NASBA, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the effectiveness of the state boards of accountancy that regulate the accounting profession in the U.S.

November 16, 2012

Here’s how NASBA found FormAssembly, and how we’ve helped their processes.

The Hurdle

Three years ago, NASBA used paper forms.

There were stacks and stacks of folders.

“I wish I could have taken ‘Before’ and ‘After’ pictures,” said Jill Gordon, Manager of Strategic Initiatives. “There were stacks and stacks of folders.”

NASBA faced countless complaints about their intricate application forms, which require multiple attachments, such as promotional materials and resumes. “Some applicants told us they had to hire someone to handle this piece of their business,” Jill said. And applicants pored over unnecessary information and fields, since the paper forms needed to cover every possible response.

The average time of completion? Weeks to months.

 

The Golden Ticket

NASBA realized that they needed to make the switch to online forms, but the IT department was involved in another big project, so they estimated it would take over 2 years and $400,000 to build a system from the ground up.

That was the key, the golden ticket.

At the time, Jill was working with NASBA’s departments to improve their processes through Salesforce. She found FormAssembly through the Salesforce AppExchange. “That was the key, the golden ticket,” Jill said. She discovered that the workflow was seamless between Salesforce and FormAssembly. “And customer support was so fantastic,” she said.

NASBA now runs every application through FormAssembly. They converted their extremely detailed applications in 3 months for less than 10% of the estimated cost.

And how long does an application take? 4 hours.

“It’s transformed our business,” Jill said.

 

A Surge in Sales

Our sales are up a crazy amount.

NASBA makes full use of conditional logic, which limits what applicants have to look at, and the online forms include help text and links to samples, which help the applicant complete the form accurately and completely. On top of that, the admin can review incomplete responses, so they can see exactly where applicants are stuck — and help them finish. “Our sales are up a crazy amount,” Jill said. “We’ve at least doubled our initial applications coming in.”

The multiple attachments are a snap with file uploads, and so is bringing in leads. NASBA’s subsidiary, Student Center for the Public Trust, also uses FormAssembly for college applications and invoices.

“And the forms are already in the right format, and they already fit W3C standards. FormAssembly makes it hard to get it wrong,” Jill said.

 

Reliable + Responsive

You really take care of your customers.

Jill said she is continually impressed by FormAssembly’s reliable service and responsive support. “If something can’t get resolved, you guys are great about getting back to me. You really take care of your customers.”

Every time she’s submitted a support ticket, she’s received a swift response. “I just turn around and it’s there,” she said. “We’re always singing your praises.”

 

Our huge thanks to Jill and NASBA for sharing their story with us! We’re thrilled to be of service to their mission.