Go Paperless with Electronic Forms

There is an initiative in the functional and academic areas of student administration at Yale to go paperless. This is being accomplished using Dynamic Forms, an application developed by NextGen Web Solutions that enables workflows. These forms, also known as eForms or electronic forms, enable us to integrate forms with Banner, Yale’s Student Information System. Currently, about 15 departments throughout the university are using Dynamic Forms. Yale’s license agreement allows unlimited usage for individuals throughout the university to use the application.

Getting started is simple. After you submit a request to DynamicForms.ITS@yale.edu, a business analyst will contact you to set up a meeting to discuss requirements and design. Understanding the purpose and types of data your form needs to collect will help us determine the level of support needed. This step also tells which existing template can be customized to suit your needs. Your organization/department will have it’s own space on the dynamic forms platform owned/managed by you and others in your department who build and maintain the form. The business analyst will help prepare new eForm designers for each phase, and ensure a smooth transition to a streamlined process.

During the development of your paperless form, continued support is available in a variety of ways. There are personalized training sessions, user manuals, and a soon to be launched website (forms.sis.yale.edu). Microsoft SharePoint documentation is also available online, with ‘How-to’ information and frequently asked questions. You may choose to ask questions or offer colleagues help through the Dynamic Forms User Group Community. Managed by Yale ITS, the user group community discusses topics related to Dynamic Forms, shares tips and tricks, troubleshoots issues, and pushes for future enhancements. The group presently includes about 130 colleges and universities across the country, with over 340 members.

Interested in learning more about Dynamic Forms? Please email our team at DynamicForms.ITS@yale.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.