A Closer Look at No-code Automation with Patterns Studio

“In Patterns Studio, I own the process from start to finish. …I will say it’s very liberating.” Parag Patel, Sr. Manager of Analytics & Product Innovation, Remedy Analytics

Most employees would welcome the opportunity to improve their processes, and they are not happy about being bogged down by difficult-to-automate unstructured data workflows. Up until now, they had no control to change the status quo and were forced to rely on scarce IT resources to build any automation.

At Alkymi, we believe in empowering every person with the right tools to turn data into action. That’s why we launched Patterns Studio earlier this year. We wanted to tackle this challenge with an easy-to-use automation toolkit that democratizes access to powerful, intelligent automation in a user-friendly format. Based on the user feedback, we’ve delivered exactly what they were looking for.‍

What is Patterns Studio?

Patterns Studio is a powerful tool that enables users to create, modify, and deploy Patterns (aka automations) without any code. Virtually anyone can automate their workflows and start capturing, validating, and taking actions on data from documents and emails. By owning their automation processes, users enable agility within their teams, and the business as a whole gains a powerful advantage in accelerating digital transformation while improving employee satisfaction and retention.

How does Patterns Studio work?

Once you’ve identified a document type (W-2 forms, insurance cards, purchase agreements, credit card statements, etc.) and have decided on the specific data you’re looking to extract, you can initiate the two-step Patterns creation process.

In the first step, you establish the framework for the extracted data. Here, you outline the total number of fields to be extracted, label each field to easily understand its extracted content, and define the type of information each field should contain (i.e., choose “date” for extraction of day/month/year data, “money” for currency, and more). This last step enables instant data validation and ensures data is delivered in an enterprise-ready format through easy-to-use APIs.

After defining the fields you’d like to extract, it’s time to add tools. Think of a tool in Patterns Studio exactly as you would a tool in your toolbox at home. If you need to nail something, you’ll pick up a hammer; if you need to cut a piece of wood, you’ll pick a saw. Our tools are the same: they work on specific pieces of data and just need a little targeting from you. Patterns Studio comes with a set of six tools that can capture virtually any kind of data you need, and they can be bundled into groups we call “kits” in order to handle multi-format workflows.

To pick the right tool for the automation job, look at how the data is presented on your document. For example, you might choose one of the table-based tools to extract data from tables or pick the anchor tool for data extraction based on its general location on the page. After all of the tools have been matched to your fields, you get an automated Pattern. 

Can I automate any process with Patterns Studio?

Most business processes containing structured or semi-structured documents can be easily automated with Patterns Studio. There are even over 500 process templates (Patterns Blueprints) that can be adjusted to your specific business and then automated. We estimate that 80% or more of all unstructured data workflows can be automated with Patterns Studio. 

That said, complex and highly unstructured documents would benefit from custom deep learning models. For example, if your workflow includes capital notices, quarterly reports, and brokerage statements, Alkymi can help with our premium machine learning models. 

Ready to see what Patterns Studio is all about? Start your free trial today!