Different institutions use forms to obtain necessary information from an individual or group. Some examples are tax forms, application forms, and event registration forms. Usually, forms are printed, and individuals are tasked to fill them out with their information.
The traditional way of processing a form is to fill it out manually with the necessary information. Then, the business or organization would validate the information and make necessary approval for a request or application. This process could take hours to days to months, depending on each stage of form processing, especially if it requires several approvals. Sometimes security measures, such as validating the data, could take longer if it is done manually.
Once a person finishes processing the form, the business or organization also conducts post-processing to store and manage the transaction properly. They classify each data for a certain field. Usually, they organize the data by entering them into a single and accessible system, such as a spreadsheet or database.
For example, one column is designated for the transaction number or a unique ID number, another column for the name, another column for its type of transaction, and so on – entering data manually into a computer or system. That’s how some businesses manage and record their transactions.