I went to get my COVID booster a few weeks ago. I decided to go to a local pharmacy nearby that had appointments open. While booking the appointment, I was asked to complete an extensive form. I had the option to skip the form and fill it out on-site, but instead, I finished the form online.
Later, when I turned up for my appointment, they scanned the UPC from my confirmation email. I suppose it was Cerner or pharmacy management/ medication tracking software. Unbelievably, the poor pharmacy tech was then required to take my information verbally, and sloooowwllyy type it into their system. The form filling took about fifteen minutes, and I queried the tech several times, "I already did this. Why are we doing this again?" He just shrugged emphatically. Meanwhile, other customers filled out paper forms and submitted them to the tech. He then entered their data into their system.
Because I work with Laserfiche (software designed to help mitigate inefficiencies), I don't have patience with duplicated data entry efforts. Am I an impatient customer? Maybe :)
Suppose the pharmacy had a Laserfiche form on their website, where patient data is entered. In this case, ultimately, Laserfiche Quickfileds can push the data to Cerner, so when the patient shows up at the pharmacy for their shot, they don't have to wait while the tech repeats the entire process. The other patients filling out paper forms could be set up with a kiosk or iPad.
First World Problems
My wife and I enjoy wine tasting, but we don't like many of the systems the wineries have created to manage their clients. For example, although we've registered with a winery, we are repeatedly asked to give our contact details. I understand that WMS (Wine Management Systems) (Yes, there is such a thing) are considered a legacy technology and are closed source and proprietary. So, many wineries are in a bind, hence the paper sign-in books, communication cards, and other no-tech make-dos. Some custom development companies will customize Shopify for wineries as it provides a full-stack solution. However, there are specific client functions it does not offer, primarily membership and club functions, which is why I'm filling out five cards for every visit.
A quick solution would be a Laserfiche Form that clients could complete before booking a tour, and then the membership and club cards could be auto-populated. In addition, they could replace the sign-in book with an iPad and a trusty LF Form.
(See Also) Schools
I was enrolling my kids in a regular in-person public school. I navigated to the district website and was asked to download and print a pre-enrollment packet because it's 1998. My name and address are requested at least six times. Once completed, I am directed to mail the paper forms to the school, where the registrar will type the information from the paper forms into the student information system (SIS). Oh-and the screaming you hear is coming from inside of my head. If I didn't have a computer, I would request the paper pre-enrollment packet by mail.
Honestly, I find it hard to believe the SIS doesn't have some webform functionality, but it's not enabled if it does. Again, the winery could solve the issue using a Laserfiche Form, and it could be built to auto-populate the name/address part after the primary entry. I understand that not everyone has access to a computer or the internet, so the mailing option makes sense. Although, a form for internal entry would make the student registration office's workflow much cleaner.
If you are a Laserfiche user, I bet you encounter many situations where Laserfiche will make life easier! If you aren't a Laserfiche client and want to learn more, don't hesitate to contact me at jdunn@cps247.com.
