Electronic
Forms
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Communicating
Your Message
- "On-Line" Viewing &
Distribution
- Electronic Media
Distribution
- Implementing a
"Paperless" Strategy
- Portable Document Formats [PDFs]
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HOW
IT ALL BEGINS
As businesses continue to discover the
uses and benefits of automated information management
strategies, eventually the topic of electronic forms
& browser-based technologies become a central part of
the discussion.
The explosive growth of
the internet and rapidly expanded use of intranets
[internal company web site] and extranets [external site
<usually secured> for use by special customers,
outside sales staff, etc.] has been fueled by the
convenience and easy maintenance of browser-based
technology.
Virtual Private Networks -
Information is now
created, modified, displayed & transmitted via the
internet or an [increasingly popular] virtual private
network [VPN]. A VPN is a network of connections among companies,
offices within a company, etc. that establishes a "private
link" to share files, resources and/or information. Access to
the VPN is by "permission only" and usually requires a
login/password. Companies are quickly finding this
technology is easy-to-use and allows them to maintain
up-to-date information faster, cheaper and more
accurately ... and distribute quicker and easier, than
traditional communication print media [notes, memos,
papers].
Electronic Media
Distribution -
In one way or another, your company is probably
already using technologies to view electronic
distribution of media. Did you ever
"browse" or "surf" the
internet? Ever look at company information
displayed over the internet? You've just had an
"on line" viewing of electronic media.
Increasingly, businesses
and organizations are making documents available for downloading from
their internet web sites. The U.S. Federal Government has taken
an aggressive approach to this concept. Many of the forms needed
are freely available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week using your
computer's internet browser. The Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
and Federal Communication's Commission [FCC] are just two offering
hundreds of documents for "on line" downloading. While
some can be imported into your word processor, an increasingly popular
method is the "PDF" format.
Portable Document Format -
Documents can be distributed safely throughout an
organizations and be made available for download from the internet
using highly-reliable PDF files. Adobe Systems [http://www.adobe.com]
is one of the market leaders in technologies providing
"paperless" strategies and electronic forms. The Acrobat
PDF Writer acts as a printer to create documents from most computer
software programs. Once created, the PDF document can be shared
or distributed without fear of being changed. The Acrobat
PDF Reader is available FREE
from Adobe for download.
IMPLEMENTING
A "PAPERLESS" STRATEGY
For the majority of
companies, implementing a paperless strategy is really a question of
"mind over matter." For the most part, starting to
"think paperless" is the largest challenge. People are
creatures of habit. New habits are more easily incorporated when
they are reinforced. Simply making an announcement that
"We're going paperless." in most cases, won't make it
happen!!
Computers have made it
easy for us to keep files .... lots and lots of files. Based on
how most companies do business, history has made it easy for us to
keep lots and lots of pre-printed forms. Between files and
pre-printed forms, computers and warehouses continue to keep filling
up.
Implementing a strategy of
"going paperless" requires a change in our basic way of
thinking, and how we use resources. InFlowTech can help
you implement a paperless strategy that is right for your
company.
100% Paperless is Unrealistic -
Paper is part of our business environment. We don't
always have a computer available when doing business. For
example, how many times have you seen a laptop computer available
during a business lunch? Similarly, how many times have you seen
a writing pad available during lunch? ENOUGH SAID!!
Paper products and
pre-printed forms will be with us for a long-long time. There
are still thousands of examples where a paper product or pre-printed
form is needed. Applications forms, purchase receipts, driver's
licenses and ID cards, bank checks, legal documents, any form
requiring a signature ... all must be printed on paper.
Innovative solutions to eliminate paper are beginning to appear
everywhere.
For example, using your plastic "charge
card" doesn't always require your signature on paper. Many
retail locations now have "electronic signature pads" that
display your written signature on a screen before being transmitted
for approval. It will probably be several years before we can
totally discard the use of the pre-printed forms.
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