Aug 18, 2024

DigiForm – The AI Assistant That Simplifies Form Filling

Written by:

David Joseph Menezes

You need to fill forms to access financial services, apply for admission, avail of healthcare, and more. But the process can often be time-consuming and error-prone, particularly for India's population with limited literacy. We're aiming to make this process more efficient, effective, and inclusive using an AI tool called DigiForm.

A farmer in rural Rajasthan makes his way to the village panchayat office, he desperately needs a government subsidy for the upcoming sowing season. But the application forms for the subsidy program are complex and filled with legalese. It’s a significant hurdle for someone with limited literacy.

In Delhi, a highschool graduate faces a different hurdle. Due to a sudden illness, she has missed some key college admission deadlines. Now, she's swamped with mountains of admission forms – marksheet information, school leaving certificates, scholarship applications – and barely enough time to get through them.

Meanwhile, a young entrepreneur calls up his bank in Surat with a different kind of frustration. After meticulously filling out a long loan application for his business venture, he's been informed there's an error in the form. His application has been denied. The prospect of starting the entire process again adds unnecessary delay and stress to his pursuit of financial backing.

These seemingly unconnected individuals share a common struggle: The arduous and often-inaccessible task of form filling.

That’s where DigiForm comes in. It’s an AI-based tool that simplifies the task of form filling to make it faster, less tedious, and less error-prone.

Is form filling a minor inconvenience or a real setback?

The simple task of form filling can become a frustrating and often insurmountable hurdle for millions in India. But there’s no way around it – forms are required to access essential needs like securing government subsidies, enrolling in a healthcare program, or applying for educational programs, or availing of financial services.

It’s a broken system that excludes millions from accessing the services they need. Here's a deeper look at the challenges:

2 out of 3 people encountering complications in a form abandon it

Form filling can be incredibly frustrating, especially when the process contains errors or complicated language. 70% of the population faces limited literacy, especially in English. 

Forms are often filled with long sentences, technical terms, and unclear instructions. Plus, for people that aren’t tech-savvy, online form-filling is a greater hurdle.

55% of people who visit a form do not convert

When forms are too complex, businesses struggle with higher customer acquisition costs and increased need for customer support. More than half of potential customers leave without completing the form, which means lost opportunities for businesses.

Need for multiple documents and proofs creates unnecessary friction for users

When applications require a lot of documents and proofs, it can be overwhelming for users. For example, in a study about updating ration cards, more than half of the participants didn't apply because they felt overwhelmed by the number of documents needed. This creates an unnecessary barrier for accessing services.

DigiForm: Streamlined, intuitive, and efficient form-filling

DigiForm is an AI-powered assistant that streamlines form filling for both individuals and businesses. It empowers people to fill up complex forms easily and accurately, and helps businesses collect clean data efficiently, reducing administrative burdens and delays. 

The DigiForm concept is strategically modeled after the success of DigiLocker, the Government of India's secure document management platform. Both initiatives share a common outcome: Efficiency in digital interactions.

This service is built as a part of the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiative and provides businesses and users secure access to government identity documents. Similarly, DigiForm is aimed at providing organizations a secure way to collect and process customer information.

DigiForm is designed to handle information in multiple ways, inspired by the different states of matter:

  • Solid: Think of images as "solid" information. DigiForm lets users upload pictures of documents like ID cards. The system can then extract and validate the data automatically, ensuring accuracy and reliability.

  • Liquid: Text is like a "liquid" because it's easy to store and use. DigiForm allows users to type their answers or choose from options on the screen, offering flexibility and efficiency.

  • Gas: Speech is dynamic and easily understood, expanding to fill available space. DigiForm's speech recognition allows users to simply talk their answers, providing a natural and convenient way to interact with the platform.

Here’s how DigiForm works

Step 1: User opens the form and uploads the relevant documents
The process starts with the user opening the form they need to fill out and uploading images or files of the necessary documents.

Step 2: DigiForm parses data from the documents and returns it to the user in text form
DigiForm uses AI to read the uploaded documents and converts the information into text format, making it easy for the user to see and understand.

Step 3: User checks the information and suggests changes, if any
The user reviews the parsed information to ensure everything is correct. If there are any errors or missing details, the user can suggest changes.

Step 4: Once user confirms that details are accurate, AI agent proceeds to fill out the form in a matter of seconds
After the user confirms that all the information is accurate, DigiForm’s AI quickly fills out the form using the provided details.

Step 5: In case any fields are still incomplete, the user can fill them via text or voice by initiating an IVR call to collect the information
If there are any incomplete fields, the user can complete them by typing or speaking their answers. DigiForm can initiate an interactive voice response (IVR) call to help collect this information.

Step 6: User reviews the complete form and submits
Finally, the user reviews the fully completed form to ensure everything is correct. Once satisfied, they can submit the form.

What makes DigiForm unique?

DigiForm stands out by offering extensive customization and integration capabilities, making it an invaluable tool for organizations. Whether you're a healthcare provider needing to integrate with electronic medical records or a school linking to a student management system, DigiForm adapts seamlessly to your unique workflows and requirements.

Its open-source model fosters collaboration and continuous improvement, allowing organizations and developers to customize and enhance the platform to meet specific needs. This flexibility ensures that DigiForm evolves with user feedback and technological advancements, keeping it robust and adaptable.

What sets DigiForm apart is its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. The platform prioritizes a user-friendly interface that supports many Indian languages, enabling users from different regions to interact with forms in their native tongue.

This feature alone makes the form-filling process more accessible and less daunting for millions of people. Additionally, DigiForm caters to users with disabilities by offering voice navigation and compatibility with screen readers, ensuring that everyone, including those with visual impairments, can use the platform independently. By addressing these diverse needs, DigiForm truly simplifies the form-filling experience for all users.

Here’s how DigiForm benefits your organization

  • Saves time: DigiForm reduces the number of clicks and the overall time required to fill out forms. Instead of spending a long time navigating through complex forms, users can complete them quickly and efficiently.

  • Makes forms more accessible: DigiForm offers multiple input options, including text, voice, and speech, making it accessible to a wide range of users. That way, digital literacy is no longer a barrier to people accessing your services.

  • Reduces error: DigiForm's high accuracy in parsing images and voice inputs helps minimize errors in form submissions. The built-in validation checks ensure that the information entered is accurate and reliable.

  • Ensures privacy: User privacy is a top priority for DigiForm. The platform complies with stringent data protection regulations, ensuring that all personal information is securely encrypted and stored.

How you can get involved with DigiForm

We seek to gather insights and hold conversations on the potential and viability of DigiForm. For interested companies, our team will help integrate DigiForm into your workflow. Our team of volunteers and partners have worked hard for the past five months in making this a reality.

Click here to partner with us.

Visit the DigiForm Website.

Transform the way you handle forms and make the process simpler, faster, and more inclusive for everyone. We encourage you to partner with us in this mission.

Join the Community

People+ai is a non-profit, housed within the EkStep Foundation. Our work is designed around the belief that technology, especially ai, will cause paradigm shifts that can help India & its people reach their potential.