Outlook Overview

If you now use error-prone processes involving faxed, emailed, or verbally delivered information, you are wasting time, money and resources. It's time to consider an Outlook based system from HFS.

An essential aspect of improving office productivity is carefully examining how information is gathered and communicated across the enterprise. Often these routine information-gathering tasks employ manual processes that require the re-handling and filing of information multiple times; a sure recipe for errors. For solutions to be successful they must be efficient, timely, and easy to use.

Through the use of custom Outlook forms, special automation objects known as Com Add-Ins and proprietary VBScript code, HFS has developed a suite of tools that make it possible to efficiently develop custom data-collection applications for your firm. Our technology is designed to work with Exchange Server and Outlook 2000 (or later versions), even with the use of high security settings.

There are a numerous of advantages to using custom Outlook Forms. Microsoft Outlook offers the ability to create custom forms to gather information. The forms can be configured to be sure all required items are present and formatted properly. Users cannot bypass required fields or enter invalid data. The forms may be made "adaptive" to only request data when required and provide the validation that normally may require several telephone calls to correct. Once a completed form is received, the data items can automatically be transferred to a database such as Access to combine results and produce reports as desired.

Here are few information-gathering processes where custom Outlook forms have been used to greatly improve efficiency:

  • Advertising Budgets
  • Expenditure Consolidation
  • Employment Applications
  • Field Office Reporting
  • Forecast Distribution and Consolidation
  • Human Resources Information
  • IT Hardware/Software Inventory Reporting
  • Office Supplies Fulfillment
  • Project Progress Accumulations
  • Purchase Requests
  • Technician Work Orders
  • Training Enrollment
  • Travel Authorizations

Overview
Example 1 - Course Enrollment
Example 2 - Business Forecasting