subject: How Electronic Forms Make the Paperless Office Possible [print this page] Author: Mitch Taube Author: Mitch Taube
If your company is typical, paper forms are creating a bottleneck as they are time consuming and inefficient. They can also wreak havoc when theyre misdirected, misplaced or buried on someones desk. With the adoption of electronic forms, paperwork bottlenecks disappear and the paperless office becomes your new reality. Electronic Forms The Basics Electronic forms, or e-forms, serve exactly the same function as traditional paper forms they initiate, support and document mission-critical business processes. In addition, they can set-off automated workflows with secure, up-to-date, automatic routing of forms for immediate approval and processing dependent upon your business guidelines. A web-based workflow automation process is accessible by computer to your staff, even in remote locations. The e-forms can also be exported into a document management system for automated indexing, storage and retrieval. With the advent of legally-binding electronic signatures, even legal documents can now be created and modified within a paperless system. From point-of-entry to client approval, allowing e-forms to support the underlying structure of your business is a necessity in todays business environment. How E-Forms Transform the Workplace Consider the efficiencies that can be realized in your own organization when, rather than writing client information onto individual paper forms when transactions take place, customers or employees access e-forms, enter information once or download stored client information to complete orders, contracts or applications in a fraction of the time. By pushing that initiated form through every stage of your key business processes via a workflow automation application, no paper form is ever printed to be lost, damaged or otherwise an impediment to workplace efficiency. Whether they are human resource forms, transactional documentation or legal contracts, e-forms improve efficiency, enhance security and eliminate the need for space to store paper-based documentation. Electronic Forms Equal Customer Satisfaction One more very important consideration is the increase in customer satisfaction gained when client interaction is documented with electronic forms. The roadblocks to great customer service associated with a traditional paper flow include lost paperwork, slower response times and miscommunication. What could be more maddening, after all, than waiting for someone to write point-of-sale information onto a paper form? This also applies to standardized contracts and other transactional documents created electronically but printed, signed and stored as a paper record. E-Forms The New Standard in Security As were discussing records safekeeping measures, few business owners would argue that paper forms stored in locked file cabinets present the potential for compromised security. Fire, theft and employee misuse are only three of the events that threaten the security of your firms proprietary and client information. Electronic forms, on the other hand, create a wall of security around information that must be kept confidential. Strong user authentication, file access tracking and 128-bit data encryption are built into todays web-based e-form software. Combined with legally valid electronic signatures, the electronic forms utilized for both client interface and internal processes represent a higher standard in document security. The success of workplace automation, built upon a truly paperless environment, is well-documented across many industries. Companies hoping to leverage e-form technology to increase employee efficiency, reduce costs, improve client satisfaction and enhance document security should first look to their document management specialists for an integrated electronic forms and workplace automation solution. By combining a customized e-forms application with automated document scanning processes, the bottlenecks associated with traditional paper forms can finally be eliminated.About the Author:
Mitch is the principal founder of Digiscribe, which he formed in 2002 to provide companies of all sizes with cost-effective paperless office solutions.
With over 20 years of experience in the information services industry, Mitch brings a wealth of expertise and insight to the company. He is a CompTIA Certified Document Imaging Architect (CDIA+); a certification that proves expertise in the technologies and best practices used to plan, design, and specify a document imaging, management system.
Mitch served as Chairman and Committee Member of the Association of Information and Image Management (AIIM) Document Management Service Bureau Executive Forum. He speaks at various industry seminars and trade shows.
In 1988, Mitch founded International Data Services (IDS) of New York. Under his leadership, IDS grew to become a leading data management company, providing data entry, data processing, coding and indexing services to corporations and service bureaus nationwide, as well as litigation support and database building services to leading law firms.
In 1997, Mitch merged IDS into ImageMax, a nationwide information management services company. While at ImageMax, he served as the National Sales and Marketing Manager and held a seat on the Board of Directors for three years.
Certifications
Certified Document Imaging Architect (CDIA+)
Digitech Systems Certified Reseller
FileBound Certified Professional
AnyDoc Certified Referral Reseller
Education
MBA, Hofstra University
Bachelor Degree, Hofstra University
Community Involvement
Founding Member, Briarcliff Manor Education Foundation
Midnight Run Coordinator (provides food and clothing to the homeless in metropolitan NYC).
