The aforms inbox manages incoming applications. It seals the applications by means of an incoming signature, informs the responsible processing department and makes the application data available.
Internal forms for processing applications (see Completion forms) can be called up from the APF and the processing data can be assigned to the applications (see Metadata for applications).
Questions about applications can also be submitted using the aforms inbox. The questions/answers are assigned to the application (see Communication forms).
Programs from other manufacturers can access and accept applications using the web services offered by the aforms inbox. The aforms inbox logs all access to applications. It also offers the option of defining automatic processing using your own rules. For example, applications can be processed automatically.
The aforms inbox offers an advanced search function for managing incoming applications. The aforms inbox offers multi-level user administration. Authentication is carried out either with a user name/password, portal network or Windows authentication with access to Active Directory and LDAP.
The following graphic shows the main user roles and functional elements of the APF:
Users can set up and assign different mailboxes. Incoming applications are transferred to these mailboxes according to distribution rules. The aforms inbox enables a clean separation between different areas of the organization (area delimitation). Applications from other manufacturers can also collect data from mailboxes.
The aforms inbox can also be used to set up simple form-driven workflows. Completion and communication forms are available for this purpose.
Completion forms
Not every process justifies the creation of a separate specialist application. If the number of applications is too low or the technical requirements are frequently adapted, it is not worth investing in individually programmed specialist software.
An alternative are forms for the internal processing of applications. These so-called completion forms (ERF) can be configured for each application. They are called up in the aforms inbox with the "Complete" button. ERFs display the application data in compressed and unchangeable form and record the processing data (e.g. decisions) for processing in additional input elements. ERFs can save the entries with the help of metadata (see Metadata for applications).A typical use case for ERFs is the generation of completion documents (e.g. notifications) from templates. These are filled with application data and made available for processing. To protect against misuse of completion forms, access can be restricted.
Communication forms
With Communication forms it is possible to define a structured inquiry form for each appli-cation type. The inquiry is initiated by the official in the afomrs inbox. The customer is requested by e-mail to open the linked inquiry form. In the form, the queries or additional requests entered by the processing department are displayed and the replies and uploads of the applicant are recorded via secure connection of the online form. Questions and answers are saved to the respective application.
Metadata on applications
In the interaction of aforms server, aforms inbox, portals and web applications, additional information can be stored when processing applications
.
The aforms inbox provides specialist systems with extensive web services for the logged transfer of applications. The use of these interfaces requires a corresponding extension in the specialist system. If this is not (economically) possible, the aforms relay can help.
With the aforms relay, applications can be read from the aforms inbox in a standardized way and transferred to specific application interfaces. An existing interface of the specialist system is supported individually. There is no need to adapt the specialist system.Application transfers with the aforms relay are error-tolerant and are logged.
