Filling in the blanks - forms software

New software programs let you create and fill out forms in a flash.

Filling out forms--whether they are customer invoices, forms for processing new employees, or forms for paying suppliers--is one of those annoying, tedious little tasks that comes with running any business. Not only does it take time, but the forms can be expensive to print and produce, especially in these days of rising paper costs.

The good news: Specialized software is making the process faster, easier and less wasteful. And with several types of forms software packages out there, you're sure to find one that meets your needs.

You can use simple stand-alone packages to replicate your existing paper forms for easy and inexpensive design and printing on a laser printer. Or try the more complex networked applications, which automate the routing and processing of forms throughout your business, then deposit the finished forms in a central database. These not only save on processing costs but also eliminate space needed for storing paper files.

Stand-Alone Packages

The first type of forms packages to be introduced, and the simplest type available today, stand-alone packages run on a single computer and help you design simple forms you can print on a laser printer and distribute manually.

The advantage of these packages is the cost savings involved in designing the forms. Some of them come with a variety of form templates you can modify, eliminating the need to hire a graphics designer. They also reduce printing costs by allowing you to print out your own forms.

Basic stand-alone forms packages include Forms- on-a-Disk for MS-DOS from Bytech Business Systems. Or, for more complex and professional-looking forms, try a higher-end stand-alone package such as FormTool Gold for Windows, from IMSI.

High-end packages include design tools such as variable fonts and drawing tools; they also allow you to input photos and develop special fields, such as "pick list" fields, that specify several choices for the information to be input.

If your main concern is to cut costs by being able to duplicate any pre-printed forms you've been using rather than purchasing them from an office supply source or having them commercially printed, consider such products as Teleform (Cardiff Software) and OmniForm (Caere Affiliate Publishing). These packages convert paper forms into a digital format using a scanner, then use optical character recognition to translate the resulting data into alphanumeric characters a computer can understand. Most packages also allow you to customize the forms by making text and design changes. Because the conversion process isn't always completely successful, these packages also highlight any entries that don't make sense so you can correct them if necessary.

Networked Programs

The newest forms packages, such as FormFlow (Symantec Delrina Group), InForms (Novell) and Lotus Forms (Lotus Development) add a whole new dimension to stand-alone packages. Not only do these networked packages let you design highly sophisticated forms, but they also simplify the process of filling them in. Users can fill in forms electronically and send the completed versions over local area networks and e-mail systems to other users for further work or for storage in a central database.

Among features to look for in a networked package:

Forms designers: All three of the networked packages mentioned above include highly sophisticated programming modules for designing forms. As a result, you probably need to hire a programmer to set up the system to your requirements, instead of attempting to design your own forms as you might with the stand-alone packages.

Networked forms designers offer a wide range of features for creating customized forms. You can insert fields such as lookup tables (which let users look up pre-specified data from a database while they're using a particular field), command buttons, check boxes, tables similar to minispreadsheets, and graphics. Some packages even support bar-code fields, which are useful for putting ZIP codes on mailing labels or tracking information for parts or packages. Other programs offer auto- increment fields that create a unique number every time you add a record to a database. This is useful for assigning invoice or order numbers.

Filler applications: Once you've completed your forms design with the designer modules, you'll need a filler application to electronically fill out the forms. Look for a package that includes a filler application with the following capabilities:

* Sending forms: Most packages allow you to send forms to other people on the network or to your company's database via e-mail, which helps speed the flow of paper through your company. Sending forms to a central database eliminates the need to re-enter the information from the form into the database for storage and later retrieval.

The packages that support e-mail let you send either forms with data (embedding) or just the data (linking). You would use embedding if the person filling out the form doesn't have access to the database. Embedding allows the user to enter the information; the data can then be transferred from the embedded database back to the master database. You would use linking if the user has direct access to the central database; then you just send the data.

Some of the more sophisticated packages let you pick and choose your sending options. For example, you can send read-only copies of forms to some users and editable copies to others.

Most major e-mail vendors now offer forms products. Unfortunately, some of these vendors created forms programs that work only with their own e-mail products. When you purchase a forms package, make sure it supports your existing e-mail system.

* Controlling work flow: A variation on e-mail, some packages allow you to route forms to multiple users in your business. You can do so sequentially, through a preset series of people, or broadcast a single form simultaneously to a group of people. Some products even notify you of a form's progress through return receipts or a tracking database.

Work flow features are particularly useful in applications, such as processing invoices, where several people may be responsible for providing or signing off on the information in the form.

* Database: Look for a forms package that supports multiple databases, so you can use it with any database software product your organization uses.

* Compression: Compression allows you to reduce the size of the forms you send over an e-mail system to save disk space and reduce the traffic flow through e-mail gateways.

* Digital signatures: As a security measure to indicate who sent a given form, some packages enable you to electronically sign a form. You might use this feature for applications that require some sort of accountability, such as where money is concerned.

People have been touting computers as the way to realize the dream of the paperless office for years. And for years, this dream has, like a mirage, continued to fade into the distance. Now, forms software shows promise of making the paperless office a reality.

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