a Little

If you were to sit down and dream of your ideal way of working with business processes, what would it look like?

If you could shed the dreary tasks that clog up your day and clear your desk of papers and your clusters of spreadsheets, how would you do it?

If you could find a way to never miss a deadline or never leave out vital information; or to stay compliant, secure and able to work from anywhere, would you jump at the chance? Perhaps this dream world seems idyllic, but out of reach as you are thinking of crippling big budgets and time constraints.

The good news is that this can be your reality.

eForms built using low-code drag-and-drop development is a powerful way to create customised business process automation solutions.

What is an eForm?

An eForm is more than a digitised version of a paper form – it has the capabilities of capturing information, processing it correctly, integrating with other systems and being part of a defined workflow. They create secure and complete records that are captured and stored.

After the data has been entered, smart business rules can be programmed to move the process on to the next step, and finally, reports can be generated to make the information useful.

Why You Should Use eForms

Using eForms just makes sense on so many levels. Here are some core benefits gained:

• They are cost-effective.
• They are quick to build.
• They are fully customisable and created with the user in mind.
• They are scalable.
• They are accurate.
• Non-coders can configure eForms.
• They automate and digitise an organisation’s processes.
• They can integrate with other solutions.
• Documents (e.g. Word, pdf) and emails can be generated and exported from eForms.
• The data records created are securely saved, categorised and searchable.
• …and more…

Workflow, Smart Forms and Automated Business Rules

Workflows are the way eForms start to get interesting as they become more than just a means of capturing data but are part of an entire procedure. 

Furthermore, by coding in an organisation’s business rules and compliance considerations, workflow can help everything run smoothly, on time and within boundaries.

Moving a step further, an eForm with advanced formulas and workflow rules can also be called a “smart form” as much more can be achieved than mere form field entry. With “intelligent” formulas and conditional formatting, eForms are commanding tools in business management.

Such added extras as colour-coding, automated communication, triggered events, etc. are also possible with eForms making them versatile and feature rich.

More on workflow: 

– Workflow the Nimblex Way
– Rest Assured and Prosper with Workflow
– What is Business Process Automation and Why You Need It

Compliance and Security

Staying compliant can give managers many sleepless nights, but with a well-designed eForm in a well-designed workflow, compliance can be guaranteed, and an audit trail secured.

Moreover, a single “truth” of company documentation is created with centred IT control.

eSignatures and secure date stamps can be used to sign-off where needed. Compliance can be enforced with field validation and a check that every required field is filled in.

Data security and data privacy can be ensured with the right business rules, for example, user permissions can be set right down to individual fields.

It’s in the Cloud: Mobile Capabilities Across Multiple Devices

Since most solutions built using eForms are web-based, they are then mobile and can be viewed on any Internet enabled device. This frees workers to work from anywhere at any time.

If a user is not able to connect to the Internet, there are apps that allow the forms to be filled in, for example, on a tablet and then sync once back in range.

Multimedia

eForms allow users to upload multimedia files, such as photos, videos or audio clips, to be included in the record.

Integration

A significant benefit of digitising your processes with eForms is their ability to integrate with the other solutions within the company, such as your financial or CRM systems. (More on Integration capabilities)

Analysing, Tracking, Monitoring and Reporting

Data without a way to interpret it is just bits and bytes.

As a user inputs data, records are generated within a database, and analytical reports can be run to provide useful insights.

More on reporting and data analytics:

– Reporting Capabilities
– Why Every Business Needs Data Analytics

How eForms are Created

The heart of eForm creation is low-code, drag-and-drop development within a visual editor environment. (More on No-code, Low-code and Hand-coding)

This table shows how low-code development differs from traditional coding systems. Now, even complex database schemas can be represented.

This method allows for almost unlimited flexibility when customising processes to each business’s needs. Besides the adaptability, eForms are quick to build and as easy to maintain.

This method allows for almost unlimited flexibility when customising processes to each business’s needs. Besides the adaptability, eForms are quick to build and as easy to maintain.

Self-service configurators

Another highlight of low-code development is that it enables non-coders to configure forms without having to know a programme language. These “citizen developers” can create eForms and workflows to their requirements.

The Future

Digital transformation should be more than just a buzz word. Companies should constantly be looking to the future and how the decisions made today will affect them in the coming years.

By using eForms as the foundational building blocks of a business process solution, they allow for agile computing systems that can be rapidly changed and deployed as the organisation changes and grows.

By Jeannie De Vynck