What Is a Form Management System?
A form management system is software that manages forms held by companies and other organizations for a legally specified period.
In recent years, the handling of electronic data has increased with the promotion of telework, and interest in the electronic data management of forms has been growing. Software that is highly convenient and can search, retrieve, output, and distribute past form data immediately when needed is required.
Form management systems can store forms that were previously stored in paper form as electronic data in a batch. Since the design and operation of forms are systematized, significant improvements in operational efficiency can be expected. Some types of systems have workflow functions, which can change part of the business process.
Uses of Form Management Systems
Form management systems are used when you want to improve operational efficiency, reliability, and ease of storage and retrieval. The ability to store form data in the cloud can greatly improve convenience and other functions.
When conducting management activities, it is necessary to create forms in order to keep transaction and accounting records. By law, it is required to keep the forms for a certain period. Because of the possibility of presenting the forms from time to time, they must be properly managed. However, since the management is labor intensive, form management systems are used to make it more efficient.
An internal control report is a document that summarizes the status of a company’s effective and efficient management of its entire organization. Form management systems are used for issuing the audit certification required for the preparation of this internal control report.
Principle of Form Management Systems
A ledger sheet is a general term for documents such as account books and vouchers used by companies and sole proprietors in the course of management. They are created to keep records of transactions and accounting records that occur in the course of management activities. They are classified into two categories: “ledgers” such as journal books and sales slips, and “vouchers” such as payment slips and collection slips.
Some of the ledgers and vouchers must be kept for the length of time determined by local laws. The manner in which the forms are managed is important because failure to manage them properly and present them during a tax audit could result in a penalty.
In principle, forms must be managed on paper, but it is possible to store them as electronic data by submitting an application to the tax office in advance and receiving approval. Form management systems, which centrally manage all aspects of forms from design to operation, can also reduce operational burdens, manage trails, and provide security measures.
Other Information on Form Management Systems
Functions of Form Management Systems
Form management systems provide various functions, such as storage, retrieval, classification, output, and distribution of electronic data forms. Electronic data can be handled in formats such as Excel, Word, and PDF, or output in CSV. Therefore, the system can also be linked with other data management systems to enable automatic storage of electronic data.
The form management system’s delivery function can send and receive forms by e-mail or fax, or deliver them on the web using the system’s own cloud. Since the data handled includes confidential information, it is a general rule that the data be encrypted before delivery.
Encryption is a process to prevent unauthorized viewing of data by third parties other than the parties concerned. Generally, the stored electronic data is locked with a password, and then the password is combined (unlocked) by contacting the parties individually.