By: Robin Miller,
VP, Programs
The BFMA Fall Forms Institute will be will be co-located with Document Strategy Forum, Mailing Systems Technology Conference, and Parcel Forum. Your badge will allow you to attend any of the sessions being offered at these four conferences as well as visit the Parcel Forum exhibit hall at no additional cost.
Make your plans now to attend the BFMA 2009 Fall Forms Institute, October 5 -7, 2009, held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago,IL.
BFMA has expanded the 2009 Fall Forms Institute to 3 tracks, including Forms Management, Design/Development, and Technology/Process/Workflow. Do you need to improve your skills or learn a new technique? Then these sessions are not to be missed. Watch the BFMA website for details. Early registration is available now.
Preconference sessions on Monday, October 5:
PDF Forms from Microsoft Word, presented by Nicole Sell
PDF forms are needed almost everyday for various business needs. Microsoft Word is a very popular application and there are different techniques to create usable forms in Microsoft Word. Once the Word document has been developed it can be converted to a PDF form. All of the fields are then added to the PDF. There are different types of form fields and different uses for each. Learn to create a great fillable PDF form.
Nicole Sell is an Adobe Certified Expert & Certified Instructor in Adobe Acrobat, Captivate and Dreamweaver as well as a Microsoft Office Master. She has been in the technology training industry for several years specializing in Adobe Acrobat, eLearning and Microsoft Office.
Creating Forms in Adobe InDesign CS4, presented by Mark Lehr
Discover how to build forms in Adobe InDesign with a cameo appearance of Adobe Acrobat to make it fillable. Experience this fast-paced look at Adobe InDesign CS4 and investigate the interface and work spaces available. Then discover how to save time by creating Master Pages to speed up development and provide a consistent look to documents and forms. Discover styles for text, objects and tables, advanced find and change, transformation of objects, step and repeat and libraries to store frequently used text and graphics. Finally, explore packaging files for printing and distribution and creating PDF format files for further enhancement in the Form Wizard.
This is a hands-on session. A laptop with Adobe InDesign CS4 and Acrobat software is required. Laptops are available for rent by request.
Mark Lehr is a Senior Trainer at Easel Solutions, an Adobe Enterprise Partner and a Microsoft Certified Learning Solutions Partner. With over 10 years of experience, he is an Adobe Certified Instructor who specializes in InDesign, Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator and Captivate. Mark has been recognized by Adobe as one of the top 5 Adobe Certified Instructors. He works with businesses throughout the country to provide customized solutions through software training and eLearning development designed to meet their specific business goals.
Classroom Sessions for Tuesday, October 6:
Design and Usability of Electronic Health Records, presented by Robert Schumacher and Gavin Lew
Negative impact on productivity is the primary reason for the weak adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Technical concerns over security, privacy, and system integration have been replaced with human performance concerns over usability by medical professionals. EHRs have been largely technology-driven and produce designs that are difficult to use and do not match clinician workflow. EHR applications need to become more usable by implementing a more clinician-centered design approach, which will be discussed in this presentation.
Robert Schumacher is a Managing Director at User Centric, Inc., a global user research consultancy. He has a PhD in Cognitive and Experimental Psychology and over 20 years of experience conducting user research and applying usability principles to design. Bob has strived to bring the subject of global user experience to the forefront of professional discourse and was one of the driving forces behind the formation of the User Experience Alliance. Bob speaks frequently at professional events, holds a number patents, and has written dozens of professional and academic papers.
Gavin Lew is a Managing Director at User Centric, Inc., a global user research consultancy. He has an MA in Experimental Psychology and over 15 years of experience in corporate and academic environments. He specializes in research and user-centered design within the areas of healthcare and mobile technology. Gavin is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences and holds several patents.
Respondent-Friendly Forms for Electronic Data Capture, presented by Dawn Savacool
Are you wondering can forms really be both respondent and data capture friendly? Well, the short answer is "Yes". With a little planning and using good forms design guidelines, both objectives can be achieved. In this session, learn techniques and tips for designing not only human-friendly forms (i.e. easy to fill out) but also ones from which data can be electronically captured. We will also explore the use of color, fonts, design elements and even paper selection which all contribute to the success of accurate data retrieval from your forms. So whether you are just beginning your trek into forms design or have been doing it for years and would like some refresher tips, come join us for this session.
Dawn Savacool is a Prepress and Design Specialist at Advanced Document Imaging (ADI, LLC) in Rochester, NY She has been working in the forms design and file preparation field for 10 years, six of which she has been the lead designer in creating concept forms for the U.S. Census Bureau in preparation for the 2010 Census. She also has conducted training sessions in effective forms design and has achieved certification from the U.S Postal service as a Mail Design Professional.
Using Data in PDF Forms, presented by J.P. Terry
This session explores different ways of working with data in your PDF forms. We will show examples of pre-filling data into PDF forms and retrieving data from PDF forms. You will learn about different technologies and techniques including inexpensive tools (Adobe Acrobat Professional) and more expensive tools (Adobe LiveCycle Servers). If you have ever wanted to post a form to a website and easily move data in and out of the form, this is the class for you. This class will be taught by J.P. Terry, author of the Adobe Press book, “Creating Dynamic Forms with Adobe LiveCycle Designer.”
J.P. Terry is the co-founder and CEO of SmartDoc Technologies, a leading company in the field of intelligent and dynamic document solutions. SmartDoc specializes in the Adobe LiveCycle platform, Adobe InDesign Server and the Google Search appliance. The company has developed interactive document solutions for Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and MetLife. SmartDoc Technologies is a member of the Adobe Solutions network and a Google Enterprise Professional. With offices in New York, New Jersey and Beijing-China, SmartDoc is a 24 hour per day company and will complete your assignments in half the time and at half the cost.
How to Think Like a Dynamic Form, presented by Ann Sargent
In Adobe LiveCycle Designer, there are 20-some events that can serve as placeholders for JavaScript or FormCalc code. For instance, the click of a button is always eventful (mouseEnter, mouseDown, click, mouseUp, mouseExit), and so is opening or closing a dynamic form. But with so many events to choose from, how do you decide where to place your code? Where will it work dependably? Where might it slow performance? When might it be ignored? Take some time to understand how a dynamic form works, when the various events fire, and what functionality can be added when they do. This session should decrease your level of frustration with coding and improve your forms' performance (as well as your own!). JavaScript samples will be included in handouts, so even those relatively new to coding will have a useful take-away.
Ann Sargent is a forms developer, graphic designer, and Adobe® Certified Expert in Acrobat. She currently designs and develops electronic forms using Adobe LiveCycle® at Tech-Pro, an Adobe Solution Partner. With a co-worker, she developed LiveCycle Designer training materials and teaches Tech-Pro’s customized, on-site classes. Founded in Minnesota in 1989, Tech-Pro is a full-service consulting and staffing firm serving both IT and business. Recently Tech-Pro launched the Upper Midwest Adobe LiveCycle User Group.
Managing Your Forms through an Online Forms Portal, presented by Franklin Garner
Do you have lots of forms? An online forms portal is one of the best ways to manage a large number of forms for a wide audience of users. In this class, forms portals from several large organizations will be examined to show how clients can search an online catalog of paper and electronic forms to locate the forms they need. The basic cataloging features will be demonstrated and discussed, and the building blocks for implementing a forms portal will be described. More advanced forms portals will also be shown where filled e-forms can be securely saved, submitted, e-mailed, and recalled. There will also be examples of how a forms portal can become an infrastructure for e-forms workflows with routing, approvals, and tracking. Special emphasis will be placed on Intranet (behind the firewall) implementations, where information can be auto-populated onto e-forms from an Active Directory to streamline the forms filling process.
Franklin Garner is president and CEO of Amgraf, Inc., a company specializing in software technology for the forms industry. Mr. Garner has been instrumental in developing high-end business forms and security document pre-press systems for many of the world's largest forms manufacturers. He is a member of the Board of Directors for PERF, the Print Education and Research Foundation, and is an instructor on forms automation and electronic forms for the PSDA Print University. He has written and co-authored research papers for IADT, and his articles have appeared in business forms trade magazines and industry reports. Mr. Garner holds a BS in industrial design from Illinois Institute of Technology.
Developing a Style Guide, presented by Ray Killam
The goal of a style guide is to have a single place for users to find any information related to forms management and forms development. There are many issues, including what to include, how to structure the guide, how to prevent duplication of presentation (and related revisions), and ways to communicate strategy and objectives of forms management that ensures that form strategy and goals are congruent with corporate goals, etc. In addition, bootleg (rogue) forms are a problem. Since we can't stop them, we need to work to make them work better. The Style Guide helps do that by providing guidelines, standards, and instructions.
Ray Killam holds a BBA-Economics degree from Washburn University, a MBA-Management degree from George Mason University, and a Masters Certificate in eCommerce from Creighton University. Ray is Past President of BFMA and was awarded the Jo Warner award in 2001 for service to the forms industry. He has served on the Board for the International Association for Document Technologies, Washburn Alumni Association, the US Jaycees and others. Ray is current president of Essociates Group, Inc., a leading forms management consulting company.
Classroom Sessions for Wednesday, October 7:
Adding Value with Plain Language Forms, presented by Terri Borrud
This interactive session will show you how you can add value to your organization through the understanding and usage of "Plain Language Forms." Forms don't need to be formal and use legalese. While some bureaucratic writing is good, much of it is pompous, overcomplicated, passive and confusing. Forms are a tool to the law - not the law. In fact, plain language forms make the reader feel intelligent and empowered which will save your organization time and money because your forms will be completed correctly, the first time.
Terri Borrud is currently the Forms Officer for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Office of Court Operations. She first became a member of BFMA in 1980 while working as a typesetter (before IBM Mag Card Selectric Composer, memory typewriters or computers) for a large insurance company. Terri has worked in many capacities as a forms professional throughout her career. She sold business forms for Standard Register and Econoprint, Forms Analyst for American Family Insurance, Forms and Inventory Control Manager for General Casualty Insurance and CUNA & Affiliates.
Five Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Adobe LiveCycle Forms, presented by Ann Sargent
Adobe has published best practices for improving the performance of LiveCycle Designer forms. We'll explore these and draw on Tech-Pro's experience developing LiveCycle forms for a variety of clients. Learn about some common pitfalls to avoid as you design, develop, or manage LiveCycle forms. Incorporate best practices as you develop your own form fragments and custom library. The benefits are many: greater consistency, an improved user experience, and increased productivity, both as you create new forms and as you revise them.
Variable Data Presentation: Customization and Personalization, presented by Lisa Lee
Research shows that personalization improves return rates and enhances the user experience. As a result, personalized service is becoming more important and common in the market. And, often, time is short to produce the materials. Several methods used to accomplish customization and personalization at Standard Insurance Company will be presented, including both desktop and print shop methods. Attendees will be invited to share other methods with which they are familiar.
Lisa Lee is the manager of forms management at Standard Insurance Company. Her team is responsible for managing the forms for 3 companies, 2 regional offices and 41 sales and service offices. She has directed and participated in a wide variety of forms projects. She currently serves as BFMA as the Association President.
Variable Data Printing: Mailing is a Project, presented by Lisa Lee
Variable-data printing (VDP) is a form of on demand printing in which elements such as text, graphics and images may be changed from one printed piece to the next, without stopping or slowing down process and using information from a database or external file. For example, a set of personalized letters, each with the same basic layout, can be printed with a different name and address on each letter. In this session you will have an opportunity to learn the key elements to consider for successful variable data printing projects.
Mobile Printer Technology - Replacing Traditional Business Forms, presented by Brandon Kent
This session is an in-depth look at how direct thermal paper/printers have changed the daily operations of many businesses. We cite specific changes, their impact on daily workflow, associated markets, manufacturers of hardware/software and understanding direct thermal similarities and difference characteristics. The session goal is to impart a basic understanding of direct thermal paper technology, who is currently being impacted, who will be impacted in the coming years, and what to look for when purchasing direct thermal paper.
Brandon Kent has twelve years of printing experience, including commercial printing, forms printing, direct mail/variable imaging, and direct thermal products. He has been the sales manager for regional and national commercial printers and is currently vice president of TDG - Telemark Corporation.
Tips and Tricks in Adobe Acrobat, presented by Nicole Sell
There are many different uses for Adobe Acrobat and PDFs. This session will show a variety of different features of Acrobat and some shortcuts to help your work process become more manageable.
Conducting a Call for Forms, presented by Ray Killam
Forms management begins with the collecting and cataloging of a company's forms. Learn the best ways to position yourself to conduct a successful call for forms, the best procedures to use, important data to collect, and how to use the process as a positive approach.
Building a forms distribution website, presented by Oliver Wischmeyer
This session will look at the process and challenges involved in redesigning eForms, the MetLife website that provides access to the over 13,000 used by MetLife. Consideration to the unique needs of over 37,000 employees in accessing and using forms and needs for security and entitlements, as well as the need to support other MetLife websites, portals, and applications needing forms provided additional challenges in the redesign effort will be discussed.
Oliver Wischmeyer has been with MetLife for 30 years, 20 in sales and sales management and 10 in his current role managing the eForms group. In this role he is responsible for forms design, intelligent forms, and a website that provides access to over 13,000 forms. Oliver received his CFSP designation in November 2008.
Reengineering Forms Management, presented by Oliver Wischmeyer
MetLife, the largest life insurance company in the U.S., instituted a reengineering initiative across its operations. One initiative is to reengineer forms management and the structure and functions of the forms management group. This session will review the history of forms management in MetLife and the challenges in getting the initiative's recommendations adopted in a culture where forms were traditionally viewed as 'just forms'.
MailPiece Design, presented by Nayesa Land
The Mailpiece Design course provides training on postal standards related to designing letter and flat-sized mail to facilitate processing on high-speed automation equipment while maximizing cost effectiveness for the Postal Service and the customer. Topics include forwarding and related services, PARS, machinable and non-machinable criteria, barcoding formats and criteria, designing automation letter-size pieces, designing automation flat-size pieces, mail processing equipment and mail flow, design of special service labels and reply mail.
Nayesa Land began her Postal career 22 years ago with a Bachelor Degree in marketing and communications. As the Mailpiece Design Analyst for Chicago District, she provides technical assistance on mailpiece design to customers, including business mailers, envelope manufacturers, printers, advertising agencies and graphic artists, by examining and assessing compliance with mailing standards, address readability, and compatibility with automate processing equipment and recommend corrective action to achieve efficient processing.
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