Form digitalization
with Microsoft
Navision BC

In the long term, all PDF applications are to be made available as web forms in order to reduce incorrect entries as much as possible in future. The aim is to reduce waiting times for applicants and form users and at the same time reduce the workload of application reviewers. Iterative validations and structural specifications will serve as the basis for effectively achieving the goals set. In addition, typical problems with forms, such as too many case conditions, are to be avoided without omitting certain cases.

The key to digitizing the applications lay in the definition and implementation of validations and the intelligent linking of data. Previously, form data was reworked in the backend, mapped to the data model and then sent to Navision. The large number of checkpoints to be compared significantly increases the susceptibility to errors and the maintenance effort. However, the automatic detection of incorrectly completed fields means that the susceptibility to errors can now be reduced to a minimum. In addition, the direct reference to the field definition in the ERP enables the automatic transfer of properties such as field length and mandatory information. As a result, incorrectly configured fields become directly visible and users can correct their entries without the additional involvement of a clerk.

In addition, applications can now be temporarily saved online or added to after they have been sent. This means that even incorrect entries that have not been intercepted can be corrected with minimal effort. To anticipate this scenario, however, known master data is pre-filled directly during application processing and context-dependent help texts are displayed for filling in the fields. It should be particularly emphasized that despite the 400 conditional input fields, only a fraction are displayed depending on the case. This keeps the form clear for the applicant, while still covering all scenarios digitally without any gaps.

The web forms are connected directly to the Navision web service via an OData interface. The data entered is initially stored temporarily on the web and automatically transferred to the ERP system once the respective process has been completed.

A single entry in the form can generate several entries in different Navision pages - for example in the main application and in the associated supporting documents.

This structured data capture ensures that all relevant information is transferred completely and consistently to the ERP via the interface.

In addition, the new forms are based on a declarative definition. Structure and logic are clearly described, creating a clear separation between presentation and backend processing. This means that changes to forms or processes can be implemented more quickly without the need to intervene in the code. The system remains flexible, expandable and easier to maintain.

With the direct connection to Navision, the previously required data model and mapping in the web is no longer necessary. Instead, the assignment of the form fields is configured directly in the form schema. Each field is directly linked to the corresponding field in Navision via attributes. Validations - such as text length or mandatory fields - are transferred dynamically from the ERP. This reduces the maintenance effort and ensures that changes in Navision automatically take effect in the forms.

In the past, special cases and individual form logic often had to be implemented via hooks and JavaScript in the front end. This led to confusing code that could hardly be adapted and directly increased the susceptibility to errors.

In the new system, frequently recurring special cases - such as conditional visibilities or validations - were anchored as independent features in the framework.

The logic is thus maintained centrally and remains uniformly usable. Form sections and fields can be automatically adjusted or summarized depending on the context.