What are the basic features all digital form builders should have?

In the modern world, paper forms are a thing of the past as digital forms are essential tools in streamlining business operations. Digital form builders are crucial for capturing data, automating workflows, and improving efficiency. Nevertheless, not all form builders are created equal. With many form builders available in the market, it can be challenging to select the best one. In this article, we will delve into the fundamental characteristics that digital form builders should possess and illustrate how these features could be applied in various industries.

The first feature that form management software should have is an easy-to-use interface. The interface should be intuitive and easy to use, even for those who have no technical knowledge. The process of creating forms should be simple and straightforward, with drag-and-drop functionality and easy customization options. A user-friendly platform with a simple interface, and a way to access pre-built templates can help streamline the form creation process, saving time and effort. For instance, in the mining industry, workers can quickly create incident reports and share them with supervisors.

Customizable form fields are another critical feature. Digital form builders should provide a range of customizable form fields such as text, dropdowns, checkboxes, and radio buttons. These customizable fields allow businesses to tailor their forms to specific requirements. For example, in construction, digital forms can be customized to capture specific data such as images of the type of machinery used on a construction site.

A mobile form is another critical feature. With mobile devices becoming increasingly prevalent, it’s essential to ensure that your digital forms are mobile-friendly. Mobile-responsive forms adjust to the screen size of the device they’re viewed on, making them easy to complete on any device. In transportation, drivers can quickly complete vehicle inspection forms using their mobile devices.

Conditional logic is another important feature that digital form applications should have. This feature enables businesses to show or hide form fields based on the user’s responses. This feature can help make forms more efficient and user-friendly as users will only see the fields relevant to them. For instance, in inspections, the use of conditional logic can reduce the number of unnecessary form fields and improve the overall user experience.

Integration with third-party applications is a crucial feature for electronic form builders. The ability to integrate with CRMs, marketing automation tools, and payment gateways can help automate workflows and streamline data capture. In health and safety checks, integration with a safety management system can help to manage safety-related data more efficiently.

Data validation is another essential feature of digital form makers. Good form builders should allow you to set validation rules for each field, such as mandatory fields, email validation, and numeric validation. This feature ensures that the data entered into forms is accurate and complete. In training, data validation can help to ensure that trainee data is correct and up-to-date.

Secure data handling is an important feature for digital form creation software. The handling of sensitive data is a significant responsibility, and digital form builders should have robust security features to ensure that data is safe and secure. You want these features to include SSL encryption, data backups, and password protection. For example, in the health industry, digital form builders must adhere to strict privacy and security protocols to ensure patient data is safe.

Digital form building tools should provide robust reporting, analytics and searching capabilities. These features don’t all have to be built in. They should allow you to analyze form data to gain insights and identify trends. You should be able to export your data to other tools for further analysis, perhaps using an API. In transportation, reporting and analytics can help fleet managers identify trends in vehicle inspection data, reducing maintenance costs.

Form notifications are essential to ensure that businesses receive form submissions promptly. Good digital form platforms should provide email notifications for new form submissions, allowing businesses to respond quickly to their customers’ requests. These notifications should also be able to be triggered mid-process in case of an abnormal situation that urgently needs to be communicated, or if the checking process needs to be halted. In construction, form notifications can help project managers keep track of progress updates and address any safety issues that arise.

Multi-user collaboration is another critical feature for digital form builders. This feature allows team members to work together on the same form, share comments and feedback, and track changes. In mining, multi-user collaboration can help team members quickly respond to incidents and address safety concerns.

AS a recap: Digital form builders should have an easy-to-use interface, customizable form fields, mobile-responsive forms, conditional logic, integration with third-party applications, data validation, secure data handling, robust reporting and analytics capabilities, form notifications, and multi-user collaboration. By incorporating these features, businesses can streamline their operations, automate workflows, and improve the overall user experience.

Let’s look into more examples of how these features could be used in different industries. In mining, electronic forms can be used to capture incident reports, safety checklists, and heavy equipment inspection data. Customizable form fields can be used to capture specific information, such as the type of machinery used on-site. Mobile-responsive forms can be completed on-the-go, and conditional logic can help reduce the number of unnecessary form fields, making it easier for workers to report incidents.

In construction, digital forms can be used for progress updates, quality control checklists, and safety inspections. Customizable form fields can be used to capture specific data, such as the type of building material used. Mobile-responsive forms can be completed on-site, and conditional logic can help streamline the form creation process. Integration with third-party applications can help automate workflows, such as integrating with a CRM to manage leads and follow-up with customers.

In transportation, digitalized forms can be used for vehicle inspections, driver checklists, and maintenance logs. Customizable form fields can be used to capture specific data, such as the type of vehicle or equipment being inspected. Mobile-responsive forms can be completed on-the-go, and conditional logic can help reduce the number of unnecessary form fields, making it easier for drivers to complete their checklists. Reporting and analytics can help fleet managers identify trends in vehicle inspection data, reducing maintenance costs.

In inspections, digital forms can be used for safety checklists, building inspections, and compliance audits. Customizable form fields can be used to capture specific data, such as the type of inspection being performed. Mobile-responsive forms can be completed on-site, and conditional logic can help reduce the number of unnecessary form fields, making it easier for inspectors to complete their checklists. Integration with third-party applications can help automate workflows, such as integrating with a safety management system to manage safety-related data more efficiently.

In training, electronic forms can be used for onboarding checklists, compliance training, and employee evaluations. Customizable form fields can be used to capture specific data, such as employee information and training progress. Mobile-responsive forms can be completed on-the-go, and data validation can help ensure that trainee data is correct and up-to-date. Multi-user collaboration can help team members work together on the same form, share comments and feedback, and track changes.

In health and safety checks, digital forms can be used for incident reports, safety checklists, and compliance audits. Customizable form fields can be used to capture specific data, such as the type of incident or safety hazard. Mobile-responsive forms can be completed on-site, and conditional logic can help reduce the number of unnecessary form fields, making it easier for workers to report incidents. Secure data handling can help ensure that sensitive data is safe and secure, and form notifications can help businesses respond quickly to incidents.

Digital form builders should have basic features such as an easy-to-use interface, customizable form fields, mobile-responsive forms, conditional logic, integration with third-party applications, data validation, secure data handling, robust reporting and analytics capabilities, form notifications, and multi-user collaboration. By incorporating these features, businesses can streamline their operations, automate workflows, and improve the overall user experience. These features can be used in various industries such as mining, construction, transportation, inspections, training, health and safety checks, to improve their efficiency and productivity.