Circle A Ag needed a digital form solution to replace their outdated carbon copy paper books. The use of these books resulted in lost or damaged documents, costly delays, and the need to manually re-enter data into their Google Sheets spreadsheets. To address these issues, they needed a solution that could streamline data collection, be easily accessible, and accurately calculate totals in the field.
By leveraging the GoFormz and Google Workspace integration, Automatic Calculations, and fully Automated Workflows, Circle A Ag successfully replaced their old-fashioned carbon copy booklets with fully digitized forms.
Application Record
Located 45 minutes northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Circle A Ag is a custom fertilizer application company that provides their customers with a comprehensive solution for fertilizer application needs.
Prior to GoFormz, the Circle A Ag team utilized carbon copy booklets that consisted of 25 identical forms to be filled out and completed. After completing 25 projects, which was equivalent to 25 forms in the booklet, operators had to manually exchange it for another, causing various delays and inefficiencies. “We had books of 25 forms and we had one in each machine. So the operator was supposed to fill out that form for every field and then once the book was filled out, we'd bring it to the office and then we'd have to scroll through that form book and copy the information,” Andrew Dueck, Office Accountant for Circle A Ag explained. “From there, we'd either import it, manually load it into Google Sheets, or we would make invoices in QuickBooks straight off of that paper form.” However, this inefficient system wasn’t the only caveat to their very manual operation.
“The problem was, if an operator was in the middle of his day and the form book was full, he would then have to remember or scribble his work down on a random piece of paper,” Dueck lamented. This issue led to various opportunities for field crews to forget the work conducted in the field or misplace the papers they had scribbled on, resulting in billing delays. After experiencing these issues time and time again, Dueck recognized there was an obvious problem. “We need to have some way where everybody has access to the forms all the time.” After evaluating a few digital form solutions, Dueck landed at GoFormz. “GoFormz looked like a really functional system.”
“GoFormz looked like a really functional system.”
– Andrew Dueck, Office Accountant, Circle A Ag
After exploring the GoFormz platform and playing around with the features and functionalities, Dueck was able to digitize their application record form. This form is responsible for documenting the work performed on a job. “It records customer name, date, time, where the product we’re spreading comes from, how many acres we’re doing per project, what the rate is, which machine did the work, which operator did the project, how many tons of fertilizer were hauled in our truck, and other compensations,” Dueck commented.
Along with all this captured information is a Location field, which is used to capture the exact location of where the work was conducted, detailing more precise documentation. Dueck also incorporated Image fields to allow the operators to take photos of the GPS screen. This feature is most commonly used to show proof of work and acts as a great resource for businesses to enrich their data collection and visibility in the field.
However, there is one feature that stands out amongst the rest for the Circle A Ag team. The application record includes instant calculations to save significant time and eliminate opportunities for human error in the field via manually calculated totals. “For the first one, when I put in my acres and my target rate, it calculates right away how many tons I’m going to need for the whole project,” Dueck explained. “Based on that rate, there’s also a built-in price slide for different rates and that also gets calculated into the form.” A process that was once painstakingly manual is now completely automated! “I’m not going back to my calculator and then scrolling through calculator history,” Dueck continued, “it’s just auto-calculating it right there for me, which is saving me time.”
Additionally, Dueck collaborated with his account manager and the GoFormz support team to get this newly digitized form exactly where he needed it, “I felt supported right from the get-go.”
“I felt supported right from the get-go.”
– Andrew Dueck, Office Accountant, Circle A Ag
Once an application record is completed, the next step is extremely valuable to the Circle A Ag team. Before GoFormz, the team relied on manual data entry into Google Sheets to track and manage the data that was coming in from the field. “Now with our integration into Google Sheets, we're able to enter the data into GoFormz one time and everything automatically syncs into our Google Sheets,” Dueck said. Through Automated Workflows and the GoFormz and Google Workspace integration, the Circle A Ag team eliminated the need to re-enter data into their existing spreadsheets and has a constant flow of up-to-date data.
The Circle A Ag team has experienced countless savings and witnessed many improvements to their operations. “Because we have GoFormz, we saved ourselves money,” noted Dueck. “In terms of time, I’m right here in the office and I just have to log into GoFormz and all of my forms are there,” he continued. “I’m not needing to run to that machine over there or leave the yard and come back 20 minutes later after I’ve collected all the forms to start billing. I’ve definitely saved time.” What used to be a very manual process, requiring multiple operators to turn in their carbon copy books, is now fully automated and streamlined, saving the Circle A Ag team time and operational costs.
Through all these savings, there is one aspect of their digital transformation that stands out above the rest. “The top benefit of GoFormz would simply be, we’re never days behind on any data entry and we’re more accurate in our data entry.” This benefit has significantly helped Dueck when it comes to answering customer questions. “I don't have to go digging through the old archives or some box from last year trying to find the right form. I can just log into GoFormz and find it, wherever I am.”
“Because we have GoFormz, we saved ourselves money.”
– Andrew Dueck, Office Accountant, Circle A Ag
While the Circle A Ag team is only one year into their partnership with GoFormz, they don’t have any plans to slow down on their digital transformation journey. After meeting with the GoFormz professional services team to discuss Automated Workflows, Dueck realized the possibilities are endless for him and his team. “After [that session] I was like ‘WOW’, there are other functionalities here that I can use,” exclaimed Dueck. “So I am in the process of setting up maintenance sheets so that I can get my mechanic in the shop.” The purpose of this form is to enable his team to better audit and track the maintenance of their trucks. Additionally, he views this as an excellent tool in the event they decide to sell the truck several years from now. “If we want to sell the truck we can be like, ‘Hey, we’ve got these records. This is what we did every year!’ It will hopefully add value in that way as well.”
Additionally, Circle A Ag sees a possibility in advancing their form collection to include a digital cattle feeding form. “We also do cattle feeding and so every morning when my brother feeds them, he’s going into Google Sheets and he has to scroll a whole winter’s worth of days, so like 90 rows, and enter four or five columns worth of data.”
Ultimately, the Circle A Ag team feels confident in their newly digitized process and is looking forward to what they can do with the platform. “There’s a lot of possibilities with GoFormz. I’m excited!”