Even non-developers can use UiPath to extract document data!!

Introduction

In today’s digital age, extracting data from documents is a task that can seem daunting, especially for those without a development background. However, with the right tools, such as UiPath, even non-developers can easily automate the process of document data extraction. This article will guide you through setting up UiPath Cloud and creating a simple automation to extract data from documents, all from scratch.

Getting Started with UiPath

The first step is to open your web browser and navigate to uipath.com. In the upper corner of the page, you’ll find a button allowing you to try UiPath for free. Click on that button and then select "Automation Cloud for Community." This version is free for individual use and learning purposes.

Once you’ve selected this option, click on "Sign In." You can log in using your Google account or create a new account if you don’t have one. After logging in, you will be prompted to create an organization. For this guide, you can select "Denmark" as your country and name your organization "Test Company."

After a brief moment, you will have your own UiPath Cloud Automation platform, ready for use.

Adding Document Understanding Service

Now that you are in the platform, navigate to the menu and look for the "Document Understanding" product. Since it may not be visible initially, you need to go to the "Admin" section. Click on the "Default Tenant," then on "Services," and select "Add Services." Choose "Document Understanding" and click "Add."

Once you've done this, refresh the page by pressing F5. You should now see the "Document Understanding" option available in the menu.

In this section, the real magic happens! You can create projects and automations. For this article, we'll focus on creating a simple automation. Click on "Create Automation" and upload a sample document that you'd like to extract data from.

Uploading and Analyzing a Document

Drag and drop a sample document into the platform; this could be a purchase order or any document from your files. For example, let’s use a purchase order labeled "66884." Upon uploading, the platform will analyze the document to determine what kind of data it contains, and it may recognize it as a purchase order.

After this, proceed to create a workflow based on this document. This new workflow will automate the process of data extraction, storing the extracted results in a variable named "extracted results."

Running the Automation

You can now run the automation to see how it performs. As it runs, you’ll see logs indicating its progress. Initially, the workflow will download the file and subsequently extract the data from it. The results will then be displayed on your screen.

For additional practice, you can attempt to upload a different document, for instance, another order number "50450." The automation will extract data similarly and will enter a validation stage. At this point, you have the opportunity to review and correct any inaccuracies in the extracted data through the Action Center.

If the validation data is incorrect—for example, if a shipping address is misspelled—you can change it in the Action Center before submitting the corrected data. Once submitted, the automation will continue to run, reflecting any adjustments you've made.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can see just how user-friendly and powerful UiPath's Document Understanding can be for automated data extraction. While this particular automation may not be ready for full-scale production, it demonstrates the accessibility of these tools for non-developers. If you're interested in exploring this software more deeply, be sure to check back for more guides and content.

Keywords

UiPath, Document understanding, data extraction, automation, cloud platform, validation, Action Center, non-developer

FAQ

1. What is UiPath?
UiPath is a leading robotic process automation (RPA) platform that allows users to create software robots to automate repetitive tasks.

2. Can non-developers use UiPath?
Yes! UiPath is designed to be user-friendly, enabling even those without a development background to automate tasks, including document data extraction.

3. What is Document Understanding in UiPath?
Document Understanding is a feature within UiPath that leverages machine learning to extract structured data from documents like invoices or purchase orders.

4. Is there a free version of UiPath available?
Yes, UiPath offers a Community edition that allows individuals to use the platform for free, which is ideal for learning purposes.

5. What automation tasks can UiPath perform?
UiPath can automate a wide range of tasks—from data entry and data extraction to complex workflows that involve multiple applications and systems.