How to Start With Business Process Digitalization

1) Identify the processes you want to digitalize

The first step is figuring out what to digitalize. As with business process optimization, we recommend focusing on the areas where digital tools can make the biggest impact.

Here are some common characteristics of processes that are prime for digitization and digitalization:

• Manual and repetitive:  Think data entry, paperwork, or sending the same email over and over. Example: daily safety checklists on paper.
• Error-prone: If people often forget steps or make mistakes, that’s a red flag. Example: manual inventory tracking that leads to stockouts or overordering.
• Time-consuming: Long approval chains or handoffs slow everything down. Example: waiting for a signed paper form to be physically handed to someone else.
• Hard to track: If you can't easily see the status of a process, it's tough to manage. Example: tracking maintenance requests that come in via phone calls or text messages.
• Field-based or mobile: Processes that happen outside the office are often disconnected from your systems. Example: site inspections that get documented in a notebook, then typed up later.

If you’ve got a long list of processes that need a revamp, prioritize based on:

• Impact — Which ones will save the most time or reduce the most errors?
• Pain level — Which processes are the most frustrating for your team?
• Feasibility — What can you realistically tackle with your current resources?

Start small. For instance, you can use mobile forms software to digitialize one or two high-impact processes and go from there. Quick wins build momentum.

2) Document and map out the process

Once you’ve picked a process to digitalize, you need to understand exactly how it works today. That means documenting it step-by-step — what happens, who’s involved, what tools are used, and where the pain points are.

Here’s how you can gather the info you need:

• Talk to the people who do the work: Interviews and shadowing are super helpful. Ask them to walk you through a typical day.
• Review existing documentation: Look at forms, reports, emails, or spreadsheets related to the process.
• Observe the process in action: Watch how it actually unfolds. You might notice steps or issues that no one mentions.

If it is a complex process, it doesn’t hurt to map it out. Start with the first trigger (e.g. an employee submits a time off request form) and follow it to the end. Tools like Lucidchart, Miro, or even a good old whiteboard can work.

This helps you:

• Spot unnecessary steps or delays
• Identify areas that could be automated or simplified
• Create a baseline to compare the digital version against.

You don’t need a perfect map — just something that clearly shows how things work today. It'll guide your digitalization efforts and help you explain the changes to your team later.

3) Digitize the process

Now it’s time to actually make the shift from manual to digital. Use one of the approaches we mentioned earlier — off-the-shelf software, a no-code platform, or a custom build — depending on your needs.

Let’s look at two practical before-and-after examples using a no-code platform, which is often the fastest and most flexible option for digitalizing specific internal processes.

🏗️ Construction: Site inspections

Before: A site supervisor uses a clipboard to complete a daily inspection checklist. At the end of the day, they take photos on their phone, then go back to the office to type everything into a report and email it to the safety manager.

After: The supervisor uses a mobile app built on a no-code platform. They open the app on their mobile device, which walks them through the checklist, lets them attach photos, and add notes with voice-to-text. When they click “Submit”, the app automatically sends a completed report to the right people. Everything is stored securely and instantly accessible from the office.

🚚 Transportation & logistics: Vehicle audits

Before: Drivers fill out vehicle inspection forms on paper each morning. Forms are handed in at the end of the shift. Someone from the admin team manually enters the data into a spreadsheet. The management keeps their fingers crossed and hopes all of the entered data is accurate.

After: Drivers complete inspections via a mobile app. It captures signatures, photos of any issues, and GPS location. The data flows into a central dashboard in real time, where the fleet manager can spot problems instantly and schedule maintenance faster.

After digitalizing a process, make sure to document the new workflow. Update your operating procedures and go through it with your team. Train the new hires using the updated workflow from day one. 

 

4) Track and iterate

Just because a process is digital doesn’t mean it’s perfect. In fact, new workflows often reveal issues you couldn’t see before — like unnecessary steps or new bottlenecks caused by automation.

That’s why tracking and iteration are important.

After rolling out a digital process, keep an eye on it. Use built-in analytics or ask your team what’s working and what’s not.

Here are a few things to watch for:

• Bottlenecks: Maybe an approval step is still too slow — or it wasn’t even needed in the first place.
• User drop-off: Are people skipping steps or avoiding the system altogether? That might mean it’s too clunky or needs more training.
• New manual workarounds: If people are creating spreadsheets or doing tasks outside the system, your digital workflow might need tweaking.
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And that’s totally normal.

The beauty of digital processes — especially when using digital forms — is that you can make changes quickly. Tweak the workflow, remove extra steps, or automate more tasks as you go.

Simplify the digitization of business processes with Forms On Fire

Forms On Fire is a no-code mobile platform that lets teams build custom forms, automate workflows, collect data in the field, and sync everything in real time. You don’t need to be a developer — just find a template in our database, edit it using drag and drop, and deploy it for your whole team to use.

We have a bunch of awesome, built-in features that help you fully customize your processes, especially if you manage frontline teams or have a mobile workforce.

Case study: Alistair Group streamlines vehicle inspections

Logistics company Alistair Group replaced their paper-based vehicle inspections with a mobile solution built on Forms On Fire. Drivers used digital forms in Swahili (auto-translated to English for management), allowing accurate, real-time reporting — even offline. NFC tags improved equipment tracking, and automated alerts helped quickly address safety issues. The result? Faster inspections, better compliance, and huge time savings on data entry and reporting.

We can cite dozens of similar success stories. There’s no reason why you can’t become one of them. Start your free trial or schedule a demo — and let our team show you how Forms On Fire can simplify your digitalization journey.

FAQ about process digitalization