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What is FTU?
The Forms Tracking Utility (or FTU) is a web-based software application which can be used by any MSU form application to electronically route, track and collect approvals through a single user interface (the "Dashboard"). Simply put, FTU lets you attach an electronic routing slip to your web forms.
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What are some advantages of using FTU?
FTU provides the following features, benefits and advantages:
- Provides one place for approvers to act on University-wide forms
- Eliminates the need for form application developers to write their own "routing engine"
- Allows routes to be customized for particular units or accounts, without changing form application programs
- Automates the form routing and approval step in electronic workflow processes
- Provides online real-time status of a form's routing slip, and the potential approvers for the current routing action (for those authorized to see the form's information)
- Provides a common record of approvals
- Supports both hierarchical (sequential, one at a time) and parallel (simultaneous) approval flows
- Enables process improvement leading to cost containment and "paperless-ness"
- Reduces delays in the approval process
- Provides the opportunity to revisit the degree of delegation an electronic form requires
- Balances unit-level variations and the desire for flexibility while maintaining accountability
- Accommodates a wide variety of electronic documents:
- Web applications
- Word processing documents
- Spreadsheets
- Text
- Other file types
It should be noted that FTU is not a "forms generator", nor is it an "e-workflow" per se.
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Does FTU route attachments along with the form?
FTU does not handle form attachments. If attachments are involved, the form application will manage them, not FTU. One easy way to handle attachments for electronic forms is to send the attachments separately via campus mail to approval units, and indicate the FTU Routing Slip ID to which the attachments belong. Approvers can then view the attachments prior to electronically approving the form.
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What are FTU's administrative functions and who can use them?
FTU form administrators are determined by the form-owning units and are usually responsible for administering the form application. The main administrative functions are:
- Routing Slip Type Search – allows FTU administrators of a form-owning unit to view routing slips for their form by specifying the type of routing slip (e.g. eARM) and then searching based on routing slip attributes such as Slip ID, Initiator, Creation Date and Routing Slip Title
- Approved Slip Search – allows FTU administrators to view or print a report of approved routing slips for a specified time period for their application
- Actor Email Export – allows FTU administrators to export a list of email addresses of form approvers for their forms
- Find Slip – allows FTU administrators to search for and view a single routing slip for their form by searching for a specific Slip ID
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Can I print the FTU online documentation?
Yes. But since the Guides and Quick Reference are always available in the Dashboard, you probably won't need to print them. All Dashboard pages can be printed by using your browser's normal print capability. If you want to print other Dashboard pages, remember that they are wide — printing in landscape mode is recommended.
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