Forming attachments: workflows and data collection
A great new feature has just hit the Forms app, an already feature-packed and useful member of the O365 family. Microsoft Forms provides a quick and intuitive way to create surveys for gathering responses and other information content. The forms can be shared, completed and submitted online with the results automatically compiled in Excel for later processing and analysis. It comes with many options for customising the range and look of the form as well as being able to define form logic to navigate, based on respondents’ answers.
But what was good has just become even better with the addition of a new type of question which allows for file uploads.
You can now set a question that will allow someone to upload one or more files in a range of file types, t
o be submitted along with the form (up to 1 GB). Images, confirmations, invoices, and a whole host of other useful items could be included with the information gathering aspects of the form, replacing the necessity to rely on the already clogged system of email attachments.
Though a light-weight app, Forms have been used across the University to streamline processes. To name a few:
- a Director of Research uses it for capturing research grant submission details at School level
- Business Intelligence use it for new database requests
- CAPOD use it for determining contractual requirements for external presenters
The new file upload feature will likely extend this to a host of other uses. And I do indeed ‘practise what I preach’ as my Microsoft Certification programme (MOS) relies on it for the programme registration form. Marvellous.
New to Forms? See the Forms support pages to find out more or come to a training session, next one on 31 March.