The TransPaper™product line is a unique framework designed to create workflow enabling forms and tables up to 50% faster than creating from custom code or simple objects.

The TransPaper framework contains two main tools, XFM™, a form view creation engine, and WFM™, a work list view creation engine. These tools are part of the suite of web based application develop tools, provided by the SurgeWorks™ division of Sono. The Sono SurgeWorks products group distilled over 3,500 hours of design and development into these innovative products. Read more about TransPaper (pdf brochure).

What is XFM?

XFM is a contraction of EXtensible Forms Management. It represents a programming tool which allows rapid development of data capture/data manipulation applications (i.e. Order Entry, Tracking applications, etc.). XFM allows you to bring an application online in days that would normally require months. The tool allows you to build an application with the following simple steps:

1. Build forms that represent your user interface (UI).
2. Bind the forms to your database so that data is automatically handled (retrieved, updated, inserted and deleted).
3. Extend the tool to provide application specific customizations (i.e. wizards, system interfaces, etc.).

What is WFM?

WFM is a contraction of Work Flow Management. It represents a programming tool which allows rapid development of lists of transaction work elements (orders, returns, service calls, etc.) with little to no coding. Column headings, widths, formats, and content are all controlled from within the database, rather than requiring a separate application to create the user interface.

What is SIM-Flow?

Forms and lists would be useless without a Sono Interface Manager and workflow engine to move the information throughout the organization.

SIM-Flow provides a head-start for writing non-UI components for:

• Interfacing with other client systems
• Running application specific code (XFM "application exits")

SIM-Flow also provides out of the box support for invoking non-UI routines:

• Synchronously (called directly from an XFM form with a return).
• Asynchronously (called directly from an XFM form without a return...Result might be an update to the database)
• As an orchestrated workflow (a series of offline events that make up a business process).

Finally, SIM-Flow provides the ability to create a subscription mechanism to monitor back-end systems and push events to the user.

To create this magic, we use a J2EE-based application framework that reduces the time and effort required to produce back-end application services (i.e. system interfaces, non-UI application services, etc.) and aids the process of Enterprise Application Integration (EAI). The TransPaper approach greatly increases the amount of reuse that can be achieved in an application.

The TransPaper framework supports the development of atomic application services (i.e. eMail notification mechanism, business date calculator, Interface to other system, etc.) that can be mixed and matched to provide a complete application. The TransPaper framework allows each service to be called in a variety of ways, like web services (SOAP), Native XML, RMI, etc,  without any extra coding. Each service can use the interface mechanism to insulate itself against external change, such as a user switching from Oracle to DB2, IE to Netscape, System A to System B. The interface mechanism allows the application to separate business rules from interface specific code that is exposed to external change. A workflow engine controls when each application service is invoked and creates an easy way to modify/build applications by orchestrating the atomic services.

What does TransPaper™ really do?

• Web-based Transaction Management System
• Web-based Business Automation through form, work lists, and transactions Management
• Publish, route, track, approve, sign, and process online forms and documents
• Migrate a wide range of manual business processes online
• Automate internal forms and the business processes they drive
• Put all of your existing forms into an online, automated system
• Support for tracking, routing and electronically signing online forms
• Installed as an Intranet or Extranet server, and is accessed using a standard web browser like Internet Explorer.
• Separates the roles needed to deploy and manage automated online forms
• Like Microsoft FrontPage®, TransFormIT™ allows content owners to create the content and “publish” completed forms to the web server.

Advantages over Competitors

• Paper Forms? No way!
  • Paper costs money and changing forms is expensive. Over $1.8 billion is lost each year in the United States due to printed forms that become obsolete and are discarded.
  • You still preserve option to print forms - “print & fill” and “fill & print” applications can still be done. Online forms maintain the look of paper forms, a key advantage when physical signatures or off-line use is required.
  • TransPaper’s print-on-demand feature allows you to eliminate the need to print, store and distribute pre-printed forms.
  • Save between $30 and $150 per day on every form. Changes can be made to the online form with formats preserved when viewing older data
  • Paper forms require manual data entry
  • Eliminate the costs associated with manual data entry from paper forms (professional accounting and human resources personnel to key data from paper forms into line-of-business applications are wasting over $30 per hour for data entry)
  • Paper forms take time. With TransPaper, you'll enjoy instant routing and approval with digital signatures
  • Form filling is tedious, and computers are an ideal solution for automating tedious activities.
  • Paper forms can be filled out wrong or incomplete
  • Support for business rules processing, correcting inaccurate information, and preventing inaccurate information from corrupting database and back office applications.
  • AutoFill, calculations, choice lists, and other features to improve worker productivity and improve data processes.
  • Worst of all, paper forms DO NOT HELP DRIVE AND INSURE A REPEATABLE WORK FLOW METHOD.
  • How do I get work done when someone is on vacation?
  • How do I know the forms are being used?
  • Where in the "stack" is my form for ABC Customer?
  • How many transactions were done this week by rep?

  Homemade Workflow Software

  • Homemade systems are not flexible, reliable, extensible, or open
  • Emailing a Word template does not insure Workflow!
  • Fixed forms cannot easily change over time. Electronic forms (made from word, notes, etc.. ) changed overtime without time sensitive data fields, makes historical lookup impossible
  • TransPaper allow you to change layout and selectable drop down options without changing the form itself thanks to features like time sensitive forms, fields, and completion options
  • Track work flow - when it arrived, when it was completed – no more “lost” emails – preserve the chain of custody. Initiators can track the progress of a form, and notes can be added throughout the routing process.
  • Supports multiple views of same form enforcing “do not write below this line” with grayed out areas for some and permission for others based on who is viewing form.
  • Delivered with simple, automated component downloads, assuring wide acceptance of the new system.
  • Uses standards like Microsoft IIS, IBM Websphere, and SQL Server or Oracle
  • Products like Microsoft Outlook® and Lotus™ Notes offer “forms” capability within their own environments but only work within that system and require Visual Basic or Lotus programming
  • Tools are hard to administer and use
  • TransFormIT users are empowered with a design application that is much easier to use than Microsoft Word for form design.

  More than just Electronic Forms
  

  Electronic forms are not new, but our XML architecture and rapid development tools XFM and WFM allow you to create a wide range of timesaving features, including:

  • A true work flow methodology which complements and reinforces your business rules
  • Complete with sorting, filtering, robust searching, tracking, and reporting capabilities
  • Time sensitive forms, fields, and completion options keep your system current
  • Offers a supervisor view of all pending transactions for re/assigning, escalation, approval, closing, removal, disputes, etc
  • Work lists, table views, and individual field options are generated from settings within data itself, insuring flexibility.
  • Easily customized to match your current forms so it will not require extensive User Training