Document processing in Power Automate is a critical feature that allows for the automation of workflows related in any business. This feature allows for the data extraction from documents and forms regardless of their formats. So, it becomes easy to automate tasks, such as information extraction from invoices, receipts, contracts, or other types of business documents, making the process fast, efficient, and less prone to errors.
Power Automate and Document Processing
To understand how document processing works in Power Automate, let’s walk through a simple use case of extracting data from business invoices.
First, you need to create a new flow in Power Automate. Go to the Power Automate site and sign in. Click on + Create and select Automated flow. Name your flow and select a trigger for your flow. In our case, a new email arriving with an invoice document could be a potential trigger.
Next, to extract data from the document, we must use the AI Builder and its model called “Form Processing”. For this, AI Builder needs to be trained to identify and pick up relevant details from the document. To train it, we need to select AI Builder > Build > Form Processing and then upload a minimum of 5 sample document forms.
The model will then auto-detect available fields. Review the suggested fields, add any additional fields if necessary, and then train the model. It may take a few minutes to complete training. Once done, the Form Processing model is ready to be added to a Power Automate flow.
Now that the model is trained, go back to your Power Automate flow and add a new action. Select the AI Builder > Predict action, choose your trained model, and provide the document content to process.
You can now use the output from the AI Builder action and include it in subsequent actions in the flow. For instance, you may want to store the extracted details in an Excel file, send an email notification, or add details to your CRM system.
Pros and Cons of Document Processing in Power Automate
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Helps in reducing manual labor and improves efficiency | There might be a learning curve, especially for non-technical users |
| Great accuracy as it eliminates human error | Requires a minimum of 5 documents for model training |
| Versatile – Can be used for any form of document processing | Not all fields may be identified by the model, additional manual input might be required |
| Integration with other Microsoft products and many third-party applications | It yields value when repetitive, large numbers of documents need to be processed |
In conclusion, the document processing capability in Microsoft Power Automate is a powerful feature for automation and streamlining repetitive tasks. Although the initial setup phase may be tedious, the benefits offered by such automation far outweigh any initial investment in setup and learning. Whether it’s for small businesses that handle a large volume of transactional documents or for larger corporations looking to streamline their internal processes, Power Automate’s document processing feature proves to be an invaluable tool.
Practice Test
True/False: Power Automate is a service provided by Google for automating workflows across numerous applications and services.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Power Automate is a service provided by Microsoft, not Google. It helps users create automated workflows between applications and services.
Multiple Select: Which of the following are uses of Power Automate?
- a) Automating repetitive tasks
- b) Analyzing big data
- c) Creating workflows between applications and services
- d) Providing cloud storage
Answer: a, c
Explanation: Power Automate is used to automate repetitive tasks and to create workflows between applications and services. It is not used for analyzing big data or providing cloud storage.
True/False: Power Automate can only process text documents.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Power Automate supports a range of file types, including text documents, images, PDFs, and more, which means it can process more than just text documents.
Single Select: On which platform is Power Automate available?
- a) Windows only
- b) Mac only
- c) Linux only
- d) All platforms
Answer: d
Explanation: Power Automate is a cloud-based service, making it available on all platforms — Windows, Mac, Linux, and even mobile platforms.
True/False: Power Automate can integrate with Microsoft 365 services.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power Automate has built-in integration capabilities for Microsoft 365 services, meaning it can automate tasks and processes within these platforms.
Multiple Select: Which of the following operations can Power Automate perform?
- a) Document extraction
- b) Document classification
- c) Document editing
- d) Document publishing
Answer: a, b
Explanation: Power Automate is capable of performing tasks like document extraction and document classification. However, it doesn’t offer built-in features for document editing or publishing.
True/False: Power Automate does not require any coding experience.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power Automate is designed to make automation accessible to everyone, which means it provides a GUI – Graphical User Interface where no coding is required.
Single Select: Which of the following is a feature of Power Automate?
- a) API management
- b) Machine learning
- c) Workflow automation
- d) Big data analysis
Answer: c
Explanation: The main feature of Power Automate is workflow automation. It doesn’t manage APIs, perform big data analysis, or machine learning itself.
True/False: Power Automate is also known as Microsoft Flow.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power Automate was formerly known as Microsoft Flow. The name change occurred in 2019, but the core capabilities have remained the same.
Multiple Select: Which of the following operations can Power Automate perform with documents?
- a) Analyze content
- b) Extract information
- c) Translate text
- d) Encrypt the documents
Answer: a, b, c
Explanation: Power Automate can analyze content, extract information, and translate text within documents. However, it does not have a built-in function to encrypt documents.
True/False: Power Automate can be used to create AI models.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Power Automate cannot be used to create AI models. Its primary function is to automate workflows and not to develop or train artificial intelligence models.
Single Select: Which tool can be used in Power Automate to capture and digitize text from images and documents?
- a) Azure Bot Service
- b) AI Builder
- c) QnA Maker
- d) Compliance Manager
Answer: b
Explanation: AI Builder in Power Automate can capture and digitize text from images and documents offering functionalities like Form Processing and Text Recognition.
True/False: Power Automate can integrate with third-party services like Twitter, Slack and Salesforce.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Beyond integrating with Microsoft services, Power Automate also integrates with many third-party services like Twitter, Slack, Salesforce, and more, to automate tasks and process data across different platforms.
Multiple Select: What types of triggers can start an automated flow in Power Automate?
- a) An event in a SharePoint list
- b) An email from a specific sender
- c) A manual push of a button
- d) An update in a Google Sheet
Answer: a, b, c
Explanation: Events in a SharePoint list, an email from a specific sender, or a manually pushed button can all trigger an automated flow in Power Automate. However, Power Automate lacks direct integration with Google Sheets.
True/False: Power Automate supports conditional logic for greater control over workflows.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power Automate provides features like conditional logic, loops, switch cases, and more, allowing for greater control and flexibility in the creation of workflows.
Interview Questions
What is Power Automate in the context of Microsoft Power Platform?
Power Automate is a service provided by Microsoft Power Platform that helps users create automated workflows between their favorite apps and services to synchronize files, get notifications, collect data, and more.
How does document processing work in Power Automate?
Document processing within Power Automate involves applying AI techniques to extract relevant information or data from documents which are then used to drive flow logic.
What role does AI Builder play in document processing in Power Automate?
AI Builder in Power Automate allows users to customize and train models to automatically extract information from documents, speeding up data-entry procedures, and driving automation.
What are some examples of document processing scenarios with Power Automate?
Document processing scenarios with Power Automate can include invoice processing, sales order processing, onboarding documents and any procedure requiring data extraction, form classification or object detection in files.
Can Power Automate extract information from all types of documents?
No, currently, Power Automate’s AI Builder only supports the extraction of digital data from PDF and text-recognizable image formats like JPEG, PNG, etc.
How is data extraction from documents achieved in Power Automate?
It leverages the AI Builder Form Processing models that need to be trained with sample forms or documents. Once trained, the models can identify and extract specific information from new documents automatically.
What is needed to start using AI Builder for document processing in Power Automate?
You first need the required licenses for AI Builder and Power Automate. Moreover, training the AI Builder model with at least five sample documents is recommended to achieve accurate results.
Can Power Automate process handwritten documents?
Yes, AI Builder, used by Power Automate, can process both handwritten and printed text but the accuracy largely depends on the legibility of the handwriting.
Can Power Automate directly extract information from scanned documents?
Yes, Power Automate can extract data from scanned documents as long as they are clear enough to be digitally read and are in a supported format.
What happens when a document is processed in Power Automate?
When a document is uploaded for processing in Power Automate, it runs through the pre-trained AI Builder model. This model identifies and extracts the required information, which can then be used to automate various tasks.
Can Power Automate automate tasks based on the data extracted from documents?
Yes, Power Automate can set up automated workflows based on the data extracted from documents. These workflows can be used for tasks such as data entry, notifications, decision making, etc.
How does Power Automate ensure the accuracy of data extracted from documents?
Power Automate relies on AI Builder which uses machine learning. Therefore, the accuracy of data extraction largely depends on how well the AI model is trained with different samples of the document.
What is the preferred format for documents used for training AI Builder in Power Automate?
Though AI builder supports various formats, it is best to use clean and clear PDF or text-recognizable image files JPEG, PNG for training the model for best results.
Is there any limitation on the size or type of document for processing in Power Automate?
Yes, Power Automate has certain limitations on the file size or document type based on the licenses subscribed.
How to ensure confidentiality when processing documents in Power Automate?
Microsoft strictly follows data privacy and protection norms. However, it is always recommended to refrain from using sensitive documents for training the AI model. Lastly, the data extraction and transfer within Power Automate are encrypted for extra security.
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