Forms Talk

Some things never change...

By: Ray Killam, CFSP, CFC
President

I recently read that Staples is acquiring Corporate Express. I have a personal interest in this news item, since I was employed by Corporate Express at one time. The company I worked for was originally named Data Documents, a major forms manufacturer. DDI, as we called it, was once owned by Pitney Bowes, was sold to management, went public, was acquired by Corporate Express, which was then acquired by Buhrmann (a Dutch company). Now, Corporate Express, and the old forms manufacturing company, is a part of another big office supply company.

So, why is this important? Well, I think this acquisition mirrors what has happened to the once large forms manufacturing industry and that affects all forms professionals.

For all intents and purposes, the forms manufacturing industry no longer exists. The largest companies of the last decade, Moore Corp and Wallace Computer Services, merged a few years ago into Moore-Wallace, then were acquired by RR Donnelley, the world's largest commercial printer. The name Moore-Wallace is no longer officially used. The forms company was assimilated into the larger company. Similarly, forms manufacturing has been assimilated into the printing industry, where it was originally born. One could say the industry has gone "full circle".

We all know that the forms products have changed. Continuous forms have declined and, allowing for some growth at the high end, have declined dramatically. Unit sets have declined steadily. Most other traditional forms products have also declined, both in units and revenues. The overall market for paper forms is a mere shell of its former self.

Yet, forms management as a profession continues to thrive. Certainly, this segment of the forms industry has also seen significant change, as forms departments have migrated from primarily paper forms produced and distributed to users, to various iterations of electronic forms distributed electronically via the web. Information Technology departments have played an increasing role in forms management in this electronic forms era. Nonetheless, forms management, where professionally implemented, continues to make major contributions to improved productivity, revenue growth and cost reductions.

All organizations use forms and all organizations have a forms management function. Where this function is strong and supported by senior management, the contributions are substantial.  The ultimate goal of forms management is to make business processes work better.

Some things never change.

CFSP Study Group Begins

By: Margaret Tassin, CFSP, CDC
VP, Programs

Mark you scheduler now! The next Certified Form Systems Professional (CFSP) study group will begin July 31.  Participating in the study group is a great way to learn about forms in general as well as prepare for the exam.

This 13-week study group covers all facets of the body of knowledge used to develop the exam. Because of the nature of the work done by forms professionals, the scope of CFSP knowledge is very broad. The CFSP examination of 250 multiple-choice questions covers four areas:

• Process/Workflow Analysis
• Design and Development
• Technology Principles
• Forms Management

The study group participants are expected to read, research, discuss, write study questions, take study quizzes, share knowledge, contribute to the body of knowledge reference document and ask lots of questions.  This is  not a college curriculum; it is a study group.  What you will learn you must learn on your own.  To help you, there are organized and structured study sessions, a study hub with recorded lectures and suggested readings, practice quizzes and the support of the other members of the group and experts in the field.

Teri Watanabe, CFSP, became accredited in 2007 and says, "If anyone thinks that studying for certification is difficult, time-consuming, and draining…well, you’re right. It is. But the hard work does pay off — financially, professionally, and in the recognition both inside and outside our industry — and there are plenty of forms people here to help."

It is recommended but not required that you have five years of experience in form systems or a related field before sitting for the examination. Experience plus sufficient study can help you achieve certification.

Check out http://www.bfma.org/cfsp/aboutcfsp.php for additional information and the application.  This portion of the BFMA website is currently being updated for the 2008 information, so please bear with us.  Registration fees are $179 for BFMA members and $249 for non-members.   The study group begins on July 31 and ends on October 23.  Each session is 90 minutes and is scheduled from 9:30 - 11:00 Pacific time.  The next CFSP exam period is November 1 - 15.

For additional information, contact me.

Rx for Healthcare Forms Professionals

• Network with healthcare forms professionals to explore challenges, opportunities, similarities and differences.
• 1.5h q3 months via LiveMeeting
• Register online (FREE)
• Repeat as necessary

Prescribing member:
Sheila Bermiller, CFSP, Coordinator - BFMA Heathcare Industry Group

Join in a Healthcare Industry Group discussion July 15, 2008 from 10:00a to 11:30a (PST). Time is running out; register online TODAY to reserve your virtual seat! You will receive an eMail invitation with conference information prior to the meeting.

For more information regarding this group, upcoming events, or to suggest topics  please contact Sheila Bermiller.

Insurance, Finance and Government industry groups are being formed. If you are interested in taking a leadership role in BFMA and have experience in any of these areas, please contact Beth Curry, Director, Member Relations, for more information.

Ask Ms. GeekSpeak

By: Laurie Weaver
Member Columnist

Have you been trying to work with Information Technology, but your initiatives and patience grind to a screeching halt? Do the terms they use sound like so much gobbledygook? Do you ever get the sneaking feeling that IT professionals just may, in fact, have come from Mars? If so, you’ve probably run headlong into some common “GeekSpeak” roadblocks. The aim of this ongoing column is to help forms professionals and technology professionals overcome roadblocks by gaining mutual understanding, vocabulary, and context. So, if you need help with specifics, or if you’d just like to know more about a techie topic, email or post any and all questions to Ask Ms. GeekSpeak. On to this month’s topic: XML.

Dear Ms. GeekSpeak, Could you shed some light on what exactly is XML?

Sure! XML stands for EXtensible Markup Language. It is plain, vanilla text with a few conventions. It can be written with any word processor if you understand its syntax. XML is a way to put category labels around electronic data so it can be “parsed” by any system that is XML-aware. Parsed is just a fancy way of saying the system knows what to do with the data because it understands the XML tags (labels) around the data and its relationships. Why go with XML? Most systems that need data are XML-aware. Systems are usually part of, or attached to the “middleware” that moves data from one place to next. Here’s an example. An order is placed via e-form. The order data are parsed by a system that hooks into and checks the inventory database to ascertain sufficient stock. If sufficient stock exists, the system sends the parsed data on to the fulfillment center for shipping via its system. Hmm, still a little too Geeky?

Think of XML like setting up a file system. If you have files to place into folders, and folders to place into cabinets, you need to figure out what is related to what, and which method is best suited to sorting your files. Alphabetically? Historically? By business line? After you have decided on your filing scheme, you would then put labels on your folders and on your drawers so that you could place your files in the correct place in each cabinet according to the relationships in your filing scheme. In XML, we call this its schema.

Here’s an example of data, labels, and relationships: Let’s say BFMA wants to have a record of members’ names and email addresses.

<member>

            <name>

                        <first> Laurie</first>

                        <last> Weaver</last>

            </name>

            <email>LAWW@capgroup.com</email>

</member>

In the example above we have a schema in which the main category of data is the “member”. It is known as the root element. It is also the parent element of two child elements – one element for “name” and one for “email.” This schema further splits the “name” element into two more child elements: one element for “first” and one for “last.” Family relationships are used to describe data relationships in XML. The elements “first” and “last” are siblings (same level of hierarchy). The elements “name” and “email” are also siblings. The elements “first” and “last” are also children of “name.” The elements “first” and “last” are also grandchildren of “member.”

To further clarify, in the above example, the name data of this entry is Laurie Weaver. The data are not nested between arrow brackets<>, but are contained between <name></name> elements in brackets. That is how the parsing system knows the difference between what is data and what is the category of the data. What makes XML really powerful is that while the conventions used to mark up our data and indicate its categories are standard, what we name our element categories and the relationships we create are strictly up to us.

If this topic has sparked your interest, and you’d like to learn more, here’s a link to the W3 School’s free online XML tutorial and overview.

http://www.w3schools.com/xml/default.asp

Remember, post here, or email Ask Ms. GeekSpeak if you’d like more information about XML, or any other “geeky” word or topic.

Fall Forms Institute at Mayo Clinic

By: Bill Hill, CFC, CFSP
Institutes Coordinator

As our thoughts are consumed with summer activities, let’s not forget September. No, not rushing you through summer, but reminding you that the BFMA Fall Forms Institute at Mayo Clinic will be conducted on September 22 and 23, Monday and Tuesday.  If you haven’t already, you should establish this event within your education budget.

Mayo Clinic is located in Rochester, Minnesota, about 60 miles south of Minneapolis.  The BFMA Fall Forms Institute at Mayo Clinic will provide education on how a large organization conducts an integrated professional forms program.  Although medical centers will want to learn through the experiences of this renowned medical facility, any business or agency can benefit from this full educational offering.

Ray Killam, CFSP, CFC, will present a session on Best Practices in Forms Management. Then, Mayo Clinic staff will present sessions on their forms management program, establishing excellent teamwork and e-forms transition and implementation.    

After Monday’s A to Z education on forms management, Tuesday will include a session on PDF/A, the new archiving and metadata tool.  Another session covers usability testing, a process too often ignored, but starting to come into its own.  Sometimes we go through a thorough analysis and careful design yet part of the form is still not working right. Proper usability testing will solve those challenges.

I have been in so many study groups or classes in which a tour brings all the discussion together, and this will happen at Mayo Clinic.  You will see how the Mayo Forms Management program operates with tours through all of their various operations and how the different units work together as one strong program.  When this tour is completed, you will take a shuttle to the Mayo Print Plant to see press operations from offset of all sizes to the latest in digital printing.  You will also view finishing processes from fulfillment to shipping.

This is a complete education program, not only studying how to run a successful Forms Program, but to also see how it works.  My first forms class was conducted by our former education guru, Norm Chilton. After 13 weeks of class, my head was bulging from information overload plus questions on how to apply it. Norm took me through his operation at Weyerhaeuser and it all fell into place. You will have the same experience at Mayo Clinic. You know the adage, a picture is worth a thousand words... well, this tour is worth more.

BFMA has negotiated with Easel Solutions (formerly Tech Ed), to make this an education blockbuster week. On September 24 and 25, Easel Solutions is conducting its Adobe Acrobat & PDF Conference at the Minneapolis Convention Center. You may attend the Fall Forms Institute and the PDF Conference at a reduced fee. The registration form will provide the info to direct you through the process.

Upcoming events

Canadian Forms Institute in Ottawa, Ontario,   January 2009

Canadian Forms Institute in Surrey,  BC,  March 16,17, 2009

And don’t forget our 50th Anniversary video at http://www.dmvideo.net/bfma.

Book Series Continues on User Interface Design

By: Margaret Tassin, CFSP, CDC
VP, Programs

BFMA is extremely fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with one of the most respected authorities on user interface design, Mr. Bill Galitz. He has recently published the third edition of "The Essential Guide to User Interface Design" (2007, Wiley Publishing Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, 857 pages.

Wilbert (Bill) O. Galitz is an internationally respected consultant, author, and instructor with a long and illustrious career in human factors and user-interface design. For many years he conducted a screen design course for BFMA. Click here for a complete biography.

The article below is the fourth in a series and is derived from the author’s most recent book, "The Essential Guide to User Interface Design".  You can order this book from BFMA.

Bill discusses website development and standards for seniors.

Website Use For Seniors

The invasiveness of the Web has greatly expanded the range of computer users. Computers are no longer the domains of the young and middle-aged only. Older people are now a significant force in Internet use and the Internet is quickly graying. AARP says that more than 40 million adults over 50 are online in the United States. The Center for Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School says that the percentage of Internet use by older users is:
• Age 45–55     86%
• Age 56–65     75%
• Age 66 +       41%

Age can have a profound effect on computer, system, and Web usage. Older people are all subject to the unavoidable physical degradations that occur in vision, hearing, cognitive processing, and manual dexterity.

Vision
The eye is a sense organ that begins to diminish in effectiveness at an early age, as anyone over 40 can attest. The eye begins its aging process in our early thirties, the amount of light able to pass through the retina beginning to lessen. At 40 the process accelerates, and by age 50 most people need 50 percent more light to read by than they did when they were in their twenties. Failing to be able to read a menu in a dimly lit restaurant is often the first time we become aware of this problem.

Also occurring is a reduced lens elasticity preventing focusing close to the eyes. The dreaded bifocal lens becomes a necessity. One’s field of vision is also reduced, constricting the edges of what can be seen, and reduced retinal efficiency occurs hindering adapting to glare and changing light conditions. As a result of these changes, older adults read prose text in smaller type fonts more slowly than younger adults (Charness and Dijkstra, 1999). To aid older users:
• For text to be read or scanned, use:
    • 12 to 14 point sans serif font (Helvetica, Arial).
    • Black text on a white background.
    • Left justification.
    • Increased spacing (leading) between lines.
    • Sentence style mixed-case letters rather than all capital letters.
    • Appropriate large headings in a 14 to 16 sans serif font.
• Use few colors, and avoid using blue and green tones.

Hearing
As people age, they require louder sounds to hear, a noticeable attribute in almost any everyday activity.  Hearing comfort levels, in decibels, for sounds at various age levels are (Cohen (1994):

Age      Sound level in dB         
25          57
45          65
65          74
85          85

To aid older users:
• Provide captions or transcripts of important audio content.
• Provide an option to display a visual cue for all audio alerts.
• Provide an option to adjust the volume.
• Use audio as an enhancing design characteristic.

Cognitive Processing
Brain processing also appears to slow with age. Working memory, attention capacity, and visual search appear to be degraded. Older users, a study found, had more problems with Web searches that required three or more mouse clicks, and they searched less efficiently than younger users, requiring 81% more moves (Mead et al., 1997). Memory limitations seemed to be the cause of most of these problems. Older people also had a harder time adjusting to computer jargon and recovering from errors (Dulude, 2002). To aid older users:
• Concentrate important information at the top of pages.
• Put most links in a bulleted, not tightly clustered, list.
• Provide a clear differentiation between visited and non-visited links.

Manual Dexterity
As people age, their manual dexterity diminishes. Typing and mouse movements become slower. The ability to operate some input devices decreases. A double-click on a mouse, for example, is increasingly more difficult to perform as dexterity declines. Morris and Brown (1994) also found, in a task requiring speaking into a computer, that older users had an average speaking rate 14% slower than younger users.  To aid older users:
• Provide large targets to make selection easier.
• To reduce the number of selections or clicks:
    • Do not require double-clicks.
    • Do not use pull-down menus.
    • Do not have a deep page hierarchy.
• Avoid the need to scroll to find information.

Applying these guidelines would also, of course, benefit all users of Websites. As always, usability testing should be performed to ensure an effective system for seniors.

References
Charness, N. and Dijkstra, K. (1999). “Age, luminance, and print legibility in homes, offices, and public places.” Human Factors, 41 (2)173–193.
Cohen, S. (1994). “Most comfortable listening level as a function of age,” Ergonomics, 37 (7)1269–1274.
Dulude, L. (2002). “Automated telephone answering systems and aging.” Behavior and Information Technology, 21 (3), 171-184.
Mead, S.E., Spaulding, R.A., Sit, B.M., and Walker, N. (1997). “Effects of age and training on World Wide Web navigation strategies.” Proceedings of the Human Factor and Ergonomics Society 41st Annual Meeting, 152–156.
Morris, R. J., and Brown, W. S. (1994), “Age-related differences in speech variability among women.” Journal of Communication Disorders. 17, 469.

Marketing Council Openings

By: Lisa Lee, CEBS, FLMI
VP, Administration

The Marketing Council produces Forms Talk and helps to market BFMA’s program offerings. A major goal this year is to develop a marketing plan, which will provide direction for the future, including positioning and changes to the website.

We are looking for members with writing, editing, graphics or technical skills to join the Marketing Council. Perhaps you’d like to work on the newsletter, write a monthly member profile or help produce collateral. We are also interested in folks with education and/or experience in developing marketing plans, and in strategic planning. If you have an interest in helping to advance BFMA this could be a rewarding role for you. The time commitment includes weekly council meetings, project work, and several hours a month on the newsletter.

Serving on the council is a way to contribute to BFMA’s future, and to develop professionally. If you would enjoy working with others as part of the Marketing Council or would like more information, please contact Lisa Lee, Raymond Garner or Krista Hampton.

You know you are a Forms Professional when...

By: Robin Miller
Director, Program Operations

The statement "You know you are a Forms Professional when…" popped into my head when I was visiting with my husband about the many processes all around us.  Most of these processes relate to workflow, data capture, data submission, data dissemination, production, etc.  Other processes relate to how one works, understands and synthesizes the information.

Throughout our daily routines we are surrounded by processes, manual or automated, some good, some slow, some that need major improvement.  The "normal" person doesn't notice or doesn't care.  However, those of us who are Forms Professionals identify these areas, and the skills we possess start going into motion.  We want to fix it!

Data are useless until they are identified by what they represent.  Data must be captured with “something” in order to be useful and meaningful—and that “something” that makes the data understandable is usually some type of a form.  I think, at the crux of it all, forms are data transmission vehicles.  Isn’t it amazing to be the expert who can be a part of the underlying foundation that enhances the end user experience?

The statements below were submitted during 2008 Symposium and shared during the conference.  I hope you will enjoy reading these.

You know you are a Forms Professional when…
• you check out the junk mail you receive just to look at the forms included and the type of mailer—and you keep them.
• your spouse asks you to redesign forms from his work.
• you find mistakes on the customs form.
• you are standing in line to attend a concert with a friend and you begin analyzing the ticket.
• you review or make mental notes on fast food process improvements.
• you can tell which font is used on the menu of a restaurant where you are dining.
• you design form solutions in your dreams.
• you get irritated by seeing “zip” where “ZIP” should be.
• you’re getting married in Las Vegas and you download the license application and make it fillable.
• you get irritated before seeing a new doctor because their intake forms are so bad.
• you send a note in the BRM envelope from your bank pointing out five errors in design to meet postal regulations.
• you tell someone you design forms and they ask if you use sculpting clay or wax.
• you are intrigued by the airline baggage tag process, bar-code, and adhesiveness.

How would you answer the question? Post your response here and make this list grow! Tell us how "You know you are a Forms Professional when..."
 

Tell me about the benefits

By: DJ Brown 
VP, Chapter/Member Relations

Someone may have asked you, what are the member benefits that BFMA has to offer? Well, let's just take a look at this topic...

The education, experience and networking found through BFMA can directly benefit anyone who has involvement with data capture and management. Of course, BFMA is a natural for those who design paper or electronic forms or processes. But it is also valuable for those who make decisions surrounding data management. They may help with database administration or web interface design and implementation. All of these individuals will find great value in the education and information offered by the very experienced presenters that BFMA offers. Truly, there is nothing else like BFMA anywhere.

In the coming issues of Forms Talk we will explore the specific benefits of being a BFMA member. Stay tuned! And, if you'd care to share, feel free to tag on here to share your favorite benefit.

Calling All Speakers

By: Margaret Tassin, CFSP, CDC
VP, Programs

The Program Council has planned a full slate of programs for 2009.  These exciting events include:

·          Symposium in San Antonio, Texas, April/May 2009
·          Canadian Forms Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, January/February 2009
·          Canadian Forms Institute, Surrey (near Vancouver), British Columbia, March 16-17, 2009
·          Fall Forms Institute, Chicago, Illinois, September 2009
·          Master Series webinars throughout the year
·          CFSP online study group presentations

The Program Council wants you to be a part of the educational opportunities.  Yes, you can attend but have you ever considered being a presenter?  By presenting to your peers, you will contribute to the forms profession, establish your expertise in your field and increase your visibility and credibility.  Persons selected to present at Symposium receive a complementary registration (excluding the meals and events package.)  Complete details are found on the Presentation Application.  Some "hot topics" are on the application form, but a complete list of hot topics is available here.

Time is short!  The submission deadline is July 18, 2008.  Do it now!  If you or someone you know would like to present, please use the Presentation Application.

In our efforts to improve workflow processes, the Presentation Application is submittable.  Please complete this form and submit it using the “submit” button embedded in the form. If you are using Acrobat Reader, you can save your form with data.
1. Open the form.
2. Complete the information as required. Remember to type your name in the signature area at the bottom and date the form.
3. This form contains an e-mail submit button. After you have finished completing the form, click the submit button to e-mail the information.

Electronic submission of the application is required and is done automatically when you click the submit button on the bottom of the application. If this feature doesn’t work for you, save the form, and e-mail it to programs@bfma.org.

Many thanks and we look forward to receiving your application by July 18.

Leveraging your BFMA Membership

By: Ray Killam, CFSP, CFC
President

I think I have finally caught up after all the activity generated by Symposium. My email is back to normal and the "to do" list is manageable again. Now it is time to look ahead to all the activities of summer and into next fall. It is encouraging to see all the opportunities to continue our education and networking within BFMA.

The Program Council will be meeting in August in Houston to map out the programs for the forms institutes and Symposium 2009. We will take a look at the plans for the Document Strategy Forum, CFSP Study Groups and the Masters Series webinars. We received a lot of suggestions from the Hot Topics submitted and are looking to responding to those in our programming.

It is also an active time for Membership. For many of us, it is dues renewal time. This presents an opportunity to review all the activities and opportunities we can select from within BFMA and use this to leverage our membership into career-enhancing self-improvement. And there is a growing list to choose from! It seems there is something going on all the time.

I recently heard from a member who is contemplating retirement. He remarked that while the industry has been very good to him, the rate of change continues to accelerate and he wonders if he can continue to keep up. It seems his comfort level is constantly challenged. I can certainly relate to his feelings and I know all this change will continue. BFMA is really the only constant source of information that enables us to keep on top of the industry challenges. Without the programs and training our association provides, it would be practically impossible to stay informed.

I wish everyone a happy and productive summer! Stay in touch and enjoy! 

Jo Warner Award Winners

By:Margaret Tassin, CFSP, CDC
VP, Programs

At the recent BFMA Symposium is Las Vegas, Karen Albright, immediate past-president of the association, presented the Jo Warner Award at the Tuesday president's banquet.

The Jo Warner Award was created in 1981 by BFMA to honor outstanding achievement in the forms profession.  Named for one of the prime “movers” in the critical years of the organization’s formation, the award is reserved for those individuals who exhibit extraordinary qualities in leadership and skill in the forms field.  But more than that, the award is meant to honor persons who have strived consistently to improve the forms profession, not just the association.  The recipient does not need to be a member of the association to receive the award.

For the very first time, there were two awards presented in the same year.  First, John P. Schied received the Jo Warner Award for his contribution to the profession via his authorship of the first three editions of The Business Forms Handbook.  This book has been the most valuable reference tool in a forms professional’s library since the 1970s.  It is one of the most important books in our industry and helps all readers understand basic aspects of the printing process, types of business form products, materials used in production, forms analysis and design, forms management, functions of business and copyright law.  The Handbook has touched all our lives, whether we use it once a week to check a fact or practically sleep with it while on the path to certification.

The second award winner was Randy Popson, who is President of the FormSoft Group Ltd.  Randy has over seventeen years of experience in the form systems profession and is a long-term BFMA sponsor and faculty member. He has participated at the past twelve BFMA Symposia and has actively supported activities at local chapter and regional events.  Randy has been a mentor to others and one who shares his knowledge with co-workers, professional colleagues and customers.

Many thanks to John Schied and Randy Popson for their contributions to the forms profession, as BFMA recognizes them for their outstanding achievement with the Jo Warner Award.

Congratulations to all!

By: DJ Brown
VP, Membership

BFMA is pleased to spotlight recent accomplishments and contributions. Recipients of Certificates of Recognition were announced at the BFMA Symposium Awards Luncheon. The achievements of the following individuals and chapter were recognized.

Creation and production of the online newsletter – Forms Talk:
Justiss Boyer, Raymond Garner, Brian Hadfield, and Sarah Richart (Pictured: Raymond Garner and Justiss Boyer)

Member Awards:
Tami Bevan, Susie Cook, and Pamm Colbert

Chapter Individual Awards:
Pat Hatch, Bonnie Harper, Carol Green, Karen Albright, Mark Morrison, Pamm Colbert, Rick Cordray, Tami Bevan, Donna Masuda and Bill Hill

Support of training – Fall and Spring Forms Institutes:
Ginette Desormeaux (Canadian Forms Institute Spring 08), Paul Showalter (Washington DC Fall 07 Forms Institute), and Shirley Green (Washington DC Fall 07 Forms Institute), Dan Breffitt (Canadian Forms Institute) (Pictured: Shirley Green and Paul Showalter)

The Chapter of the Year was announced in addition to the individual recognition.
Northwest  Washington Chapter was the recipient of this prestigious award. The Chapter conducted regular educational events and maintained an effective leadership team to support form professionals in their area.

Instructors who presented at the past 5 consecutive BFMA events:
Robert Barnett, Pamm Colbert, Craig Dartnell, Franklin Garner, Ben B. Graham, Ben S. Graham, Bill Hill, Ray Killam, Alice Ladd, Lisa Lee, Ben Payami, Randy Popson, and Margaret Tassin (Pictured: Ray Killam, Margaret Tassin, Bill Hill, Franklin Garner, Lisa Lee, Ben B. Graham, Ben S. Graham, Jr.)

Volunteer Service:
Teri Watanabe (Region I Coordinator and CFSP Research), Sharon Freeman (Region III Coordinator), Anna Romero (Region IV Coordinator), Kelly Halseth (Region 6W Coordinator), Freddy Maldonado, Bet Morash, Al Weisner, Dustin Borkland (Webinar Facilitation), Leslie A. Peterson (CFSP Research), Lori Linde (CFSP Research), Karen Albright (FSCB Member), Tami Bevan (FSCB Member), Linda Kenney (FSCB Member), Ben Wiggs (FSCB Member), LeaAnne Fuchs (FSCB Member), Joyce Endres (FSCB Member), Alice Ladd (BFMA Board), Margaret Tassin (BFMA Board), Robin Miller (BFMA Board), DJ Brown (BFMA Board), Lisa Lee (BFMA Board), Bill Hill (BFMA Board, FSCB Member), and Al Howick (BFMA Board)

Individuals in attendance at the Las Vegas Symposium were recognized on stage with the grateful applause of all at the luncheon. Certificates were mailed to those recipients unable to attend.

Norm Chilton Education Award Winner

By: Lea Anne Fuchs, CFSP
Chairperson, Education Foundation

The Norm Chilton Education Award is presented annually to the chapter that consistently provides meaningful education through monthly programs, special events, and dynamic networking. This year at the 39th BFMA International Symposium, the Education Foundation presented the Norm Chilton Education Award to the Northwest Washington Chapter.

This chapter held several excellent programs during the past year. Topics included: Protecting Data on the Internet, Postal Changes Impact, Barcoding Technology, Adobe LiveCycle demonstration, Records Retention, Networking at their Annual Holiday Party, IBM Product demonstration, Building Useful Websites via HTML, IBM presentation on Deploying Rich Forms, and an E-Forms RFP Case Study.

The Northwest Washington Chapter continues to out-do themselves when it comes to meeting and exceeding the needs of their members. Congratulations to the Northwest Washington Chapter! (Pictured: Bill Hill accepts award on behalf of the Northwest Washington Chapter from Lea Anne Fuchs.)

If you would like information on any of the programs listed, please contact Tami Bevin, CFSP, CFC, NW Washington Chapter President, at 425-918-6038, or send an e-mail to www.bfmanw.org.

Book Series Continues on User Interface Design

By:Margaret Tassin, CFSP, CDC
VP, Programs

BFMA is extremely fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with one of the most respected authorities on user interface design, Mr. Bill Galitz.  He has recently published the third edition of The Essential Guide to User Interface Design (2007, Wiley Publishing Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, 857 pages). 

Wilbert (Bill) O. Galitz is an internationally respected consultant, author, and instructor with a long and illustrious career in human factors and user-interface design. For many years he conducted a screen design course for BFMA.  Click here for a complete biography.

The article below is the third in a series and is derived from the author’s most recent book, The Essential Guide to User Interface Design.  You can order this book from BFMA.

Bill discusses performance load and its relationship to user interfaces.

Performance Load

As we all know through experience, the greater the effort required to do something, the less likely it will be accomplished successfully, or even done at all. The degree of effort that must be expended is commonly called performance load. It is also called the path of least resistance principle, or the principle of least effort. Performance load consists of two types: cognitive and kinematic.

Cognitive load is the amount of mental activity required to perform a task or achieve an objective. The implementation of the graphical user interface significantly reduced the cognitive load on computer users. One of its advantages is that it replaced commands that previously had to be recalled and formatted properly with commands in menus that simply had to be recognized and chosen.

Kinematic load is the degree of physical activity or effort necessary to perform a task or achieve an objective. The graphical user interface also reduced user effort by substituting a simple mouse click for a typed command consisting of several or more characters.

Cognitive load can be reduced by doing such things as:

Properly formatting and grouping information.

• Eliminating noise or unnecessary information on screens.
• Providing aids to allow the user to rely on powers of recognition, not recall.
• Automating tasks that require extensive memory.

Aids to reducing kinematic load include:

• Minimizing the number of steps to accomplish tasks.
• Minimizing control actions and movements.
• Automating repetitive tasks.

A person’s estimation of the degree of effort necessary to use a particular computer system, application, or Website need not be based upon extensive experience with each. A simple and brief introduction to a system can result in a judgment being quickly reached that the estimated effort to be expended is not worth the expected results. Rejection then occurs. Reducing performance load is a way to make systems more inviting to use.

Industry Groups on the Move

By: DJ Brown
VP, Membership

Industry Groups are under development! The currently established groups are Healthcare, Insurance, and Government. We would like to thank each of you who responded to the Industry Group survey. This information will help us develop programs that benefit you!

Industry Groups will facilitate communication amongst members with like experiences and needs. Each Industry Group will be moderated by a coordinator.

We would like to welcome Sheila Bermiller as the Healthcare Industry Group Coordinator. The next Healthcare Industry Group meeting will be held in July. For more information regarding this group and upcoming events, please contact Sheila Bermiller.

We saw exceptional participation in the Symposium hosted meetings for Insurance and Government groups. If you are interested in taking a leadership role in BFMA and have experience in either of these areas, please contact Beth Curry for more information.

Don't Let It Slip Under Your Radar

The last Forms Talk was so packed with information about Symposium that I don't want the other excellent educational announcements in that issue to slip unnoticed beneath your radar screen.

Two new Master Series on Printed Forms Products and Forms Management Databases begin in August and September, respectively.  The instructors are top notch, and the information is absolutely current.  Check out the prior issue of Forms Talk or go to the BFMA website for full details.

The Fall Forms Institute is set for September 22 and 23 in Rochester, Minnesota at Mayo Clinic.  There are speakers on forms and usability from Mayo and a PDF consultant.  More information on this will be available on the website soon.

BFMA is your best resource for forms education!

We have a place for you

By: DJ Brown
VP, Membership

The Membership Council is looking for members interested in taking leadership roles in the organization. Two Region Coordinator and two Industry Group Coordinator positions are available.

These roles provide support to local and region chapters and to industry-specific members. These leaders will assist members and chapter officers in achieving their goals and obtaining access to training and communication within BFMA.

These positions report to the Membership Council (DJ Brown, VP Chapter/Member Relations, Beth Curry, Director of Member Relations, Carla Bradford, Director of Chapter Relations). The Council will assist these individuals by providing leadership, structure, and goals to effectively succeed in their roles as BFMA leaders. This will, in turn, provide more opportunities of communication and education to each member of the organization.

Region Coordinator (Region 5 United States Southeast and Region 6E Canada East)

Responsibilities include:
- Charter a "Virtual Chapter" in assigned region
- Locate and appoint chapter officers
- Open a chapter bank account with headquarters as a signatory
- Ensure chapter meets on a regular basis and assist chapter officers as necessary to:

• Locate and confirm a speaker or topic
• Communicate via phone, email or mailings
• Collect reservations/confirmations

- Work with Directors on other tasks as appropriate
- Report statistics to Director of Chapter Relations one month prior to spring and fall board meetings

Estimated time:
- Monthly meeting (one hour) to coordinate between chapters and headquarters to arrange meetings via email or phone
- Monitoring meetings as necessary
- Three hours during symposium to connect with current members within the region

Industry Groups Coordinator (Government and Insurance)

Responsibilities include:
- Use online technology for Industry Group communication
- All members are eligible to join an Industry Group
- Leadership roles will be coordinated by Director, Member Relations
- Industry groups will have an event at least quarterly that would be coordinated as necessary:

• Recruit volunteers to assist/chair the events
• Locate and confirm a speaker or topic
• Communicate via phone, email or mailings
• Collect reservations/confirmation

Estimated time:
- Communication as necessary with Membership Council for update of events
- Moderating of industry events
- Meeting time during symposium to connect with members within the Industry Group

If you are interested in pursuing any of these roles, please contact Beth Curry, Carla Bradford, or DJ Brown for more information.