Example - Complex Form

So what makes a form COMPLEX ?

This form is a good example of what we see as a complex form. It captures a lot of detail in a fairly cramped space - its paper predecessor used just about every spare space. But that's not what makes it complex. The behaviour of the form is where the challenge really lies.

At the head of the form are four fields which have to contain verified information so this comes from choosing from lookup lists in an application program that is used to manage the whole dealership. The lookups are used to fill in the Customer Name, the Make and Model of the motorhome and the Registration Numberof the vehicle. Then any issues coming from the inspection are recorded by placing a HotSpot on the vehicle picture to indicate where the problem lies - click on the HotSpot and you can enter both unlimited text describing the issue and also adding as many pictures as you want to illustrate what need to be attended to.

Then, when the form is completed, EcoForms not only saves the form in its own database - it also updates the dealership application files so that the form details, where appropriate, are incorporated into the main administration system. And that's not all - if changes are made to the form at any time the main system is kept up to date and, if the user creates a pdf copy then all the variants of the form will be available from the main application. This behaviour alone saves two administration staff and frees them to do more productive work. So complexity in a form isn't always visibly obvious - it can be hidden in the backgound behaviour of the form saving you and your staff a lot of tedious work.