Recommendations for Automated Forms

Nutrient Workflow uses  Forms  as the primary means to gather information from users during the execution of a process. You may define as many forms as you need within Nutrient Workflow, and you can also present multiple forms within a single process if necessary. When creating a new form, you need to step back and start with the end goal in mind. If you are working off a paper form that you currently use, ask yourself if this form could include different variables that could make it more user-friendly. 

After speaking with some Nutrient Workflow experts, I have the top 3 tips for creating a new form.

1. Map out the process first

If you read our last tips blog, What’s the Best Way to Get Started Building Processes, we recommend that the first step is to lay out all the steps in your process in which your form will be used. Map the steps, plan the rules, indicate the stakeholders, and determine what form data needs to be used throughout the process. For instance, will the answer in one of the fields drive the next steps?

2. Start with detail gathering

Once you have a vision of who this form could flow to once completed, you need to meet individually with each person in the workflow to understand their part. While meeting with them, be sure to: 

• Get a copy of the form(s) or screenshots of any data entry that is done for each step

• Take note of any potential overlaps, bottlenecks, or dual data entry points

• Determine what, if any, files or documents will need to be attached to the form

• Draft any help text for the fields you’ll be including to ensure users are clear on what to enter

This way, you’ll have a clear picture of all the fields you need to capture and see if you need more than one form in your process. 

New customer? Check out our Nutrient Workflow-specific onboarding help page.

3. It’s ok if your initial form isn’t perfect

When creating your first form, it’s okay if your first idea doesn’t initially work out. When replacing manual steps with powerful automation, you will find the endless possibilities that workflow automation will bring. A form that you are replicating may be able to do more than you think! For instance:

• Showing and hiding fields/sections based on user input.

• Pre-filling fields with existing information (from your CRM system or elsewhere).

• Breaking up a long form into a “wizard-based” series of forms.

• Performing calculations right in the form (for instance, totaling up expenses).

Nutrient Workflow also has a growing list of process apps available to our customers. They are free and downloadable processes that you can import and customize. They include all the tasks and forms you need. These process apps may be helpful for you to show prebuilt forms and see the possibilities available to you. If you need ideas about everything, you can automate with Nutrient Workflow – check out all of these processes our customers have automated on our platform. 

Time to get building!

When you are ready to start building your first form, check out our Help Site video on Basic Form Building to watch our Customer Success Specialist, Danielle, walk you through form building. Afterward, see some other ways you can ensure your request forms are both user-friendly and meet the needs of the process they’re part of in this blog post, How to Make Better Request Forms.