Building a Forms Portal

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Building a Forms Portal
Ray H. Killam, CFSP, CFC Amgraf, Inc. 1501 Oak
Street Kansas City, MO 64108
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What is a Portal?

• A site featuring a suite of commonly used
  services, serving as a starting point and
  frequent gateway to the Web (Web portal) or to a
  niche topic (vertical portal)
  www.marketingterms.com
• Portals provide a secure, single point of
  interaction with diverse information, business
  processes, and people, personalized to a users
  needs and responsibilities IBM Corporation

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Used as a marketing term to describe aWeb Site
that is intended to be the first place people see
when using the Web.
Definition of an Internet Portal
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Typically a Portal has a catalog of web sites, a
directory of departments or subjects, a search
engine, and may also offer other services (news,
bulletin boards, maps, etc.) to entice people to
use that site as their main point of entry to the
Web.
Definition of an Internet Portal
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A Vertical Portal That Provides Access To, and
Information On, An Organizations Forms
What is a Forms Portal?
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What Does A Forms Portal Do?

• Starting with a complete catalog of all the
  organizations forms, it allows each user to
  develop customized catalogs for their individual
  use.
• It serves as a deployment tool, enabling levels
  of access and control while providing Users with
  detailed information on forms.

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Common Features

• Links to form owners
• Personalized page for My Forms
• Links to forms-related sites
• Links to sites of personal interest
• Link to forms policy
• Link to Style Guide

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Additional Features

• Complete catalog, with search capability
• User-defined categories
• Edition management
• Thumbnail images of forms
• New form availability notification
• Launch for POD, eforms and iforms
• Requisition system for paper forms

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Additional Features

• Store and recall filled forms
• Forms usage tracking, with reports
• Routing control and reporting
• Signing and approval process management
• Report on associated forms (envelopes, etc.)
• Record retention information

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Additional features

• Easy administration on at least three levels
• System administrator
• Forms administrator
• User
• A Set-up wizard for easy customization

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Forms Portal Overview
Internet FormsPortal andWeb Site
Mainframeor OtherSystem
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Issues

• Portal Design
• Management and Maintenance
• Access
• Security
• Hosting
• Hardware Choices
• Software Choices
• Database Management

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Issues

• Selling the portal concept to management
• Gaining IT support
• Managing costs and ROI

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Design

• Presentation format
• Content selections and management
• Colors, fonts and graphics choices
• Search engine
• Customizable sections

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Design and Organize Your Web Site

• Home Page
• Categories and Classifications of Forms
• Log-In Page
• Page to Search for Forms
• Other Features
• Related Links
• News
• Calendar

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(Adobe GoLive Recommended)
Choose an Web Page Authoring Tool
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(OneForm Designer Plus Recommended)
Choose an Forms Tool
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Building the Forms Portal

• System Set-Up
• Creating Web Pages
• Creating the Forms Catalog
• Data requirements
• Data maintenance
• Form images
• Form owners

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Building the Forms Portal

• Creating and Testing Databases
• Forms data
• User data
• User choices
• Queries and reports
• Testing the Web Site

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Create Internet Forms

• Draw New Forms with OneForm Designer Plus
• Import PDF Files for Existing Forms
• Overlay Form Images with Fill Fields
• Generate HTML and CGI Scripts
• Create Forms Databases on Server

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Create Web Pages

• Make the Home Page and the Interior Pages for
  Each Area of Interest
• Add Links for Login Screens andForms

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Test Forms Portal

• Test the Web Site Pages and the Links to Forms
• Check that the Databases are Storing Fill Data
• Check that E-Mail Confirmation is working

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Managing the Forms Portal

• Insuring Data Security
• Controlling User Access
• Forms Version Control Procedures
• Monitoring Usage

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Management and Legal Issues

• Controlling Access to Forms
• Maintaining Forms Version Control (Editions)
• Monitoring Usage

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Controlling Access to Forms

• Database of User Profiles and Privileges
• Classification of Forms
• Login/Password Authorization
• Use of Session Cookies
• Store Date/Time and IP Address at Login
• Hidden Fields on Search Panels
• Hidden Fields on Forms
• Fill-Field Security for Signing and Viewing

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Forms Version Control Issues

• Every Form Version must be Retained
• Saved Fill Data should be Linked to theForm
  Version Actually Used
• Must be able to Redisplay Old Form Versions
• Should Provide Non-Refutable Method to Prove
  Transaction
• Should Allow New Form Versions to beUsed with
  Notification

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Monitoring Usage of Forms

• E-mail Confirmations to all Interested Parties
• Automatic Periodic Transfer of Fill Data
• Reporting from Forms Databases
• Web Site Management Reports

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Security

• Maintaining login database
• Intranet versus Internet
• Maintaining access authorizations
• Secure servers
• Digital signatures

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Gaining Management Support

• Know your current forms situation is Portal
  realistic?
• Compare and contrast current to proposed
• Be realistic on costs
• Relate to Marketing benefits how does it help
  customers?
• Dont oversell Use stages for proof of concept

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Gaining IT Support

• You cannot do it alone
• Be knowledgeable on issues
• Develop a well-defined plan
• Be realistic on support requirements
• Develop a complete cost-benefit statement
• Resolve budget issues in advance

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Choose Hardware, Software,Database Management
System, and Internet Connection Service
Configure a Web Server
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Physical Installation Choices

• Self Hosting
• Employ In-House Expertise
• Acquire Server Hardware/Software
• Obtain High Speed Connection
• Maintain Environment 24/7
• Co-Locate System at ISP
• Contract for System, Services, and Expertise

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Technology Platform Choices

• UNIX
• Sun Solaris
• Linux
• FreeBSD
• Windows 2000
• Web Server Software
• Apache
• Microsoft IIS
• iPlanet (Sun Netscape)
• NCSA

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Web Site Server Software
70
35
0
1995
1996
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
1997
NCSA
Apache
Microsoft
iPlanet
Other
Source Netcraft.com
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Relational Database Systems (RDBS)

• Oracle (UNIX and Windows)
• Microsoft SQL Server (Windows)
• IBM DB2 (UNIX and Windows)
• MySQL (UNIX and Windows)
• Other
• Informix (Now an IBM Company)
• Sybase

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RDBS Market Share
Source Gartner, Inc., May 2001
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Best Price/Performance Configuration

• Standard Intel Pentium PC Hardware
• FreeBSD UNIX (Open Source)
• Apache Web Server Software (Open Source)
• MySQL Database (Open Source)
• Co-Located at ISP with T1 Connection

Based on Open Source Software
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5,000
Typical Pricing for Web Server Hardware/Software/I
nstallation
Typical Pricing Co-Location Service
300 / Month
Based on Open Source Software
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25,000
Typical Pricing for Forms Portal
Design/Development

Varies with Complexity, Numbers of
I-Forms,Login Users, and Databases.
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Forms Cost Justification

• Saves Money
• Captures Keystrokes 24/7
• Real-Time Data Validation
• Potential for Faster Transactions
• Paper-Optional Forms on Demand
• Makes Money
• Customer Convenience and Preference
• Opportunity to Upsell and SellAdditional
  Products/Services

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SystemDemonstration
Forms Hosting System
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• AMGRAF, INC.
• 1501 OAK STREET
• KANSAS CITY, MO 64108
• [phone]
• http//www.amgraf.com