Victoria Forms

VF Creator Electronic Cloud-Based Forms System

Victoria Forms supply VF Creator; Intelligent Online Forms Design Software to enable anyone to build smart eForms and streamline administration. Giving full control over the design process without needing technical skills, includes error checking, validation and evidence upload option. Integration available with Back Office Systems, Document Management, CRM and Portals.

Features

• Cloud Based System presents, processes and stores eForms
• Design, Create & Maintain eForms using MS Word
• 16 Field types plus fixed and conditional Field properties
• eForms accessible via desktop, laptop, mobile devices and tablets
• Forms work in major browsers with no additional software required
• Relevant questions appear only when needed
• Saving capabilities for partially complete forms
• PDF export for all forms; API available for data export
• Optional Modules: Processes, Advanced Signatures, Campaigns
• Optional Offline Forms, Attachments Module, Statistics Module

Benefits

• Familiarity of Word means no new design package to learn
• Self-creation enables self-maintenance and updates
• Integration eliminates time spent on rekeying information
• Online forms dramatically reduce printing costs
• Intelligent forms reduce errors and improve user experience
• Customer focused approach develops most efficient service for you
• 18 years of eForms experience working with Local Authorities
• Anyone can fill in forms, no need to register beforehand
• Secure save capability avoids users having to restart forms
• Completed forms easily downloaded as PDF for personal records

£600 a user

• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at GCloudSales@VictoriaForms.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

591743017943700

Contact

Duncan Bayne
01284 703000
GCloudSales@VictoriaForms.co.uk

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: Yes, but can also be used as a standalone service
• What software services is the service an extension to: VF Creator Design Software is an Add-In for Microsoft Word, which is used for form design. If Microsoft Word is not available to your organisation, Victoria Forms can offer a Design Service. ; The Enterprise Forms Server Solution can integrate with other systems for data or document management.
• Cloud deployment model: Private cloud
• Service constraints: VF Creator and Enterprise Forms Server Software are only compatible with Windows and should be installed on Windows Devices. ; ; VF Creator is a Word Add-In and requires Word 2010+ (not Office Online) to allow your organisation to design your own forms. ; ; Please Note: End Users can access eForms using any operating system, it is only the design and server software that is constrained to Windows.
• System requirements:
  • For VF Creator Add-In: Word 2010+ (not Office Online)
  • If Self-Hosted: Windows Server 2012 R2 and above
  • If Self-Hosted: Microsoft IIS7.5 & above
  • If Self-Hosted: SQL Database

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Target Initial Response Time: 60 Minutes; Target Incident Management Response Times - ; Priority 1: 60 Minutes; Priority 2: 180 Minutes; Priority 3: 24 Hours; Priority 4: None (Logged for information purposes only); Support Desk open Monday - Thursday 09:00 to 17:30 UK Time; Friday 09:00 to 17:00 UK Time. Excluding English Bank Holidays and Public Holidays, and between Christmas and New Year. Out of hours technical support is available upon request and as mutually agreed.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Email and Telephone support are included within product and maintenance costs at the times specified. Onsite Support is provided at extra cost, of £1,000 per day.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Victoria Forms appoint a Project Manager for the implementation phase, supported by Consultants, eForms Designers and the Technical Support Team. Through an Initial Project meeting and additional discussion, required information is obtained from the Buyer to assist Victoria Forms in the Setup of the Solution. Any changes required can be discussed and implemented at any time during the project. ; ; Training is included within the Setup of the Core Enterprise Forms Server Software. Typically this will be a session where the Buyer interacts with the system both from the perspective of the end-user, and as an administrator - to understand all facets of the service. In addition, Victoria Forms provide access to manuals and support resources to assist with the use of the software. ; ; eForm branding is applied by Victoria Forms, with no need to involve web designers. ; ; For End Users to access forms, all that is required is to provide a link from your website to the appropriate eForm (the appropriate link will be provided by Victoria Forms). When a user clicks on the link, the appropriate eForm will open up in a new browser window on the End User’s computer.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Off-boarding is straightforward; given the data being captured by the system in a submitted eForm is used or captured by the Authority for its own on-going processing and record keeping regularly. Therefore, any data held should already have been captured by the Buyer. ; ; Victoria Forms can provide additional access to the database for the Buyer if required, to download any further eForms submitted in the last days of contract provision, to ensure it has sufficient time in which to download these and capture the included customer data. ; ; When the Buyer has confirmed it has downloaded all records from the system or the agreed additional access time has finished, Victoria Forms will permanently delete all data held securely under contract, including any backups to ensure it satisfies all its Data Protection requirements.
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the Contract, removal of the system is included within the Annual Maintenance Fee paid by the Buyer.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
• Application to install: Yes
• Compatible operating systems: Windows
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: Relates to end user online forms ONLY:; ; Mobile eForms are responsive and resize automatically to fit the device screen, and the eForm controls shrink to a minimalist bar across the top of the screen allowing more space for eForm questions to reduce excessing scrolling. Controls can be accessed via a mobile menu.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Description of service interface: End users interact with forms via their browser. No login is required, and users can navigate through forms using the form controls at the top of the page. Forms are presented in the style of the buyer's website, or as mutually agreed. ; ; The Buyer will have access to VF Creator within MS Word and Enterprise Forms Server Core, a cloud-hosted management system which controls the processing and hosting of forms. This is accessed via username and password, and allows the buyer to configure form settings and perform additional actions with their forms, as well as add new users.
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Accessibility testing: For public facing forms, accessed via the browser - Victoria Forms have conducted a number of tests using market leading assistive technology and have also had feedback from visually impaired users of the software.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: There are APIs available in various parts of our service which provide the facility to pre-populate forms, control form features, access partially completed forms and submitted forms, and control form processes.; ; The exact APIs available depend on the options chosen as part of the service.; ; The APIs need to be set up by Victoria Forms IT, who can provide documentation and example code, as well as work with the Buyer's IT to achieve requirements.
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • HTML
  • PDF
• API sandbox or test environment: No
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Buyers can use VF Creator to design their own forms, or alternatively can request a bespoke eForm design service from Victoria Forms. ; ; Where the bespoke design service is used, experienced eForms Design staff discuss requirements with the Buyer, and can create bespoke forms based on a given specification according to requirements. ; ; Buyers also have control over eForm configuration options, via administrative staff who have an account on Enterprise Forms Server software, allowing complete customisation over content of information that is shown and sent to the End User at the point of eForm Submission. Form Configuration can also be used to configure export options, notification emails, etc.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Each Victoria Forms Setup is independent of another. Buyers have the option of hosting their own solution internally, or Victoria Forms can provide hosting, through Microsoft Azure. ; ; For the End User - the system enables the entire eForm to be loaded by the local user browser, including all the inbuilt intelligence. The data is only sent to the server when the form is submitted on completion or saved as a part-completed eForm. Processing of eForm data takes only a few seconds. Many concurrent users can complete eForms while the server remains unburdened.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: No

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Managed by a third party
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: In-house
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Other
• Other data at rest protection approach: For Hosted solutions, data is protected by Microsoft Azure's Transparent data encryption (TDE)
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
• Equipment disposal approach: In-house destruction process

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: All forms can be exported as PDF files. These can be be sent to a document system via email, or manual upload. With some custom coding, our system can generate detailed indexing information for each form, and send this along with the form directly to a document system. ; ; Using the EFS Core API, selected forms can be exported as XML files, which can then be sent to a Back Office System via connectors or APIs, to allow data to be integrated with existing Back Office Systems.; ; Data can also be exported in CSV format.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • XML
  • PDF
  • JSON
• Data import formats: Other
• Other data import formats:
  • XML - via API
  • JSON - via API

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
• Data protection within supplier network: TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Where Victoria Forms provide hosting, the eForms System will be hosted by Microsoft Azure. Microsoft’s data centers are engineered to provide 99.999% availability to meet their customer’s SLAs and service needs. ; ; Target Service Availability ; 98+% ; ; 98+% uptime guarantee does not include scheduled maintenance - normally conducted outside working hours and as previously notified.; ; Service Desk Support Hours; Monday to Friday; 09:00 to 17:00 UK Time ; Excluding English bank and public Holidays and between Christmas and New Year. Out of hours technical support is available upon request and as mutually agreed.
• Approach to resilience: Information available upon request.
• Outage reporting: Within the Enterprise Forms Server System, any error alerts are displayed in the 'Filled Forms' area of the system, notifying users if there are forms waiting to be downloaded. Error reports are also sent to Victoria Forms support. ; ; Should systems be unavailable for extended periods of time, Victoria Forms will notify the Buyer and will work to reinstate systems as soon as possible.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password
  • Other
• Other user authentication: Licence Key and Account Name required for VF Creator Add-In for Microsoft Word. ; ; Username and Password and 2-Factor Authentication required for Enterprise Forms Server.; ; End users do not need to be authenticated to open a blank form. If they save a partially complete form, the data is encrypted and only accessible with a reference code. Once submitted, the form can no longer be accessed or edited by the end user.
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Access to the management interface is via web access on servers which are only accessible to allowed IP addresses. These servers are separate from the servers which present the eForms for completion.; ; The eForms System is hosted on secure servers, provided by the customer, or by Victoria Forms (Microsoft Azure). Access to the servers is by username and password, with the option of a whitelist of IP addresses.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
• How long system logs are stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: No
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: No
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: No

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: No
• Security governance certified: No
• Security governance approach: We follow best practice for maintaining security of data – our policies are incorporated into our contracts with customers.
• Information security policies and processes: Victoria Forms have an Information Security policy in place which is followed by all staff members, and the company is working towards ISO 27001 certification. ; ; The system architecture is designed with information security at the forefront of decision-making, and we use an industry leading hosting service (Microsoft Azure) to store and process data. ; ; Further information is available upon request.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Victoria Forms use Source Control Software to track components of our services through their lifetime. ; ; Changes are assessed using an in-house code review programme.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Testing is carried out to assess potential threats to the service. Where possible, threats will be replicated and fixes/updates will be applied to the system to rectify any vulnerabilities. ; ; Major System updates are applied every 12 months. Minor updates are applied approximately every 2-6 months. Where vulnerabilities have been identified, patches will be applied immediately. ; ; Potential threats are identified via Penetration Testing, Customer Feedback and Regular research on current/potential threats.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: Potential compromises are checked for alongside vulnerabilities.; ; In the event of the discovery of a potential compromise, Victoria Forms will endeavour to correct the issue, and assess the impact and escalate priority as required.; ; Upon discovery of any compromise, Victoria Forms will escalate the incident to the highest priority, and will provide a response to the affected party within 60 minutes.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Incidents or issues can be raised through our Support Helpdesk, which will be responded to by a member of the Support Team. ; ; For high priority incidents, where the service availability has been affected, an Incident Report Form will be completed by Victoria Forms, and if required, provided to the relevant party.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Fighting climate change:

  Fighting climate change

  Victoria Forms services encourage and facilitate the use of online services for applications, including providing supporting documentation. This reduces printing, postage, and trips to provide evidence in person, resulting in lower waste and emissions. ; ; As a Company, our working practices aim to reduce our negative environmental impact, including but not limited to reducing energy consumption where possible, making environmentally conscious decisions when choosing suppliers and running our local offices, and conducting meetings and training via online routes where possible, to reduce travel.
• Covid-19 recovery:

  Covid-19 recovery

  Victoria Forms' solutions support organisations in providing end-to-end online services, which provide people who are shielding or unable to visit offices in person with a comprehensive method of interaction. Evidence can be provided online via our forms rather than being posted or provided in person reducing contact. Payments can be provided online, and validation can also occur in real-time, limiting the need for in-person interactions. ; ; During the pandemic, we provided Local Authorities with COVID-19 Grant application forms, using their existing Victoria Forms system to process applications to support to businesses and individuals affected by COVID-19. Our systems can be used for further grant forms or in the wider Welfare provision process.
• Tackling economic inequality:

  Tackling economic inequality

  Victoria Forms have over 18 years' experience working with Local Authorities. Our primary area of expertise is within Benefits, assisting Local Authorities to support their community, by supplying ready-made online application forms which make the administrative process as streamlined as possible, allowing staff to focus on helping people who need them most. ; ; Our solutions also include online forms for the Recruitment sector, allowing recruiters to digitise their paper applications - making application processes more accessible, and providing an affordable and secure data collection method for applicants and recruiters alike.
• Equal opportunity:

  Equal opportunity

  Victoria Forms is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst our workforce. Our aim is that our employees truly represent all sections of society and each individual feels respected and able to give of their best. Training, development and progression opportunities are available to all employees.
• Wellbeing:

  Wellbeing

  Victoria Forms are committed to ensure the Health and Wellbeing of staff is supported properly during their time with the company. Our aim is to create an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of all our staff are recognised and valued, as well as providing staff with appropriate work equipment and resources for individual needs, in order for all company members to thrive physically and mentally.

Pricing

• Price: £600 a user
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: Victoria Forms provide Buyers with links to a comprehensive selection of Demonstration eForms, which can be accessed at any time - completed, saved, and submitted. ; ; Free Trials will have a limited time period.

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at GCloudSales@VictoriaForms.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.