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Electronic Forms: 5 Pros and Cons of Going Digital

Contributor Staff

23 Oct 2024, 11:44 am GMT+1

Our world is becoming more and more digitalized with each passing year. There are several reasons for that. Many businesses branch out online to grow their customer base. That's how they get more recognition. Social media and online shopping made the Internet more popular than ever before. Right now going online isn’t only about chatting with someone. It’s a viable part of running any modern-day business. This is where electronic forms come in! They help different enterprises collect and store customer data, among other things.

Why Do You Need Electronic Forms?

All sites online, be it a shop, a company, or a social media page, are using electronic forms one way or another. For example, if you need to apply to the best resume writing service, you’ll need to fill out a form. Usually, you'll have to provide an email address or some other way to contact you. Any purchase isn’t complete without issuing some kind of digital document. For example, an invoice, providing all the necessary information. Many companies use Google Docs and other online documents to improve their workflow. 

The Pros and Cons of Digital Documentation

Let’s look at some of the biggest advantages and disadvantages created by the digitalization that has taken over our lives. Some of the examples of digital documents include:

  • Resumes
  • E-books
  • Presentations
  • Business reports
  • User manuals
  • Receipts

While these all are very handy, in reality, we also meet with some setbacks. This happens because most of the paperwork has already been digitalized. Here are some of the things you should consider.

1. Remote Access

When you’re always on the go, you want to be able to access your documentation from any place, anytime. The same goes for working with a big group of people. You can access online documents from anywhere as long as you have the Internet. And you don’t even need a computer for that! Take your smartphone and check up on an important document even sitting at a cafe.

2. Dependance on Technology

One of the biggest drawbacks of online documents is that you can’t access them without a computer, electricity, and the Internet. At first, it may not seem like a big deal in the modern world. But let’s say there’s a power surge or something happens to the database - your whole work can disappear in an instant. Not to say that sometimes you go to places where the Internet connection is poor, so you won’t be able to access your docs.

3. You Use Less Paper

Digital documents are very environment-friendly. Your company can save a lot on ink and paper. You also get to store all your documentation in one database with handy access to it. Whenever you need to look through a file - it's right there. And you don't need to look through a whole library to find it. With online docs, there are fewer chances of losing a document, which often happens to paper ones.

4. There are Security Issues

Many companies use cloud servers to store their data. This includes documents that sometimes contain very sensitive information. Usually, all these docs are encrypted, so the possibility of a data breach is quite low. Still, it’s possible, and you never know when a hacker attack may happen. It's dangerous because it can wreak havoc over your carefully created databases. These risks can’t be fully eliminated and you have to consider them, too.

5. Accurate Data Capture

When creating customer lists and various databases, you must get the correct information. This is why electronic forms are so reliable! Web forms allow you to control the quality of the information you get. For example, if a person types in an invalid email address, the web form won’t accept it. It’s also a fast and easy way to avoid mistakes in various online forms. 

Conclusion

If you’re still wondering whether to use digital forms or not, the answer is - yes, you should. Simply because everyone’s doing it and you can’t really avoid it. If you run a business or an online shop, you can use web forms to collect customer data. This, in turn, will allow your company to grow. Of course, online documentation has its drawbacks. You will find that digital docs are prone to glitches. Things like data breaches can also happen. Still, online documents can greatly improve your working process.

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