iTechnology Forms Accelerator's unique and intuitive process makes quick work out of designing and deploying real-world business processes.

• The business process flow is defined by K2 Visual Designer;
• New intuitive wizards guide business managers and analysts through the process of defining role-specific tasks;
• Customizable drag-and-drop field enable easy placement of visible fields;
• 3-click (literally) deployment process eliminates errors and speeds deployment.

No More Manually Switching Between Third-Party Tools And The K2 [Blackpearl] Design Studio

Simply install iTechnology Forms Accelerator and eliminate dependencies on costly products such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Server or InfoPath; no more coding!

Increase productivity and reduce errors by enabling your business analysts to accomplish all their tasks using just one integrated interface.

• iTechnology Forms Accelerator Provides All of This and More:
• Process definition framework to enhance the K2 native framework;
• User interface definition;
• Improved performance of user interface of client application for end users;
• Data information persistence (all data is stored within the K2[blackpearl] repository).

The iTechnology Forms Accelerator includes prepackaged dynamic web-based interfaces. This application is responsible for rendering of tasks, managing customized layouts, and streamlining the end-user experience.

A Better Approach for Process Definition

Now business processes can provide varying levels of granularity for more accurate task definitions. A high level activity, such as “Contact Client”, can be further refined into sub activities such as:

• Call the client;
• Attempt 2nd call if client was unreachable;
• Attempt 3rd call if client was still unreachable;

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By employing a more granular task-oriented approach, you can fine-tune business processes to clearly define all possible steps through any task. For example, you can define the delay period between the end of the previous call attempt and the start of the following attempt. You can also define an escalation path should the user make 3 call attempts without reaching the customer. This feature provides precision control over the task-flow no matter what point in the process the employee is in and regardless of how much time has passed since they last performed the task.

This feature-rich, yet easy-to-use example application provides managers with an efficient way to gather reporting information on how many “2nd” or “3rd” call attempts were made. Managers can also quickly and accurately analyze employee performance on a task-level basis.

Minimizing Cost

By organizing business processes into task oriented activities, your employees know exactly what they are required to do. There's no guessing and no complicated training requirements. In addition to a brief task description, you can add detailed step-by-step instructions that eliminate errors, saves time, and minimizes business risks associated with employee turnover.

Compliance and Governance Benefits

The iTechnology Forms Accelerator is a great tool for organizations impacted by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Basel, NASD, or other compliance regulations because it provides a solid platform for managing compliance requirements.

By defining processes on a more granular level, and using the K2 documentation feature, you can automatically create complete process documentation that meets or exceeds SOX and other regulatory requirements. In addition, audits are easy because all activities are automatically recorded and related data is stored in K2 audit database.

iTechnology Forms Accelerator, combined with the power of K2, is a great solution for high-turnover organizations seeking to reduce their training costs by providing an easy-to-follow method of ensuring that new hires follow defined procedures exactly.

Building User Interfaces Without InfoPath or Custom ASP pages

iTechnology Forms Accelerator does not require InfoPath and Sharepoint. If your organization does not require these products for other reasons, you can redirect their high licensing costs to more worthwhile business needs.

If you need to incorporate data capture or presentation layout, iTechnology Forms Accelerator offers customizable page layouts and fields right out of the box.

Custom Fields

Since fields hold the data you want to capture and present in your process, it is essential to determine what critical data elements can be presented to end users. Here are common approaches to customizing fields:

• Use standard K2 Process Level or K2 Activity Level fields. K2[blackpearl] provides common fields such as Originator (name of the person who started the process instance), Process Priority, and Folio. For example, you could add the value “Folio” to the Task Activity and let end users modify it.
• Create fields from scratch. If you need a standard K2 field that doesn't already exist, you can easily create a custom field in the K2 Object Browser. For example, you could add a field called "Invoice Amount".
• Use SmartObject fields. If you have predefined SmartObjects, you can use fields and parameters to capture and present data along with the task. For example, you can use SmartObjects to connect to your Line of Business system and retrieve information necessary to complete a particular task.
• Do it all! Combine K2 standard fields, custom fields and SmartObjects to create the best experience for your users.

Customizing Page Layouts

Page layouts define how your standard and custom fields appear to your users as well as which fields require data to be entered before a task can be marked as completed. You can also customize your layouts so they are attractive, intuitive and easy to use. By using interactive features such as drag-and-drop, customer interfaces can be designed in just a few minutes.

iTechnology Forms Accelerator supports the following customization of page layouts:

• Change field location
• Group fields in sections
• Add new sections
• Determine if filling a field is required before proceeding to next steps
• Define list of possible values (drop down values)

Integration With Other Technologies

Although not required, iTechnology Forms Accelerator can be combined with other technologies such as InfoPath integration, custom ASP pages integration, Sharepoint Integration, and SmartObject to access your Line of Business services. With such a wide range of integration points, you can design and implement even the most complicated business processes.

Ultimate Efficiency and Our “1-Click Per Task” Challenge

Although the K2[blackpearl] framework does provide means for defining granular processes, it requires using external solutions that are either inefficient (InfoPath) or costly (Custom ASP pages). As you can see below, the iTechnology Forms Accelerator is a clear winner in efficiency vs. cost comparison.

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iTechnology Forms Accelerator is built around our self-imposed challenge: 1 click per task. In other words, if the end user has to complete a particular task, we present a user interface whereby 1 click is all that's needed to move to the next task. Just imagine the increased productivity you will achieve when employees can move through a project one simple click at a time.

Features

Visually Design Task Activities

The K2[blackpearl] design surface is extended, enabling non-technical users to define metadata for Task Activities. All work is done via prebuilt Wizards to allow the most efficient and consistent experience. New Wizards are designed to match K2 look and feel. Supported in both Visio 2007 and Visual Studio 2005

Layout Customization

Enables customization of layouts, fields, and field properties to address your business needs. You can add custom fields, specify if field is required, assign values to drop-down list manually or map to values from your Line of Business System.

Reusable Data Persistence

Itechnology Forms Accelerator does not require a separate database or any other data storage. All information is stored in existing repositories like the K2 database. This simplifies deployment of iTechnology Forms Accelerator processes and minimizes maintenance by IT staff.

Intuitive User Interface

Client web interface is designed to support a layman's view:

• Whisper. Each active task has a section where detailed instructions are shown. This helps keep users on track towards task completion.
• Emphasis. The most important information is highlighted or emphasized
• Task Process History. Instant view of completed tasks enables end-user to quickly determine their exact point in the process.
• Auto-scroll. All relevant information is positioned for immediate view.

Support of Smart Objects

You can use SmartObject fields and properties to present data in form layout. You also can use SmartObjects lists to present a drop-down selection for particular fields. This integration enables you to connect your users with information residing in your Line of Business systems.

Multi Language Support

All content data can be defined in any language. We support Unicode so you can define tasks and actions in the language that is most appropriate for your users.

Easy Deployment

iTechnology Forms Accelerator follows the K2[blackpearl] Deployment approach by supporting data consistency validation before actual deployment. It also supports the K2 method of propagation of processes from the Development environment to Staging, and from Staging to Production.

About iTechnology

iTechnology’s innovative enterprise-class software components and services have helped companies maximize their business agility and improve process automation efficiency. More and more companies and vendors rely on iTechnology Forms Accelerator™ to achieve dramatic returns on investment, create market-defining products and services, and sharpen their competitive edge. For more information, please visit www.myitechnology.com.

USA - iTechnology Corporation - Mission Viejo, CA Tel. +1.888.792.7871 email: info@myitechnology.com

Europe - iTechnology Bulgaria TRO - Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria Tel. +359.62.670857 email: bg@myitechnology.com

Copyright 2008, iTechnology Corporation. All rights reserved. Patents pending. iTechnology Forms Accelerator are registered trademarks or trademarks of iTechnology Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. K2 and K2[blackpearl] are trademarks of SourceCode, Inc. InfoPath and Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server, Microsoft Office Visio, Microsoft Office Visual Studio are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. The content of this document is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by iTechnology Corporation. iTechnology Corporation assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the informational content contained in this document.

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