The Server (Formidable)

A digital map of each form is stored on our server, allowing us to analyse any part of a submitted document, effectively redraw the blue line and extract information from it. As an example, a tick-box can be interpreted as a yes/no or a value and reported accordingly.

Other examples of coded rules are, for example, send confirmation alerts back to the phone, inform users they missed a section or signature, ask them to add photographs/audio etc. The process rules are completely customisable and allow for a great deal of functionality including the look up of data from a database back at head office. Once verified locally on the handset the hosted formidable software extracts the hand writing and converts it to computer text and documents.

Formidable also offers customers the option of having an administrator intervene in the middle of the sending of a form by using a feature called "Viewer". This gives an administrator, or indeed the field worker, to log on to the server via a HTTPS browser connection and see their own forms (or "see all" if an administrator). Once logged on using credentials the user can see a copy of the handwritten form on the left of the screen and the converted text on the right hand side. This gives them an opportunity to amend, add notes and check the data has converted correctly prior to clicking the save and complete button which sends an instruction to the server to execute output on that particular form. Viewer is user friendly and simply offers an extra layer of validation for customers wanting such a facility. It is optional and can be selected on a per form and field basis.

Formidable exports many different file types such as PDF of original handwriting, PDF with electronic data, Word documents, CSV files, XML, TIFF, JPEG and PNG images. These files are sent via either email, FTP or web services all of which can be secured.

Integration

Once the DPP has output to the requested file there are several ways of then getting that file in to a software application. Usually this is achieved via the vendors APIs, alternatively Ubisys use other techniques including web services or robotics to achieve the end result of having data integrated.

If you do not have a suitable database for the electronic output we also develop bespoke databases and document management solutions for clients. We also integrate in to Microsoft Sharepoint.