FAQs

Paperdata is a web application that helps anybody build automated paper feedback forms. When you design a form with Paperdata, it makes collecting and understanding your learner feedback effortless. To get started, all you need is a browser and a few minutes to build a form.

Why not start using it right away?

Every Paperdata form has an online equivalent that may be completed by your learners instead of the Paperdata form. Responses for online completions are automatically combined with paper responses.

To save money. If you stop paying your staff to type in responses from training evaluation forms and take out a Paperdata subscription instead, you will save money.

To raise feedback levels. Paper forms get filled in, emailed forms rarely do. If you value feedback then paper forms need to be part of your strategy. Paperdata is the only service that lets you do both.

To provide excellent Management Information. Our fast, streamlined reporting allows training feedback to be a weekly focus for your management team. Timely data, simply presented, enables real-time decision making that can address issues and seize opportunities

Each client's Paperdata form is different depending upon the layout and questions they require. Enterprise level clients can specify up to 5 different layouts. An example Paperdata form can be accessed here (opens as PDF).

An online version of every Paperdata form is created automatically. An example can be accessed here.

Paperdata is an online web application, this is sometimes called 'Software as a Service' (SaaS). No installation is required on any of your own desktops or servers.

You do need:

- An A4 black/white or colour printer.

- An A4 document scanner, one able to scan greyscale or in colour. For minimum effort we recommend a sheet-fed device able to scan multiple pages at once. Multi-functional devices (often known as MFDs or MFPs) with scanning capability are ideal.

- An email account from which to send scans. If you are using a multi-functional device with scanning capability, these can easily be configured to scan and email in one step. Otherwise simply attach scans to an email using any email program and send the email to Paperdata’s email address: scans@paperdata.com

Paperdata requires no training, we’ve worked hard to develop a very simple user interface. Each screen has a help page to assist you to get the best from your Paperdata account.

There is no impact on your IT infrastructure since no local software installation or file storage is involved. Occasionally our clients do find it necssary to engage their IT support staff to configure the ‘scan to external email’ functionality on their scanner or multi-functional device..

We offer Credit Card payment methods. In the United Kingdom you may also set up a Standing Order or complete a Direct Debit mandate. Some clients pay multiple years in advance to take advantage of an available capital budget. We are of course happy to accommodate this! .

Simply instruct us to close your account on the ‘My account’ page and no further recurring payments (annual or monthly) will be taken.

As soon as your subscription period ends, or your close your free account, all of your data will be deleted from our production servers. Seven days later your data will be deleted from our backup systems. At any time during your subscription period you may download complete response data in CSV format and all original PDF copies of your feedback forms.

No, you can use any plain white paper to print out your Paperdata evaluation forms for completion by your delegates.

At present Paperdata allows question editing only.

Our team would be delighted to hear from you and discuss how they can customise a form just for you.

Once your scans are received by email, it may take up to 24 hours for them to appear in your response list. This may be considerably quicker if our server load is low.

Web-form responses are processed immediately.

A Free account is limited to 20 forms per month. Paid plans can provide any higher amount.

All paid plans can be upgraded at any time to an annual plan to benefit from a 10% cost saving. In addition, annual plan customers have their monthly form processing allowance converted into an annual one. This can be very cost effective if training courses are not spread evenly throughout the year.

Free, Basic and Pro subscription levels provide a single Paperdata sign-on with the capability to print-out evaluation forms and report on responses across all courses. If you require separation of this functionality into two roles (typically Trainer and Manager) then you should invest in an Enterprise level subscription. Once at this level, you may create multiple accounts with different access privileges.

- Trainer accounts are only able to print out evaluation forms

- Manager accounts are able to run reports and download data.

Please configure your scanner to create 'PDF' file format and to scan in Greyscale at 300 dpi, or in Colour at 100 dpi. Page size should be set to A4.

For maximum efficiency we recommend a sheet-feed scanner able to scan multiple pages at once. Multi-functional devices (often known as MFDs or MFPs) with scanning capability are ideal.

You may scan pages from different courses at one time if it is convenient for you to do so. Some of our clients store their completed forms from multiple courses and scan them all at the end of the week, creating a single PDF file containing many pages. This is perfectly acceptable.

You should email your PDF file(s) to: scans@paperdata.com. You may attach as many PDF files to a single email as you wish.

There is no need to write anything in the body of your email or add any specific subject although many email programs do require that you write something in the Subject line.

Yes, you may take photographs of your completed evaluation forms and email them to your Paperdata account for automatic processing. If you plan to do this frequently you may wish to use one of recommended free apps. These allow you to scan multiple forms and combine them into a single PDF ready to email to your Paperdata account.

Visit the CamScanner website. CamScanner is Apple and Android compatible.

Visit Tinyscan at the Apple store.

There is a 'ConnectKey' app for Paperdata in the Xerox app store. This allows one-touch scanning of completed Paperdata forms to your Paperdata account.

In the near future Xerox are launching a fully integrated Paperdata app for their WorkCentre Multi-function Device (MFD) range. This will allow walk-up users to print as well as scan their Paperdata forms at the touch of a button.

Free, Basic and Pro subscription levels allow you to design a single evaluation form. You may use this form for different training courses, trainers and venues. An Enterprise level subscription allows you to create up to 5 different form layouts to suit the flexible feedback requirements of a large organisation.

Yes. One of the standard Paperdata reports provides response data in 'Comma Separated Variable' (CSV) format. This type of file is compatible with most spreadsheet packages including MSExcel