The SmartForms solution by business.gov.au allows Government agencies to replace static forms with streamlined, automated online forms and submission processes. Through the use of Adobe LiveCycle technology and the support of vendor supplied SmartForms Centre application, the Smartforms Solution provides online forms management, hosting, licensing, tools, and development support and advice. The SmartForms Solution has proven successful and has been adopted by agencies from all tiers of government.
The SmartForms Solution allows end users (Australian business and citizens) interacting with Government to:
- Complete a form online or offline using the free Adobe Reader application
- Fill out, save and annotate a form
- Submit a form online or by email and with attachments if required
- Save a form with data to a personal computer as an electronic record
- Sign a form with a digital signature
- Provide payment if required.
URL
http://smartforms.business.gov.au
The Challenge
Gartner (2006) reported that 85% of business transactions begin with a form. Additionally 40% of paper forms lodged are missing information (Australian Outsourcing Company Review, 2006), whilst 44% of Australian citizens say the Internet is their preferred way of contacting government (AGIMO, 2008).
The SmartForms Solution was developed to improve the user experience when dealing with Government agencies through the use of forms. The Solutions services have been developed to allow users to interact with government at a time and a place that is suitable to them via the use of the Internet, whilst providing real time validation, pre population and web service features to aid the user in correctly completing their transaction with Government.
Established by
Department of Innovation, Industry, Science & Research
smartforms@innovation.gov.au
Started on
Launched November 2005.
Options Considered and Approach Taken
Through the work of business.gov.au and GovForms project, the Australian Government had built up an online repository of links to business related forms that numbered into the many thousands. Although users could discover the forms they were required to complete to interact with Government, they were not able to interact with the forms online, nor did these forms provide any additional functionality that would assist the user to fill out and submit the form online.
Through an assessment IT applications available on the market the decision was made to purchase the Adobe LiveCycle application and leverage the ubiquitous and widely accepted Adobe Reader application to complete the forms.
Wider Adoption
Originally the SmartForms Solution had a Government to business focus, however with the deployment of Government Service Environment licensing, the SmartForms Solution is now available to the Government to citizen form market.
Outcomes
The uptake of the SmartForms Solution has been has been steady with a real spike in the last 12-18 months as government agencies have realised the benefits that the SmartForms Solution can provide and the growing demand from users that they are able to interact with Government online.
Agencies using the SmartForms Solution as at March 2011 = 46
Number of SmartForms available as at March 2011 = 1830
Addition details or information
For more information about the SmartForms solution, visit the SmartForms website:
www.smartforms.business.gov.au.
Categories
Topics: Business, Community, Government, Information & Communications Technology, and Technology.
Types: Administrative / organisational, Service delivery, and Services.
Jurisdictions: Australian Capital Territory, Federal, Local, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, State, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia.