CitiCorp uses FormEasy for Forms Management
Some years ago, the Citicorp Western Region attempted to automate the management of
forms for processing credit applications. Their search narrowed to 5 potential forms
management packages. The most important criteria for CitiCorp were:
- Merging forms with a database
- A "wrap around" capability
- Math functions
According to Dick Walsh, a member of the evaluation team, "We tested the most
difficult forms first on the premise that the most difficult forms would save the most
time when automated. We wanted a forms management package to do everything you could do in
a word processing system." The evaluation led them to FormEasy from Graphics
Development International. Although other vendors claimed to have similar capabilities,
none could demonstate the key features required by CitiCorp. FormEasy is currently
installed on a number of PC configurations, from a PS Model 60 to a regular PC, using both
color and monochrome video display terminals.
Hewlett Packard Laserjet printers are used for output. According to Dick Walsh,
CitiCorp has been impressed with the limited amount of memory required to run FormEasy.
Some glitches surfaced when FormEasy was used with IBM's LAN network. These glitches were
quickly corrected with a software upgrade and help from GDI's customer service personnel.
Dick Walsh characterized the support received from GDI as "great".
Four of the most important forms have now been standardized and the run time version of
FormEasy is now used in Denver, Seattle and San Francisco. The RunTime version allows
users to access a form, enter the information requested and then output the completed form
to a laser printer. The macro facility in FormEasy has simplified the user access and the
downloading of the printer fonts. Eventually CitiCorp envisions a complete forms library
built into the system with usage expanding geographically across the U.S.
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