What
Is It?
Regardless of the organization or industry, there always seems to be an endless list of forms required to drive processes. What’s worse is that entering information into these forms is only the beginning; typically forms also need to be copied, distributed to others, reviewed, approved and eventually archived. In most cases data contained in the form also needs to be entered into at least one or more software applications such as a financial or human resources database.
FreeForm addresses the need for dynamic web form creation through an easy to use drag & drop interface. It then combines the web interface with a powerful processing engine for feeding information to single or multipage PDF documents on the fly while optionally providing data validation or look ups. The newly created forms can then be imported into SmartSearch via XML where a series of workflow events can be triggered including routing, notification or matching.
FreeForm makes it very simple, fast and inexpensive to create sophisticated forms that work with real business applications. When compared with hand-built forms, customers are seeing 3 month ROI and greater than 20x productivity improvements using FreeFormLive Forms.
FreeForm Live Forms offers capabilities comparable to far more expensive offerings such as Microsoft Office InfoPath/Forms Server in an easy-to-use, Web 2.0 package.
FreeForm Live Forms is platform neutral, is available as an in-house version, is simple to install and use, and works with your existing IT systems and data whether they're Microsoft-based or not. There's no complex and confusing licensing to worry about and no per-user fees. A single low-cost license or low monthly fee permits you to use FreeForm forms for your Intranet as well as Extranet applications.
When compared with hand-built solutions, FreeForm Live Forms could easily save you weeks/months of work and thousands of dollars for a typical deployment.
• Reduce the significant cost of post process data entry and capture
• Get rid of ineffective web site contact forms, employment applications, doctor pre-visit forms and replace them with dynamic eForm's workflow
With a highly intuitive interface and a comprehensive set of tools, Square 9 FreeForm provides a powerful tool for eliminating the flow of paper based forms in your office and replacing it with a streamlined digital process for automating forms based business processes.
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How It Works?
FreeForm starts with creating a PDF representation of your paper based form. Once the PDF of the form is created, the web form that will feed the PDF form needs to be created by accessing the FreeForm server.
Creating the eForm
Next the web form created needs to be mapped to the PDF.
Creating a Mapped Form
Prior to creating a capture workflow process using the FreeForm data, the administrator will need to design a form and fill out and submit one set of data. The administrator can then map the data onto the template PDF form. This process is simplified through the use of the FreeForm PDF Form Designer. 
Setting the Field Properties
Right clicking on the individual fields within the designer will display the field properties. Administrators can then select options for presenting the data and its format.
- Select the Field Options:
- Output Field – selecting this option will map this fields data to a corresponding SmartSearch index field with the same name. Remember that this field must exist in SmartSearch for the document to be imported successfully. The field label in the FreeForm Liveforms designer must match a SmartSearch field.
- Multi-Line Field – selecting this option allows data to wrap across multiple lines. A good example of this would be a “Notes” based field with narrative data.
- Repeating Field – A repeating field is used in conjunction with a repeating control on the web form. The repeat control allows for one to many items of data to be entered into the form. A good example of this would be an Expense report with one to many expenses being entered.
- Format the Field Data:
- Select the Show Border option if a border around the data is preferred. The border width may be adjusted to create the desired effect.
- Select the font size for the data as it will appear on the form. Note: The font utilized will be the default font type within the Adobe PDF form.
- Set the field location properties to configure precise X and Y coordinates for the placement of the data, along with the height of the data control.
Import Web Forms Activity
The Import WebForms Activity is an optional module as part of Square 9 FreeForm. This module seamlessly integrates Square 9 FreeForm with SmartSearch by passing captured web form data into a pre-existing PDF Form. Administrators can quickly map data entered into a FreeForm web page utilizing our highly intuitive, drag and drop PDF Designer. The resulting PDF output is then imported automatically into a SmartSearch Inbox or Archive where it can be used to trigger a series of workflow events.
Because the WebForms Import activity is fully integrated within our Capture Workflow engine, any web form rendered to PDF may be processed using additional activities including automated separation, enhancement, and Full Text PDF generation.
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Use Case
Many organizations are looking to go paperless and reduce data entry tasks - but if the process starts with a hand written, paper based form, a significant amount of labor is expended to capture the data points. A great alternative to the standard multi-part or structured form is an electronic web form, or Square 9 FreeForm.
FreeForm provides a centralized, Internet based template that all users can access at anytime. eForms can be used for a myriad of applications such as student emergency request and health forms, human resource applications as well as patient in-take and treatment forms.
A southern New Jersey based cable provider needed a better way to manage the outsourcing of onsite cable repair and service to sub contractors. Since the company was national, the form content varied based on the state – as a result the company relied heavily on pre-printed forms. The paper form caused significant delays and costs associated to pre-printed forms that would quickly become invalid as well as managing the paper submission, tracking and approval process of sub contractors.
FreeForm enabled subcontractors to register as a preferred cable installer via the web form rather than manual paper based forms that required the company to distribute the form, perform double data entry and send approval notifications.
FreeForm also enabled the company to quickly revise and publish forms within minutes and centralize the submission processes reducing labor associated with spending, receiving and processing forms. Now the electronic forms can be validated for erroneous data, data types, user access, terms, etc. A process that used to consume roughly two hours per application now takes minutes.
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Other Use Cases
• Insurance claim for medical procedure
• AP Invoices with unidirectional data population
into line-of-business and document management system
• Medical Consent for X-Rays, Medical Records, Birth
Records that may require digital signatures
• eCommerce Forms
• Inventory Control Workflow
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Process Flow
FreeForm Workflow
• eForm's can do much more than reduce data entry
and capture costs. The main benefit to eForm's is
their ability to trigger workflow's.
• To illustrate FreeForm’s workflow capabilities,
an example will be draw using a price increase request
form, a project that was completed for a division
of a global supplier of tools and construction equipment.
• As with any industry, the price of raw materials
fluctuates with the price of commodities like oil,
steel, grain, etc. Moreover, costs associated with
transportation that are reliant upon gas and petroleum
also impact the price of a product.
• The company required a way to automate the very
manual process of increasing the price of a product.
• The solution came in the structure of an eForm.
Now when the price of steel for instance increases
in price, knowledge workers can quickly go to a web
address, access the price increase request form, provide
reason for increase as well as key data points like:
plant location, date, supplier name and annual spend
with supplier, item SKU, number of items purchased
with supplier, etc which is automatically retrieved
from the companies inventory management control system
by the eForm during pre-process validation. All data
and the mathematical calculations are done automatically
during the form population or during post-process
form submission
• Ultimately once the form is submitted it goes
directly into the document management system, where
an approval process based on a pre-defined set of
authority levels is initiated. Various routing takes
place to either approve, reject or dispute, allowing
authorizers to dynamically offer comments, corrections
which may impact the workflow rules
• Once approved, the document management system
workflow will initiate a data output feed to the inventory
management system updating the price of all or specific
products that use steel like nails, screws, high tension
wire, clasps, etc.
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