Transforming Business Operations: A Guide to Digitising Forms and Processes

The Path to Digital Transformation: Digitising Forms and Form Processes

Forms are an integral part of both internal and external business operations. From employee on-boarding to expense reporting, customer feedback to service requests, forms are everywhere. Traditionally, these forms have been submitted through a variety of channels: paper forms filled out by hand, PDFs sent via email, or even physical drop-offs. However, this legacy approach is fraught with inefficiencies, errors, and delays.

Many organisations still rely on these outdated processes where forms are manually filled out, scanned, and sent via email or physically delivered. This method is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors and misplacements. Employees can spend up to 19% of their time searching for information, according to a McKinsey report. Additionally, manual data entry and form processing can result in error rates as high as 1% to 3%, which can significantly impact business operations and decision-making.

Digitising form processes can drastically improve efficiency and accuracy. Research by the Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM) shows that digital transformation can lead to a 30% reduction in process cycle time and a 25% improvement in productivity. Furthermore, IDC estimates that companies lose 20% to 30% in revenue every year due to inefficiencies. By digitising forms, organisations can streamline workflows, reduce errors, and accelerate decision-making.

Before embarking on a holistic digitisation project, it’s crucial to assess and prepare thoroughly. Start by identifying all existing forms and their workflows. Microsoft offers a suite of tools that can greatly assist in this preparatory phase. Microsoft Power Automate can help map out and analyse existing workflows by connecting different apps and services to visualise data flow and identify bottlenecks. Microsoft AI Builder, integrated within Power Platform, can provide insights through AI models that classify and extract data from current forms. Additionally, Microsoft SharePoint Syntex uses AI to automatically capture, categorise, and tag content, making it easier to organise and understand your existing forms library.

Azure Form Recogniser can serve as an effective intermediary solution in your digitisation journey. This AI-powered service automates data extraction from both structured and unstructured documents. By training custom models, organisations can accurately extract information from legacy forms, which can then be fed into digital systems. This ensures that even during the transition, data from old forms is not lost and continues to be processed efficiently.

Transitioning to a fully digital solution involves several critical steps to ensure a smooth and effective transformation. Developing digital forms using Power Apps or Power Pages is the first step. But what’s the difference between a Power App and a Power Page? Power Apps are primarily used to create mobile and web applications for internal use within an organisation. They allow for the creation of tailored applications that can handle various internal processes, such as HR, finance, and operations. These apps are typically hosted within platforms like SharePoint or Microsoft Teams for easy access by employees. On the other hand, Power Pages are designed for creating web-facing forms that external users, such as customers or partners, can interact with. These pages ensure that external forms are accessible, secure, and user-friendly, providing a smooth experience for users outside the organisation.

Integrating DocuSign is the next essential, and easy, step. Obtaining DocuSign API credentials and integrating e-signature capabilities into your Power Apps or Power Pages will streamline the signing process. Creating workflows using Power Automate to handle form submissions and trigger DocuSign signing requests ensures that the signing process is seamless. Embedding the DocuSign signing experience within the app enhances user interaction, making the process smooth and efficient.

Customisation is key for both internal and external use. For internal forms, the app can be tailored to handle various types, such as HR, finance, and operations. Hosting the app in SharePoint or Microsoft Teams ensures easy access for employees. For external forms, using Power Pages to create web-facing forms for customers and partners ensures accessibility and security.

Even after transitioning to digital forms, Azure Form Recogniser remains valuable for ad-hoc needs, such as processing invoices, receipts, and other irregular documents. This ensures that any document that doesn’t fit the standard digital form can still be efficiently processed.

Digitising forms and form processes is a transformative step that can significantly enhance efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. By leveraging tools like Azure Form Recogniser, Power Apps, Power Pages, and DocuSign, organisations can create a seamless digital experience for both internal and external stakeholders. As we move towards a more digital future, the ability to efficiently process and manage forms will be a key differentiator for businesses.

Embark on your digitisation journey today and unlock the full potential of your organisation's data and processes.