Army evolves to e-forms

The U.S. Army has embarked on an e-form modernization project that includes a multi-year contract with PureEdge to upgrade its inventory of more than 100,000 forms.

PureEdge's XML-based e-forms software was chosen as part of the complete solution, which includes IBM DB2 Content Manager, IBM Websphere, IBM Tivoli Monitoring and Silanis ApproveIt.

The project is part of the Army's Forms Content Management Program (FCMP) to provide a standardized, Web-based enterprise solution to automate processes, reduce processing costs and more efficiently manage the information contained in forms accessed by Army personnel worldwide. The e-forms software will power thousands of e-processes in a variety of U.S. Army business applications, including medical, transportation, logistics, finance, legal, personnel and communications.

In a recent press release, a U.S. Army representative says, "The Forms Content Management Program revolutionizes the Army's forms-based activities. The advancement of the e-forms system will enhance the readiness of our warfighters and personnel around the world. Furthermore, the solution will enable the U.S. Army to save millions of dollars and improve the efficiency with which we manage forms-based transactions among Army personnel."

The XML-based e-forms system will allow users to digitally sign, manage, e-mail, distribute and archive information contained in most forms. Other benefits are:

• time-savings,
• reduced development and system maintenance costs,
• reduction of system redundancies and errors,
• improved security of information and provision of auditable records,
• interoperability with existing infrastructures and system extensibility, and
• regulatory compliance.