The Challenge of Mobilizing Oracle Forms

Thinking about going mobile with your Oracle Forms? You are not alone. Mobilization is one of the latest trends, understandably, as more than 93% of the world’s population are mobile device users. However, companies operating Oracle Forms based systems are faced with the challenge of unlocking the business logic trapped within the Forms system. This is problematic due to the lack of documentation, system complexity and the unavailability of the original developers.

What to consider when “Going Mobile”?

Companies seeking to “go mobile” should consider the following to ensure a successful transition from an existing system to mobile:

1. Desktop and mobile user interfaces differ.  So simply copying or running the existing desktop Forms on a mobile device is not advisable.
2. Screen real estate is a major issue. For instance, unlike on a desktop, the mobile keyboard overlaps half the screen on a mobile device.
3. The use of a mouse and keyboard are eliminated from a mobile device and all interactions must be done with a touch of a finger. You must ensure that the element sizes are suitable for a mobile device.
4. Workflow on mobile must be relevant for working on the go. Best practices state that menus should not be more than 3 levels deep.  The user will not navigate more than 3 screens to do any one activity. Therefore, we must re-examine how the user navigates and how to effectively guide the user through the process on the mobile-based system.
5. Many users look at the many Forms they have, and wonder how will I ever get this running on a mobile device?  When thinking of going mobile, one must focus only on the specific business process that you want to run on mobile. Not the entire systems since users in the field need only a subset of the information and actions available. This saves time and resources from needing to “redevelop” the full Forms system.

Taking the next step-

Companies around the globe are bravely taking the plunge and are attempting to translate their desktop systems. Take Amidar (Israel’s Housing Authority) for instance. Their tablet lacked native device functions like swipe, gestures, and keyboard shortcuts, which made the native Forms system difficult to run on the mobile.

They were looking for a way to renovate their front-end system while preserving the robust backend business logic they had developed over years. They solved their system’s “back-office” backlog problem by leveraging AuraPlayer’s patented technology to modernize Oracle Forms without redevelopment. AuraPlayer’s solution is able to “wrap” the Forms running on-premise as REST services. This enables fast, non-disruptive mobility with the same Forms code base but with a modernized front-end.

Within two months Amidar had a mobile application that allowed employees to receive and update housing data, collect payments, and performs site inspections.  This includes site photography via their tablet’s camera accessible anytime and anywhere!

There is no longer a need to report back to the office for data entry, and employees are now equipped with a simple, speedy and user-friendly interface. Employees perform all of their work on-site, with faster and more accurate inspections. Tenants receive instant communication and up-to-date reports from the inspection teams.

If your organization is looking to modernize Forms or EBS we are happy to help! Click here to learn more about Forms mobilization.

See this video for the full story:  https://bit.ly/2S3hv5K