best software to create forms
The hard to understand definition is:
“A leading or top form creation software involves tools that allow for internal formalizing of certain documents and processes and, on the other hand, soliciting outside participation in the course of an investigation.”
They improve collaboration between various members of a valued network. (typically between customer and inspector)
What is a form creation software?
The simpler definition: Form builder software refers to a computer-based (vs a paper-based) solution that creates, distributes, and stores the data collected with digital forms.
The best examples are, (including but not limited to): contact forms, workplace safety inspection, registration forms, digital payments, electronic signatures, health and safety checklists, construction site surveys, data collection in the field of work, industrial quality control check-ups, mobile manufacturing information sharing, daily-weekly-monthly timesheet logging often still using excel templates, report building or generating in pdf or word format, workflow or work flow task distribution systems, home inspector’s or property manager’s routine verification software, etc.
Such form management tools and applications are widely available online for collaborative use (creation, filling, and sharing, ) and usually specialize in a niche within heavy or light industry-specific digital transformation initiatives.
How does it work?
The best way to put it may be like this: From the software interface, the user can create a form manually or with customizable modules or blocks provided in the software editor sections, sometimes with features like drag and drop.
To go faster, it can directly use form templates that may be included in the application or made and stored privately by the user.
Once created, the form editor can either obtain a shareable link that allows him to disseminate the form to other users through internal means, like within the software itself or in one of their communication channels: a newsletter, an Internal and private internet page (intranet) or external web pages, an email contact, etc. The data can also be used to be displayed through digital signage for employees to see, or shared through an API that can talk to business intelligence software, or other databases management systems or dashboards.
An export in the format of the user’s choice (Word, PDF, etc.) allows to insert the forms into an attachment or even to be printed for traditional storage or use.
The form building software automatically collects and processes completed forms online if that is how a company wants it to behave. From an intuitive interface, the administrator has access to manage the forms and has statistical tools to analyze them as well.
What are the best features of digital form creation software?
As stated before, form management systems are powerful tools that allow users to create and share their forms. The main features should also offer the ability to collect and process forms that are completed online as well as offline.
So having the ability to work without wifi in remote areas is one of the best features you should look for, even if you are completing a mobile inspection on a phone or tablet.
Creating low code vs no code forms
Creating forms from blocks, modules, templates or from scratch must be done with an intuitive interface that allows business managers, operators, inspectors, auditors, quality control specialists or other administrators to create their own forms autonomously without any special competency or technical requirements like coding. A simple drag and drop should allow you to add fields like:
- Text area
- Image or Video capture
- Checkboxes
- Drop-down lists
- Digital signature
- File attachments
- Gps location
- Special sensor information from a device or measuring instrument
- Special alert triggers
- Etc.
All the user has to do is customize the content of each block and make the conditional layout if they want to create a dynamic form.
When it comes to digitalization, some older tools may be equipped with OCR technology (for Optical Character Recognition). This allows users to scan a document and turn it into a digital form with fields to fill out or checkboxes, but such procedures are outdated now and have been avoided recently by any organization who wants to increase their inspection or data collection efficiency, by going directly to digital.
Collaboration between business processes
Within an organization, business managers can create together forms that will be distributed and/or supplemented by operational individuals such as inspectors or supervisors as part of their day-to-day operations. From the app interface, they can collaborate to create a custom-made form tailored to everyone’s needs.
The form management software allows you to define actions to take as soon as a form is filled out: notification, personalized message sending, making appointments and storing them with a synced digital calendar as a task or follow up in a crm (customer relations management system), etc.
In addition, some developers or vendors offer mobile inspection applications for field teams. One of the most sought out and top features for field teams is an offline access to the app allowing to completed these checklists or forms from their smartphone or tablet as part of their daily activity. This is the case, for example, with delivery drivers or inspection teams.
The top inspection apps automatically sync to the company’s database when the internet connection is restored.
Business Intelligence Dashboards
In digital surveys and construction site visit reports for example, the software centralizes and processes all completed forms and allows managers to analyze the data collected in a visually appealing digital dashboard. With an intuitive interface and customizable indicators (tables, graphs, diagrams, etc.), users can perform quantitative analysis to:
- Identifying trends
- Testing ideas
- Detect the strengths and weaknesses of a report
- Predict and prevent health and safety issues
- Etc.
The various filters and sorting offered allow you to make personalized digital reports and export them to the format of your choice.
As part of qualitative data collection forms (customer file, contact form, etc.), administrators can view each of the completed forms individually.
Who uses form-making software?
The format and process of a digital form is interesting for all organizations (SME, Large Groups, public, private,) that seek to:
- Formalize, standardize and improve certain data collection processes and documents
- Easily centralize, analyze and manage a large database
Anyone in an organization can use the software as part of their daily activity:
Commercial services to create customer files, create business proposals, etc.
Marketing services in satisfaction surveys
Audit services to report on the internal quality control issue
Support functions to formalize certain documents: invoices, contracts, etc.
Communities to conduct population census campaigns
Government organizations to facilitate the recording of minutes
Associations to collect donations and find out about the availability of volunteers
Etc.
Why not use nspek, the best form making software in your company today?
By now you know which options and benefits is worthy of being classified as best of its class, that form creation software allows companies to automate certain internal processes, to easily solicit its key stakeholders, and to modernize with a dynamic approach to data collection, increasing efficiency through the roof. Nevertheless, it also has some drawbacks:
Some people may protect their role in a company and will halt or delay the adoption of technological innovation fearing that they will not be able to learn (we offer online training) or fear of being replaced (industrialization always creates jobs). Another disadvantage may be the need for integration into the internal information system that may require the cooperation of an IT person, or a software developer as a partner like us.
