We’ve worked very hard to design Fulcrum so that it’s as easy as possible for our customers to use. In doing so, we’ve managed to “hide” a lot of the complexities around form & database design that many other platforms expose their users to. By dragging and dropping fields in our form builder, users are essentially creating a complex database without even being aware of it. Here are five important digital form building tips, in no particular order, that can assist new users when building their first form.
Using numeric field for phone numbers
At first, it may seem logical to use the numeric field for phone numbers. However, the numeric field is designed to be used for item counts, dollars, figures, etc. The field will not allow for dashes (727-867-5309) or multiple periods (727.867.5309). The best field for phone numbers is the Text field, with a validation pattern. Fulcrum offers the US Phone number pattern d{3}[-]d{3}[-]d{4}, but you will want to build your own for the phone numbers of your country. Using the Text field for phone numbers will leave your phone numbers uniform. A nice addition would be using Data Events plus a hyperlink field to call the phone number entered in the record. Instructions to set up this data event can be found in our recent post on Data Events.
Making too many fields required
One goal we have at Fulcrum is to make the experience of field data entry trouble free for the mobile user. While building Fulcrum, we put a great deal of effort into removing unnecessary complexities for users. Field users have little time on site, and time wasted on technology translates into money wasted for the company. I encourage managers building digital forms to resist the urge to make fields required unless absolutely necessary. Our advice is to leave most fields NOT required initially, and see what fields users leave blank, if any. Incorporate the importance of form completion in your training process and make corrective measure with necessary field workers.
Not using sections or nesting sections correctly
Do you need to scroll endlessly to find the end of a form on a mobile device? Using visibility logic can help reduce the noise your app presents to your field team. Clearly designating sections is another effective strategy. By grouping related fields into logical chunks, you make data collection more intuitive and organized.
Grouping fields into sections provides users with a better sense of their progress in the data collection process. It also makes locating specific fields within the app much easier.
Additionally, sections can change how fields are displayed. In the section’s field settings, you can choose between inline or drill-down displays. An inline display shows the section and its contents as part of the main app view. A drill-down display, by contrast, shows only the section header inline with the app. When the user taps the header, they are taken to a separate page to view the fields within that section.
Lastly, nesting fields within a section can be a little tricky the first time. To nest a field into a section you will want to drag the field more towards the center of the palette area, over the top of the section field.
Failing to field test digital forms
Before collecting real data with your app, dedicate sufficient time to fine-tuning and refining its functionality. No app is perfect on the first attempt, but discovering areas for improvement early ensures better performance.
Start by gathering feedback from others. Deploy the app to your teammates as soon as possible and request honest opinions. Expect your app to evolve over time, as early feedback accelerates the improvement process.
Beta testing is essential before a full rollout. Feedback from teammates, especially those who will use the app in the field, is invaluable. This process helps identify optimizations, such as reorganizing fields, removing unnecessary elements, adjusting mandatory fields, creating additional sections, or incorporating repeatable components.
Using “default to previous value” setting
A simple checkbox in a field can drastically reduce the time required to create a records for your field members. The ‘Default to Previous Value?’ setting is located in each field settings popup. When enabled, it will automatically populate with the value that was previously entered into that field. This allows field workers to quickly capture new records when much of the values are the same for a series of records. Keep in mind, this is a localized feature, meaning the field only retains the last value that was entered on the device being used, not other devices. This checkbox may go unnoticed for plan owners and managers but could be invaluable for a standard user in the field.
Hopefully, these tips will help you avoid some basic digital form building mistakes and make the most of your time collecting data in the field. If you ever get stuck, need advice, or have any questions, you can always reach us at info@fulcrumapp.com or contact us through the chat window at the bottom corner of your screen. Happy collecting!