Focused Forms Training Ray H Killam CFC CFSP

Focused Forms Training Ray H. Killam, CFC, CFSP Ada, Michigan November 17 -18, 2004 Sponsored by BFMA

Welcome and Introductions • New Attendees - Please tell us your name, organization, job title, and experience with forms • What is your goal for this session? • Please share: – Years experience with e. Forms – Technology you use – Brief description of your program

Agenda Day 2 • Definitions • Elements of a successful e. Forms program • Ten critical success factors • Designing for the web • Design analysis – special considerations • Web technologies

Agenda Day 2 (Continued) • Usability issues • Deployment strategies • Return-On-Investment • Emerging battle – PDF versus XML? • Who are the players? • Demonstration • Exercise

Developing e. Forms - Form Types • p. Forms – paper, or other physical substrates • e. Forms – digital forms used in non-browser environments • i. Forms – digital forms used in browsers

Developing e. Forms - Definitions • Quick History Lesson: – What is the Internet? § www. walthowe. com/navnet/history. html – What is the World Wide Web? § www. w 3. org/History. html – What is the W 3 C? § www. w 3. org

Developing e. Forms - Definitions • Browser What is it and how does it work? § It’s a program used to visit web pages § It works by using a protocol called Hyper. Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) to request a specially encoded text document from a web server. This text document contains special markup code written in Hyper. Text Markup Language (HTML). The markup is interpreted by the web browser, the job of which is to render the document's content in an appropriate manner for the user's convenience.

Developing e. Forms - Definitions • Browser What is it and how does it work? § The HTML may include such things as references to other web documents using hyperlinks and bookmarks, suggestions for text color and position, and other content such as images and audio and visual ("multimedia") content Types § PC & Mac -- Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera § Open Source – Mozilla – Firefox 1. 0 (www. mozilla. org) § Unix/VMS – Lynx (http: //lynx. browser. org), w 3 m § Amiga -- Voyager. NG, Mosaic and others

Strategic Developing e. Forms - • Every organization needs a strategy for e. Forms and i. Forms • Developing an Effective Strategy

Strategic Developing e. Forms - • Levels of e. Forms – Print-on-Demand – Fill-and-Print – Intelligent Electronic Forms (IEF) – Enterprise-enabled e. Forms – Applications developed using forms tools

Why do e. Forms Programs Fail? • Islands of automation – no strategy • Transfer of responsibility to IT • Downsizing/Outsourcing of Forms • • Management function Conflicting definitions Issues with software / Understanding of forms Scope creep Complexity

Strategy vs. Tactics • Strategy – the process of positioning an organization for competitive advantage; planning for the direction of the enterprise prior to engagement. It is perspective and direction. • Tactics – Managing of resources while engaged. It is the current plan; a set of actions.

Why Develop a Strategy? • People can more easily implement what they know. • People are more likely to implement properly when they understand. • People readily implement what they are committed to. • People give up on a strategy when its implications have not been anticipated.

What is an e. Forms Strategy? • Enterprise agreement on goals, solutions supported, tools to be used, and implementation policy • Consistent application of a set of practices to be used for the development and deployment of electronic forms throughout the organization

No Strategy? • There is always a “strategy” • If you don’t have a formal strategy, one will evolve for you • Electronic forms are compelling – users want them and will develop them if you don’t • Islands of non-compatible e. Forms will materialize

Who needs to be involved? • Forms Management – coordination • Information Technology - databases • Web Administrator - deployment • User Departments - need • Sales and Marketing – define how we communicate with the public • Finance – require positive ROI • Legal – Signatures, records requirements

Who are the Audiences? • Inside the firewall – Knowledge workers – All personnel within the organization • Outside the firewall – Customers – Suppliers – Prospects – Stakeholders – Public

Internal Considerations • Is there a Corporate Style Guide? • What policies and procedures will be affected? • Inside the firewall (intranet) – more control, more flexibility • Password access, security, non-repudiation is easier

External Considerations • Outside the Firewall (Internet) – Signature technology and support – Non-repudiation – Require registration? – Access control – Filler software requirements – Routing, printing and local save

Ten Critical Success Factors 1. Establish measurable goals 2. Align your business and your IT 3. 4. 5. operations Get executive support up-front Let business goals drive functionality Minimize customization by leveraging out-of-the-box functionality; avoid scope creep

Ten Critical Success Factors 6. Use trained, experienced suppliers 7. Actively involve end users in the solution design 8. Invest in training and empower end users 9. Use a phased rollout schedule 10. Measure, monitor and track

Critical Elements of a Program • Establish workflow analysis processes – why automate bad processes? • Develop Return-on-Investment requirements • Develop goals for data capture and management – database connectivity • Develop standards for edition control and archiving – creating legal records

Critical Elements of a Program • Develop a deployment strategy • • – catalogs, portals, distributed POD Define e. Commerce requirements – credit cards, personalization, security, privacy Establish a policy for non-repudiation – validation of user identity Establish a policy for electronic signatures – technology, vendors, costs, “take to paper” Define a workflow integration policy – routing, storage, retrieval, tracking

Critical Elements of a Program • Integration with paper forms management – catalogs, design, management • Software selection – workflow, design, mapping, database connectivity, server scripts, technologies supported (paper forms, browsers, XML, ODBC, Java. Script, CGI, scripting, open source, extendable, more)

Critical Elements of a Program • Interfaces to Records Management and Document Management systems • Search functionality • Managing obsolescence • Training and help desk support • Programming support

Summary • Bringing the organization together with a single • • • strategy is difficult It will require developing a business case and selling it to management It can return significant benefits in important areas such as new customer acquisition, customer retention, customer service, process improvements and cost control Developing any forms strategy is the responsibility of the forms department

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Development – Who develops forms? – Process for new forms, revision – Obsolescence policy – Forms control (numbers, applying standards) – Retention policy – Approvals

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Deployment Strategies – Email support – Servers – Forms portals – User access controls – User submission of filled forms – Local save and print – Security policy

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Support – User training – On-line help – Help desk support – Instruction manuals – User guides – Designer training – Level of support (24 x 7? )

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Software Selection – Design software – Client software (fillers) – Edition management – Workflow design software – Compatibility with existing systems

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Output Strategy – Save and print – Database access – Multiple versions support – Offline and online – Multiple device support (PDAs, notebooks)

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Management Reporting – Metrics and statistics tracking – Enhancement requests – User satisfaction levels – Strategic support (mission, goals)

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Mapping / Programming – Level of complexity supported – Out-of-the-box functionality – Tools to be used – IT support required – Outside resources required – File and field naming conventions

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Routing – Attach to email – Rules-based routing – Status tracking – Multiple, simultaneous routing – Approvals capture and security (un-sign)

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Database Connections – Read – Write – Permissions and connections – Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC) – Roles § Data Administrator § Database Administrator (DBA)

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Storage and Retrieval – Data and container separate? – Associate data to edition of container – Records management requirements – Archiving, allowing for technology changes – Backup

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Security and Privacy Issues – Secure servers (https protocol) – Intrusion detection – Data encryption – Secure access – Secure features on a form – Compare to security of a paper form – Associate cost to business risks

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Other considerations – – – – – Workflow analysis Need to support paper forms in same system Source file management Dealing with bootleg forms creation Interfaces to other systems Search capabilities Forms portals Managing obsolescence IT Department support

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Signatures – Esign and UETA – Signature verification is all about the process • Can you document it? • Can you prove it? • Can you reproduce it? • Is it secure? – Security versus usability are competing factors

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Signatures – Three things to remember 1. Once introduced, requirements will 2. 3. grow rapidly Compliance is a significant component of the solution Committing resources to a non-strategic function is always more expensive

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Front-end Process – – – Authenticate user (passwords, smart cards) Consent to transact electronically Maintain document format (no fillers!) Present without download Record of delivery and acceptance (workflow and business rules embedded into the process) – Establish intent to sign

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Front-end Process – Capture signature (no download) – Signature must be verifiable after the fact – Copies must be provided to all parties – Process must be tamperproof, secure and with an audit trail – Provide data extraction to feed other systems – Eliminate manual processes and ROI

Strategic Elements - Designing for the Web • Back-end Process – Vertically and horizontally scalable solution – Uptime 24 X 7 – Interoperability with other systems – Seamless data flow – Secure server and data encryption – Embedded audit trail

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis • Zoning – can be replaced by sub-forms, hidden fields, hidden pages • Setting preferences – object properties • Box and columnar design using tables • Grouping – same as p. Forms • Sequencing – tab order • Spacing – designing to fit the data field

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis • Field Types • Masks • Restrictions and qualifiers • Using the Style Guide • Design conventions • Design standards • Data formats and types

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis • Data Formats – Data formats can increase or decrease the utility of the data collected – Most software programs use proprietary formats, but support standard formats – Many, many formats in use

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis • Data Formats – Standard § ASCII § HTML, XML – Proprietary §. doc, . xls, . ppt §. g, . elf – Generally Accepted § PDF, EPS, Post. Script

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis • Data Type a detailed coding scheme recognized by system software for representing organizational data • Four objectives: 1. 2. 3. 4. Minimize storage space Represent all possible values Improve data integrity Support all data manipulations

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis • Data Types for ORACLE – CHAR (size), where size is the maximum length – DATE – DECIMAL – FLOAT – INTEGER (size) – LONG – – – – LONG RAW LONG VARCHAR MLSLABEL NUMBER SMALLINT VARCHAR 2 RAW

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis • Data Types for MS ACCESS – TEXT – AUTONUMBER – MEMO – YES/NO – NUMBER – OLE OBJECT – DATE/TIME – HYPERLINK – CURRENCY Link

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis • Life cycle – using a form • Performing calculations

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis Using Excel • Uses cell descriptions instead of field names • Math performed in logical sequence • Formulas must be exact syntax • Can use “point and click” • Formulas can be dynamically copied • Most of us have learned how to use

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis Using VB Script • Must provide “Dimension” (DIM) • • • statements for variables Uses field names – must be precise Uses exact syntax Can use “do” loops to simplify code Must set initial values Calculations performed continuously

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis Java. Script • Not related to Java, the programming language • Works within HTML code • Has functions similar to VB Script • Works within Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) • but not with Netscape Has its own syntax and rules

Developing e. Forms - Design Analysis Calculation Wizards • Provide “point and click” capability • • • for simple calculations Convert the click results to Java. Script or some other language Not yet readily available in most forms programs Example: Adobe Acrobat

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies • HTML Editor Browser • XML and XSLT • Compiled languages • Scripting languages • Common Gateway Interface (CGI) • Database technology • Web Authoring Tools • Applets and Servlets

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies • Compiled languages are converted to machine language using a “compiler” v Link BASIC Pascal FORTRAN RPG COBOL Ada C Assembly Language PL/1 Visual Basic

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies • Scripting languages execute one line at a time and do not need to be compiled – Java. Script – PHP – Practical Extraction and Report Language (PERL) – Active Server Pages (ASP) – Java Server Pages (JSP) v Link

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies Common Gateway Interface (CGI) • a programming interface between a web server and the systems’ backend functions - such as processing systems and databases • allows web servers to perform data functions and interact with users

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies Common Gateway Interface (CGI) • Server-side programs or scripts – all processing occurs on server • Client-side solutions include Java applets, Java scripts, and Active. X controls v Link

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies Databases • “An organized collection of logically related data” § Metadata: “data that describe the properties or characteristics of other data” § including data definitions, data structures and rules or constraints

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies Database Types • File processing systems – Each application contains its own data • Hierarchical – Data are organized in sequential order – Requires reading from beginning until location of data • Relational – Data stored in tables with keys defining relationships

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies Relational Databases • Data Structure - Data are organized in the form of tables with rows and columns • Data Manipulation - Powerful operations (SQL) are used to manipulate the data • Data Integrity - Business rules are applied to maintain integrity during manipulation

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies Important Terms • Primary Key – an attribute that uniquely identifies each row in a table • Foreign Key – An attribute that also serves as the primary key in another relation in the same database • Composite Key – a primary key that consists of more than one attribute

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC) • A standard method of sharing data between databases and other programs • ODBC drivers use the standard Structured Query Language (SQL) to gain access to data from outside sources • Each database program requires a different driver

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies Database Use for Electronic Forms • Any form that provides the ability to save and recall the variable fill data requires the use of a database • It may be a simple table or a multiple table database, or even multiple databases

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies Databases and Electronic Forms • Databases can be “Read” where data are extracted from a table and placed in the form, or “Write” where data are extracted from the form and placed in the data table, or both

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies Databases and Internet Forms • Database must reside on the Internet server or be connected to the server • Database interaction is managed by CGI scripts or related technology • Important to remember that HTML does not interact with databases v Link

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies • Web Authoring Tools – Microsoft Front. Page – Macromedia Dreamweaver – Adobe Go. Live – Net. Objects Fusion – Many HTML editors available v Link

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies What are Servlets? • Servlets are programs written in Java that run in conjunction with a web server. • They are Sun Microsystems version of CGI

Developing e. Forms - Web Technologies What are Applets? • Applets are small, fast programs that can run on any kind of computer. This makes them perfect for use on the Web because the program can be downloaded and run on a Mac or a PC or a Unix workstation. Today, they are used mainly in graphics and animation.

Developing e. Forms - Usability Issues • Access: Three levels 1. Access to the system 2. Access to the form 3. Access to the information on a form

Developing e. Forms - Usability Issues • Compatibility – Competing, proprietary software § List of software providers – Proprietary technologies § Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Adobe Systems – Form standards? § Xform standard (recommended by W 3 C) § PDF (widely adopted – recommended by Adobe) § XML (W 3 C developed – widely supported)

Developing e. Forms - Usability Issues • “XForms" is W 3 C's name for a specification of Web forms that can be used with a wide variety of platforms including desktop computers, hand-helds, information appliances, and even paper. • Decoupled data, logic and presentation • Has yet to gain traction

Developing e. Forms - Usability Issues • Server-side Considerations – Scripts – Web services – Database access – Login, password management – Encryption

Developing e. Forms - Usability Issues • What people say about forms – Function – Appearance – Content – Stress Robert Barnett - Robert Barnett and Associates Pty Ltd

Developing e. Forms - Function • They hate to write anything down. • The don’t know the answer to the questions • • on the form. They hate to be pinned down. Filling out the form has nothing to do with the main task. The form asks apparently irrelevant questions. The same stuff has to be put on every form. Robert Barnett - Robert Barnett and Associates Pty Ltd

Developing e. Forms - Appearance • The form looks intimidating to fill out. • The form looks cruddy and unimportant. • There isn’t enough room to write the answer. • The form demands too much writing. • The type is hard to read. Robert Barnett - Robert Barnett and Associates Pty Ltd

Developing e. Forms Content • The meaning of the question or category of response is unclear. • The sequence of items doesn’t make sense. • Unpleasant operations have to be performed in filling out the form. • How can an erroneous entry be changed? Robert Barnett - Robert Barnett and Associates Pty Ltd

Developing e. Forms - Stress • • • People find most forms confusing and intimidating. Bad forms cause and increase tension. Pressure situations form fillers: – – – – Hospital admission Job application Worker’s compensation claim Social security application Applying for bank finance Filling in police form Filling in tax return Robert Barnett - Robert Barnett and Associates Pty Ltd

Developing e. Forms - Usability Issues • Accessibility – Section 508 – A Federal law requiring that all electronic and information technology purchased by the government be accessible for people with disabilities. This affects everything from web sites to videos and multimedia productions, and includes all electronic forms delivered via any medium.

Developing e. Forms - Usability Issues • Section 508 – Requires that Federal agencies’ electronic and information technology be accessible to people with disabilities – Is a major consideration forms designers within government and will probably trickle down to the private sector

Developing e. Forms - Usability Issues • Section 508 There are 16 rules for Accessible Web Sites. Rule 14 applies to forms: “Make electronic forms accessible via assistive technology” When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.

Developing e. Forms - Usability Issues • What is “Accessibility”? – Electronic forms must provide users with options they can select – Options may include large type, keyboard access to all commands, sound (read captions & instructions) Braille output, color choices, and more – Includes impairments to: hearing, speech, learning, mobility and visual.

Developing e. Forms - Deployment Strategies • Adobe Acrobat products • Microsoft Info. Path • CGI (Open Source) • Form Router • Catalogs • Portals

Developing e. Forms - Deployment Strategies -Adobe • Most users have the free Reader, which limits what they can do with a PDF file • Adobe requires a server product to extend Reader functionality • Server products have minimum licensing requirements, such as 20 forms or 20 users. Starts at $75, 000 + (my estimate) v Link

Developing e. Forms - Deployment Strategies -Microsoft • Info. Path is available only with Office 2003 Enterprise Edition (full functionality) • Info. Path is available as a standalone product (limited functionality) • Users must have Info. Path to open a form • Does not seem viable outside-the-firewall • Does not support HTML forms, nor PDF • Expensive Link

Developing e. Forms - Deployment Strategies – Open Source • Apache Server • My. SQL database • PERL or PHP scripts • HTML / XML • Java. Script • Must put it all together v Link

Developing e. Forms - Deployment Strategies -Form. Router • Build simple forms • • • (or send Form. Router your form) Set alerts – each time a form is submitted Host your form (on their server) Collect your data Download responses View results Link

Developing e. Forms - Deployment Strategies - Catalogs Return

Developing e. Forms - Deployment Strategies - Portals Return

Developing e. Forms - Return-On-Investment • Hardware and software acquisition • Comparing software • Project payback • Activity-based Costing

Developing e. Forms - Return-On-Investment • Activity-based costing – Defining activities and outputs of specific activities – Tracing resources to activities – Tracing activities to determine costs of products/services – Identifying cost drivers of non-value-added activities – Eliminating non-value-added activities

Developing e. Forms - Return-On-Investment • Traditional view of Costs – – – – – Salaries Benefits Postage Supplies Telephone Equipment Travel Miscellaneous Total Budget $267, 000 59, 000 17, 000 18, 500 12, 000 6, 500 3, 000 4, 000 $387, 000

Developing e. Forms - Return-On-Investment • Process View of Costs – Receive orders $161, 499 – Resolve errors 119, 797 – Generate conformations 85, 006 – Answer Inquiries 19, 212 – Generate reports, Mgmt. 2, 329 Total Budget $387, 000

Developing e. Forms - Return-On-Investment • Obvious focus for reduction: – Resolve Errors – Causes, results, actions, solutions

Demonstration

Thank You Essociates Group, Inc. 13305 West 126 th Street Overland Park, KS 66213 Ray H. Killam, CFC, CFSP rkillam@essociatesgroup. com 913. 284. 6573 Carl W. Brannon, CFC, CFSP cbrannon@essociatesgroup. com 408. 978. 3417