making your database work for you - cdn.ymaws.com€¦ · health services october 4, 2017 • in...

Making Your Database Work for You

Margaret Tassin, CDC, CFSP

Forms Doc, LLC

[email protected]

May 2018 Copyright 2018 © Margaret Tassin | All Rights Reserved 1

Three Points

• Database keeps your information organized

• Can improve your departmental reporting and management reporting

• Can help you facilitate some forms functions

May 2018 2 Copyright 2018 © Margaret Tassin | All Rights Reserved

Relational Database

• Relational database

• Not Excel

• Not paper

• Not flat database such as in Lotus

• Not SharePoint tables: “If you require a complex data model with intricate relationships, a database is more appropriate. ” https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff647105.aspx


Search and Establish Relationships

Reflex Blue ink

On Unit Sets

April


Relational Database

• Examples using Form Center built on MS Access

• Other options:

• SQL Server

• Oracle

• MySQL


Relational Databases

Data resides in tables, related data is grouped together

Example:

• General form information

• Project history

• Specifications


Relational Databases

• Tables have tables and those tables may have tables

• Supporting tables can be “look-up” tables


Keeping Data Organized Tables have Tables

TABLE: Specifications

ELEMENTS: PaperGrade, PColor, PWeight

TABLE: Paper Grade

CHOICES: Bond, Ledger, Index

TABLE: Paper Color

CHOICES: White, Canary, Pink, Green

TABLE: Paper Weight

CHOICES: 20lb, 24lb, 90lb, 110lb


Keeping Data Organized Tables have Tables: Look-up Tables


PaperGrade_ID PAPER GRADE

1 Bond

2 Ledger

3 Index

PaperWeight_ID PAPER WEIGHT

1 20 lb.

2 24 lb.

3 90 lb.

4 110 lb.

PaperColor_ID PAPER COLOR

1 White

2 Canary

3 Pink

4 Green

SPECIFICATIONS

Paper Grade

Paper Color

Paper Weight

Paper Finish

Ink

Size

No. Parts

Keeping Data Organized Only Once – stored NOT like this


Form Number PaperGrade_ID PaperColor_ID PaperWeight_ID

123 Bond Green 20 lb

456 Index Pink 110 lb

ABC Bond White 24 lb

XYZ Index White 90 lb


1 Bond

2 Ledger

3 Index


1 20 lb.

2 24 lb.

3 90 lb.

4 110 lb.


1 White

2 Canary

3 Pink

4 Green

Keeping Data Organized Only Once – stored like this


Form Number PaperGrade_ID PaperColor_ID PaperWeight_ID

123 1 4 1

456 3 3 4

ABC 1 1 2

XYZ 3 1 3


1 Bond

2 Ledger

3 Index


1 20 lb.

2 24 lb.

3 90 lb.

4 110 lb.


1 White

2 Canary

3 Pink

4 Green

Keeping Data Organized Only Once – easy to make a change



1 Bond

2 Ledger

3 Index

4 Fox River 25% cotton


1 Bond

2 Ledger

3 Index

4 Crane 25% cotton

Form Number PaperGrade_ID

123 1

456 3

ABC 1

XYZ 4

Relational databases store data once!

Keeping Data Organized Consistency

Department: no table

• Accounting

• Acctng.

• Acntg.

• Acctg.

• Acc.


Department_ID Department

1 Accounting

2 Finance

3 Forms Management

4 Marketing

5 Records Management

Consistent data facilitates finding information!

Where do you have information or collect/enter data?

1. Database 2. Form history files 3. Project request form 4. Project files: multi-form projects, scheduled reviews,

obsolescence studies 5. Design file names: components, templates, fragments,

elements 6. Macros, JavaScript or other code names 7. Client satisfaction results 8. Time records 9. Website hits (forms, departmental web page, portal) 10. Mailbox, phone calls, help line documentation 11. Warehouse activity statistics


Keeping Data Organized Keep It Together

GET IT IN THE DATABASE

• Enter data

• Print reports

• Eliminate tribal knowledge


Review: Database keeps your information organized

Database keeps your information organized

• Tables

oEnsuring consistency

oStoring data only once

• All data is in one place

oEliminating other forms

oReducing tribal knowledge

oFacilitating searches, reports


Forms Database — Form Center, A Case Study

• Presenter: Kelly Halseth, Director, Forms Strategy & Management, Alberta Health Services October 4, 2017

• In 2013 Alberta Health Services installed a forms management database to 10 users across 3 locations in support of a program that manages 30,000+ forms, and it has revolutionized the way the department operates. Team members have immediate access to current and historical information about every form. They can review the project request queue, run standard reports on review dates, scope of use, forms catalogues, and productivity.

• www.bfma.org


http://www.bfma.org/

Departmental Reporting

General department activity statistics

• How many forms in the system

• How many forms added, revised, cancelled


Inferences from Departmental Reporting

High rate of abandoned forms: impact

• wasted manpower

• need a better approval process to initiate forms projects



High number of proofs on forms: impact

• More training needed for analysts

• More training needed for designers

• Improve capacity



Low number of obsolete forms: impact

• Training for analysts to search for combinations

• Increase the focus on scheduled forms reviews



Fluctuations in activity statistics show seasonal influences impact:

• More staffing at peak times


Looking at Stats Across Time


Management Reporting: Projects

• Project metrics: of type of project, level, (strategic, low level, complex, etc.), value, contribution

• Who should work on the project

• Work strategic to the organization

• Percentage of time on strategic or complex work

• Impact to the FM department



• Time capture

• How much time

• What tasks (e.g. plan, analyze, design, test, closeout)

• Who is doing them

• Plan and allocate staff : reschedule, hire more, outsource



Tasks: Plan

Analyze

Design

Test

Close out

Cost assigned to task

x Time spent on project

Role Assigned to the Task: Analyst

Designer

Forms Technician

Cost assigned to the role

x Time spent on the project


= Cost of the Project based on Task or Role

Review

• Management reporting

• More knowledge of the FM Program


Result of Metrics and Reporting

• The right metrics go a long way to convincing management of the importance of the FM program.

• Reporting properly to management helps ensure the viability and demonstrates a continuing benefit.

• This could be the most important way to make your database work for you.


Forms Management Processes

• Form identification management (title, number, edition, versions)

• Form file management

• Forms reviews – legal, policy, security, accessibility

• Obsolescence review and coordination

• Deployment implementation

• Proofreading

• Warehouse and inventory coordination

• Recurring operational events

• Metrics capture and reporting

• Testing support

• Call for forms

• Translation support

• Cataloging

• Relationship tracking

• Form systems documentation

• Project control and tracking

• Project startup

• Project closeout

• Processing requests for new and changed design


Forms Management Processes

• Program manual & forms style guide maintenance

• Keywords and standard terms maintenance

• Data dictionary maintenance

• Forms technology training

• Forms procedures training

• Maintain links to forms from external sites

• Forms committee leadership

• Administrative support

• Departmental mailbox mgt.

• Forms security and access control

• Reorder processing

• Forms technology research

• Forms database maintenance

• Ongoing forms improvement

• Procedure development and maintenance

• Intra-company communication of forms issues


Facilitate Processes

• Indexing and cataloging

• Facilitate population of the forms portal

• Taking in projects

• Handling multi-form projects

• Reviews


Form Number Register

• Master list of form numbers assigned

• Keep it in the database

• Use keystrokes to begin the metadata record

• Eliminate extra keystrokes

• Eliminate keying errors when copying from FNR to database


Forms Catalog

• Use the database to create a catalog listing

• Use the database to sort based on status


Forms Portal

• Database may automatically populate your portal

• No double entries (portal and database)

• Reduce the chance of keying error


Form Number Register, Catalog, Portal

• FNR: the database replaces it

• Catalog: the database can create it

• Portal: the database may populate it

• No need for separate forms

• No need for re-keying entries


Form Action Request

• Used to initiate a project with FM

• Submitable electronic form or application

• Connected to the database

• Get a head start on record creation and data entry

• No rekeying

• No data entry errors


Multi-Form Projects

• Original: Yes, the form has an SSN - checked

• Change to: No, the form does not have an SSN - unchecked


Multi-Form Projects

• Multiple forms in a project mean multiple records need to be modified

• One set of data

• Enter it once

• Load it to many records

• Batch processing enables you to modify multiple records at one time to re-use one set of data.


Macro Reviews

• A periodic examination of the forms population as a whole

• Envelopes, labels, other products

• Specifications to industry standard

• Electronic forms to a higher level

• Look for specific information – query, report

• Use that information for forms improvements


Form Reviews

• Forms change, forms stop being used

• Forms Management is seldom informed

• Form reviews identify forms that are not • Performing or being used

• In compliance with policies – security, privacy, graphics

• In compliance with laws, regulations

• Set a review schedule – 12 to 18 months on every form


Form Reviews

• Risks

• Wrong or old form is used

• Legal complications due to lack of compliance

• The form becomes irrelevant

• Stakeholders migrate away from FM

• Using the database through programming to automate the process


Form Reviews

Use the database to

• Establish a review cycle and criteria

• Create queries and reports to locate the form owner of forms meeting criteria

• Automate the email inquiry process


Planned Deployment

• What output format? PDF- Word- JPG- Hyperlink

• Where does the form live, the user points of access?

• Servers

• Web pages

• Portal

• Warehouses

• Procedure manuals

• Vendor sites, e.g., printers


Deployment Roadmap

Deployment information stored in the database is a roadmap used to

• Plan deployment for new forms

• Verify user points of access and output format during revision

• Re-deploy for updates

• Un-deploy or remove from user points of access when a form is obsolete and must be cancelled


Review: facilitate some forms functions

• Form register, catalog, portal

• More knowledge of the FM Program

• Form Action Request

• Multi-form projects

• Form reviews: macro, scheduled

• Deployment


Three Points

• Database keeps your information organized

• Can improve your departmental reporting and management reporting

• Can help you facilitate some forms functions


SUMMARY

A relational database can

• Improve your operations

• Find improvement opportunities

• Improve your management reporting

• Keep the Program relevant

Look at the data to improve service and take action

• Trends

• Meaning


SUMMARY

If you capture the data that management is interested in and report it in the right way, it goes a long way to convincing management of the importance of the FM program. Reporting properly to management helps ensure the viability of the forms management program and demonstrates a continuing benefit to the organization.

Metrics capture and then reporting to senior management could be the most important way to make your database work for you.


making your database work for you - cdn.ymaws.com€¦ · health services october 4, 2017 • in...

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