FormStream | Features

FormStream™ is the only form-based, mobile field reporting software platform to give agencies the power to have field reporting your way. You can have a rich set of features and customization yet not be boxed into purchasing or changing your existing back-end infrastructure.  And the best part is how affordable FormStream can be.

AGENCY BENEFITS

• Lower cost of ownership
• Lower cost of maintenance
• Timely and easy updates with in-house tools
• Extendable with unlimited number and type of forms
• Does not displace existing systems or investment
• Accelerates adoption and increases regular use
• Increases productivity in the field and within the office
• Enjoy mobile field reporting even in areas with spotty connectivity

Truly Mobile Field Reporting

Enter Anywhere Reports: Officers have the flexibility to complete, submit, approve and route field reports from the squad car, from a sub-station, from home or anywhere network connectivity is available. The flexibility of “Enter Anywhere” reports allows officers to choose a routine that is best for your operations. Officers have the option to save incomplete drafts of reports right from the squad car for completion at later time and place. Completed reports are submitted directly through an agency configured approval chain. 

Store-&-Forward: FormStream does not rely on continuous network connectivity or web access for successful operation.  Featuring a “store and forward” thin client, FormStream allows officers to work on the report even when a data network is not available and ensures that no data is lost.  Once a network is available, completed reports are automatically forwarded to the next step in their route.  Byte-by-Byte transmissions done in the background whenever connectivity can be established allow officers to continue on with other work.

REPORT Creation

Customized Form-Based Reports:  FormStream’s customized reports mirror traditional paper forms. FormStream presents an electronic version of the report officers are accustomed to working with. Dynamic forms support the unlimited addition of sections (vehicles, witness, suspects, etc.) or pages (tow slip, citation, etc.) as needed. Forms can be easily managed in-house using off-the-shelf form design software.  SpireLine can train selected City staff to manage, maintain, update and ultimately create your own field reports.  SpireLine also provides a Professional Services team that can provide this functionality as a turnkey solution.

REPORT COMPLETION

Auto-Population: FormStream reduces data entry for both officer and clerk through “no-type” alternatives: auto-population, drop-down lists, default field values, calculated fields, pre-populated values and stored officer profiles. Data can be collected from any third-party data source and inserted into FormStream electronic forms: magnetic stripe reader, bar code reader, mobile dispatch data, mobile query data returns (NCIC, local/state/federal), Record Management Systems (RMS) master indices, and RMS code tables. All of these populations are accomplished through the FormStream’s Data Integration Module.

Digital Image Ready: FormStream supports the insertion of digital images and photos into crime reports. Field officers can diagram an accident or crime scene then attach that digital representation to the report.

Support for Common Reference Code Tables: FormStream supports Mobile Reference Code Tables and real-time synchronization with a master server through system interfaces. All field officers will have access to the same common reference code tables (Penal, Vehicle, other) and receive synchronized updates as the data on the server is updated. FormStream uniquely stores field report forms and background common code tables separately to reduce form size and decrease bandwidth report transmission requirements. FormStream features the ability to re-use common codes across forms by managing a master list of code tables accessible to all users.

REPORT Processing

Mobile Report Work Flow Management: FormStream provides automated approval processing for report review, approval, rejection, corrections, comments, and uploading to RMS and other systems. Completed reports are delivered and received via the mobile client.  Once received, reports can be approved or rejected and sent back to the originating officer for modification. In the case of report rejection, comments regarding the rejection are carried with the report until final approval. Routing can be configured by patrol group, by report, by form type, each with “Conditional Routing” options configurable by report by officer and by data elements. Reports can be re-routed or reassigned.  Mobile report processing allows reports and data to become actionable more quickly.

Infrastructure

Tightly Integrates with Existing Systems:

FormStream can be configured to tightly integrate with existing CAD and RMS systems and message switches. 

Industry Standard Based Infrastructure: Our standards-based approach to development ensures that FormStream can integrate with existing and future systems.  Non-proprietary interfaces, open standards, common off-the-shelf tools and platforms like Adobe, Microsoft Windows, SQL Server and .Net, coupled with industry standard data exchange methodologies like Global Justice XML Data Model (GJXML) and National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) permit data sharing and integration with existing and future platforms.

Commercial, off-the-shelf solution (COTS): FormStream represents the next generation of Mobile Field Reporting software through it purposeful design to be open and non-proprietary, agency customizable, and interoperable with virtually all other systems. FormStream is an independent mobile data processing application that removes dependencies on other vendor solutions. Field and office reports are fully customizable by the agency, not hard-coded by the vendor.

Customer-driven roadmap: SpireLine has changed the paradigm in Field-Based Reporting solutions as FormStream’s product roadmap is customer-centric.  We listen to the needs of our customers and incorporate those feature requests into the roadmap.  Features that have been derived from these requests include task re-assignment, conditional notifications, form folders and numerous others. Releases of the FormStream product are not tied to CAD, RMS, or other vendor release cycles.

Security: All reports, data and attachments, are sent via SSL with 128-bit encryption. In addition, all reports with attachments are digitally hashed before and after transmission.  If anything is changed during transmission, the user viewing the report is aware through the broken DigiSeal™ on the envelope of the report.  This digital hash along with authentication and audit trails enables all FormStream reports to be non-repudiated.

Scalability: FormStream has been designed and architected to scale to any size organization.  It supports clustering through Microsoft Clustering services with networked attached storage used for form document and database storage.  In stress tests, FormStream has effectively supported multiple thousands of connected users and multiple tens-of-thousands concurrent form submissions and performed within acceptable operating thresholds.