Mobile forms are changing the way that organizations with workers on the go are operating, one business process at a time. Regardless of the industry, going paperless makes sense for a variety of reasons. Deploying company forms on smartphones and tablets with instant two-way data communication is the present and future of business processes.
Without further ado, ProntoForms presents the top five ways to save with mobile forms.
5. No more transcribing
It had become the bain of many an administrator’s existence. For decades, any paper form that was filled out in the field would then have to be transcribed into a company’s back office system. Not only was this duplicate form filling, but it was quite costly in admin hours.
“By simplifying data collection and putting the data entry function in the hands of our field employees, the ProntoForms solution has reduced our workload by 40 hours a week – equivalent to another employee at one-tenth the typical burdened administrative labor cost. I recommend the ProntoForms product to any size business with field-deployed employees in need of a reliable and easy-to-manage data collection tool,” offered James Becker, Operations Manager for Avonda Air Systems, in a May 2013 ProntoForms press release.
4. No more added transportation
Due to the robust two-way communication of the ProntoForms application, organizations can eliminate unnecessary employee trips to the office. Whether it’s to pick up parts lists or client information at the start of the day, or to return paper forms that were filled out at the job site, these commutes are now a thing of the past.
With the ProntoForms dispatch functionality, office staff can push out information in real time to field worker mobile devices, such as inventory item info or client information. In addition, partially filled in mobile forms can also be sent out to field workers, eliminating morning trips to the office.
Moreover, since mobile forms allow workers in the field to simply fill out data on a device and instantly submit it back to the office with the push of a button, return trips to hand in forms at the office are also no longer needed.
Depending on the amount of workers in the field, as well as the proximity of the job sites, the elimination of form and information transportation can save on man hours and fuel costs.
3. No more paper
Let’s face it, if there’s a chance to eliminate human error, a company must do everything in its power to make it happen. While paper forms are a tangible item in our hands, they must be manually filled out and are at the mercy of the user’s diligence and handwriting. Moreover, unlike mobile forms that have the ability to ensure that all form fields are filled out prior to submission, paper forms leave the possibility of form fields being missed.
Add in other variables such as misplacement, miscalculation (mobile forms have calculation functionality) and form damage, and it’s a wonder that ANYONE still uses paper forms these days.
2. Cloud connectivity
ProntoForms offers the most cloud connectivity options of anyone in the industry. If your business is using a popular cloud service, chances are ProntoForms can offer quick connectivity to the cloud destination.
Imagine the scenario of a field worker submitting a form not just to the inbox of a supervisor, but also to specific folder in Dropbox, SharePoint, Box, Evernote, Google Drive, etc.
This time-saving step allows teams to better collaborate and share data during the workday.
“Field reps are now able to access and share documents with each other and with head office through ProntoForms’ Box connectivity. We have been able to create specific report folders for each store. Our team can access previous reports on a given store while being on site. It’s been a great help,” explained Eric Bonner, Senior Field Manager for PrimoHoagies restaurants.
1. BYOD compatible
Businesses that are contemplating a move towards mobile forms are also thinking about the added potential mobile device costs. Whether it’s a tablet or smartphone, the costs associated with arming every field worker with a mobile device can add up in a hurry.
Fortunately, the ProntoForms mobile solution works on a variety of mobile operating systems, ideal for a Bring Your Own Device environment, where employees simply download the application on their own devices.
The BYOD approach keeps workers happy because they’re able to use the devices with which they’re already familiar. Meanwhile, organization executives are happy because BYOD alleviates the burden of having to purchase and support a high volume of worker mobile devices.
Got an opinion or question? Email blog@prontoforms.com.
