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hmmm...What should I expect in return?

Snuggmann
Registered: Nov 11 2010
Posts: 3

Hello,
 
Great forum here loads of information and useful.
 
The Business I work for has requested I create dynamic forms (a trial run) with all the bells and whistles for many locations.
 
This is not in my job description, I do enjoy the challenge of creating the forms thou, and I'm not so bad at it.
 
They want to go from printing forms, filling them in with pen, and scanning them back to PC, then emailing them, to filling them in and emailing.
 
The agency knows I can create them, and they want me to develop the forms, and once I'm done more than likely go back to my normal position, however, a slight possibility that if it takes off they will be used state-wide, and something may come of this.
 
My question is, What’s in it for me? (Slightly higher wages, not much more than my base wage)
 
I'm thinking longer term money rolling in, As I will be providing a longer term solution for them.
 
The next question is, what should I be asking for if anything?
 
What would be great entitlements for the longer term?
 
These dynamic forms will bring the business from the Stone Age to Digital, and there are many to create, so this would be a major implementation, and revolutionize the business and the way we do business in the future.
 
Any and all advice is much appreciated
 
Cheers,
 

My Product Information:
LiveCycle Designer, Windows
Masi
Registered: Sep 18 2008
Posts: 22
By doing this you give your bosses a message that you can. And I believe it will give you new ideas and skills for future. Doing same old s**t years and years will get you nowhere.
DaveyB
Registered: Dec 10 2010
Posts: 70
Start with an analysis of each form: How long does it take to research the answers, how long to complete? Take a look at many Government forms in use now and you will see the "estimated effort" required to complete them. This is the kind of study you should be looking into.

Compare these figures to the projected figures for your electronic forms. Then break it down in terms of paper used, printer time, printer consumables, pens, hours expended, etc. Compare these numbers, item for item, against the current system and average it out in terms of use over a 12 month period. Show them exactly how much they will save, almost to the last cent!

Also, point out that someone needs to maintain these documents, but don't overplay this one - "touch wood" it doesn't happen but if you should get hit by a bus tomorrow, someone else needs to step in and keep it going!

As an example (figures quoted are not real, but for illustration only), I took a form commonly used in my organization and created a fillable PDF of it. It can only be printed, no email or save options(my organization thrives on hard copy signatures). I came up with the following breakdowns:
  • Total uses of the form in a 6 month period : 270


  • Number of copies created of the original form (including original) : 5


  • Number of copies created using the new electronic format : 3


  • Person-hours saved in filling out the electronic format instead of the paper version : 0:05hrs
  • Person-hours saved in processing out the electronic format instead of the paper version : 0:05hrs
The savings represented by changing to this electronic format are as follows:
  • 270 uses x 2 = 540 form uses per year
  • Number of copies reduced from 5 to 3 per form = 1080 sheets of paper saved


  • Average cost for 1080 sheets of paper: (1080 x 0.03) $32.40 (may vary on cost of paper and toner)

  • Person hours saved in form filling = (540 x 0:05hrs) 45 hours.


  • Person hours saved in supervisor processing = (540 x 0:05hrs) 45 hours.


  • Average wage for an employee: $18 per hour


  • Average wage for an supervisor: $24 per hour


  • Person hours saved (employee) : $810.00


  • Person hours saved (supervisor) : $1080.00


  • Total savings (paper, printing, employee, supervisor) : $1922.40
  • As you will appreciate, this is laid out for the benefit of the "bean counters". My actual award from this particular exercise was barely into double digits, and they quickly assigned someone in the IT department to "electrify" the rest of the documents - hope your experience is better ^^

    DaveyB



    LiveCycle Designer 8.0
    "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." ~~ Thomas Edison
    "If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer." ~~ Alan Lewis
    "If the conventional doesn't work, try the unconventional" ~~ DaveyB