I hope you’re doing well! Today, I want to share a story about simplifying processes and the impact it can have on efficiency. This one’s about our EMS cadet application process and how a small tweak made a big difference.

The Challenge: An Overwhelming Application Process

We were facing a significant challenge with our EMS cadet application process. People from all over, even outside our designated service area, were applying, which created a lot of unnecessary work for our team. We needed a way to filter applicants based on their geographical eligibility without adding extra steps for everyone involved.

The Solution: Conditional Logic to the Rescue

Here’s what we did to solve this problem using the power of conditional logic within our job application form:

1. Identifying the Key Filter: The first question on the application now asks for the type of membership the applicant is applying for. If they select "EMS cadet," the next screen prompts them to enter their zip code.
2. Setting Up the Filter: We needed a way to filter applicants based on their zip code, so I created conditional logic that checks the zip code entered. If it’s not one of the eight approved zip codes, the form hides the remaining sections and displays a message explaining the geographic restriction. This step alone ensured that only eligible applicants could proceed further.
3. Disabling the Submit Button: Initially, even if applicants were ineligible, they could still hit submit, which triggered an email to our team and entered the information into our database. To address this, I adjusted the form settings to disable the submit button for ineligible zip codes. This prevented any unnecessary applications from being submitted.

The Implementation: Step-by-Step

Conditional Logic Setup: The conditional logic setup in our Jotform was straightforward but crucial. Here’s how it worked:

• If the zip code entered is not within the approved list, the remaining form sections are hidden.
• A message appears, informing the applicant about the geographic restriction and thanking them for their interest.
• Disabling Submissions: To ensure no unnecessary applications were submitted, I added another layer of conditional logic:
• If the zip code entered is not within the approved list, the submit button is disabled.
• This change prevented ineligible applicants from completing the application process, saving our team from processing unnecessary data.

The Results: Significant Improvements

This small yet effective change significantly reduced the workload for our team.

Here are the key benefits we observed:

• Reduced Noise: By filtering out ineligible applicants early in the process, we cut down on the number of applications our team had to review.
• Improved Efficiency: The application process became smoother and more efficient for both our team and the applicants.
• Clear Communication: The conditional logic provided clear and immediate feedback to applicants about their eligibility, improving their experience as well.

Why It Matters

This experience highlights the importance of continually assessing and optimizing our processes. Often, the solutions to our problems are simpler than we think, requiring just a bit of creative thinking and willingness to tweak existing systems.

Your Turn

I’d love to hear how you’ve streamlined a process or solved a problem in your work or life. Got any tips or tricks? Hit reply and share your story!

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P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 4 ways I can help you optimize and grow your business:

Grab a copy of my books

• Less Doing, More Living: It’s the roadmap to optimizing your life and business. — Click Here
• On Productivity: Learn the strategies to become more productive and efficient. — Click Here

Join the Less Doing Lab

• Connect with like-minded individuals and get access to my weekly Voxer broadcasts where I share the latest tips, experiences, and stories for just $100 per year. — Join Now

Take my Courses

• Overwhelmology: Learn how to manage overwhelm and increase productivity. — Enroll Here
• The Replaceable Founder: Discover how to build a business that thrives without you. — Enroll Here

Work with me and my team privately

• If you’d like personalized guidance to take your business to the next level, join the Outliers, my 1:1 coaching program delivered exclusively on Voxer. Just reply to this email with the word “Private,” tell me a little about your business and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details.