InfoPath Replacement Guide
Providing you the tools you need to assist in your InfoPath replacement migration needs.
Find a new InfoPath forms replacement!
Easy to say – but how can it actually be done?
Unfortunately, there is no “InfoPath Migration Tool” – InfoPath’s form and data structure, with XSN and XML files and data in various places, makes it almost impossible to develop any migration tool that can work effectively and accurately. Even Microsoft has not provided any such tool or capability.
This is why we use the term “InfoPath Forms Replacement” instead of “InfoPath Migration.” The goal is to replace the InfoPath forms and functionality by using a tool that can easily create forms and workflows inside SharePoint and Office 365. That is what we provide with NITRO Studio. With forms, workflows, actions, portals, reporting, and more, NITRO Studio provides an excellent way to move off InfoPath.
1.
Catalog the InfoPath Forms
Identify what InfoPath forms are on your SharePoint server. You can create a spreadsheet and list these manually, if you have good records or if there are not many forms. Or, we can provide PowerShell scripts that extract this information from the SharePoint server.
2.
Review the Catalog
Once the catalog of forms is assembled, whether manually or by scripts, it needs to be reviewed and refined. InfoPath forms need to undergo a review to validate the usefulness of each form and identify needed changes in the form/workflow process.
3.
SharePoint Site Structure
InfoPath forms replacement can also be a time to reconsider the SharePoint site structure. This decision depends on the particular needs of the organization, and NITRO Studio can work with any arrangement – simple or complex. Our focus is on the forms and workflows, no matter where in the SharePoint hierarchy those sit.
4.
No-Code Data Transfer
Our partner, Fusion No-Code Solution, has a tool that extracts data from InfoPath forms and then converts the data into SharePoint Lists or Library items that NITRO Forms can use. InfoPath form entries become items with columns that correspond to the fields on the InfoPath form.
InfoPath Replacement with NITRO Forms
Once the catalog has been reviewed and refined (and, if needed, the site structure reassessed), and the data extracted, the task of recreating the forms can begin. This is often a fairly simple process, especially when using a powerful WYSIWYG Forms Designer such as is in NITRO Studio. Coupled with the NITRO Workflow Manager and Custom Actions, the InfoPath forms can be easily replaced with modern, mobile-friendly forms that users will adopt and use.
More complex forms/workflows can also be created with NITRO Studio. These may involve multi-step approval processes, interaction with databases or ERP systems, complex conditional routing scenarios, and other such sophisticated workflows. These can be implemented in NITRO Studio with a bit more work, but still with no-coding and no need for custom tools.
NITRO’s Application Portal
The Portal feature of NITRO Studio is an appealing way to enhance the user experience. This provides end users with Application Portal pages that are friendly, intuitive, and easy-to-use. A forms catalog, along with FAQs and a Knowledge Base, can be set up. Users can easily select, fill out, and submit forms, while also viewing the status of any form previously submitted.
The Portal also isolates the end users from direct access to SharePoint lists, providing the extra layer of security needed for sensitive forms, such as for HR, Payroll, or Finance.
Bots & Teams Integration
When used in Microsoft Office 365, NITRO Studio includes Bots that integrate with Microsoft Teams. Bots provide a way for users to get the answers they need right away, 24×7. Bots also allow staff to interact with a Service Desk running NITRO through Teams. See our Teams Integration pages for details.
Bots introduce a new way of engaging end users through conversational interfaces, and can often preempt the need for a form. In some cases, a Bot can even replace an InfoPath form, giving the users an entirely new experience that InfoPath could never provide.
InfoPath Replacement Manager
Our InfoPath Replacement Manager works in conjunction with NITRO Studio. The Manager holds the information about each form while NITRO Studio creates the actual forms and workflows.
Working together, these two tools bring an easy and efficient way to make the move off InfoPath to modern, responsive, full-featured forms. The goal is to drive business process automation forward so that your organization can reap the benefits of all the capabilities of the cloud first, mobile friendly world that has left InfoPath in the dust.
Time to move off InfoPath. Learn how.
Make this your year to move off InfoPath forms. InfoPath is old technology that needs to be phased out of your organization. Don’t let it hold you back from the many new and interesting features in modern forms solutions like our NITRO Studio.
NITRO Studio gives you the ability to create dynamic, responsive, modern forms and workflows in SharePoint on-premises and Office 365. It includes all the features you need to create great applications in SharePoint and Office 365.
Replace InfoPath or any other legacy forms program with NITRO Studio. Download our eBook as a guide to best practices and ways to transition off InfoPath.
Let us show you how to move from outdated InfoPath forms to NITRO Studio!
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InfoPath Forms Replacement Resources | View More >>
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