Frequently Asked Questions
What is Apollo?
Apollo is a self-serving, no code/low code SaaS platform developed to intelligently process multiple streams of different documents.
Equipped with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning functionalities, the platform automates the processes and procedures involving any type of document (invoices, receipts, contracts, packing slips, waybills, transport orders, etc.), regardless of them being issued, processed, or received.
What does Intelligent Document Processing mean?
Intelligent Document Processing, also known as IDP, is an advanced technology that enables companies and organizations to digitize and automate the processing of unstructured or semi-structured data from various document sources. These include digitised document images, PDF files, word processing files, online forms and more.
How does Intelligent Document Processing work?
The Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) technology used by Apollo has 2 main features:
1. It uses Artificial Intelligence and its sub-components:- Natural Language Processing (NLP),
- Machine Learning (ML),
- Computer Vision (CV),
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
2. It facilitates data extraction from various document formats and sources and organising them in a structured way so that they can be used in the end-to-end automation of document-centric processes.
Thus, Apollo captures, divides, classifies, extracts, transforms, and validates data, ensuring the accuracy of information extracted from documents and end-to-end process automation.
How does Apollo work?
Apollo's Intelligent Document Processing works in 3 stages: ingest & classify, process & validate, transfer.
- INGEST & CLASIFFY:
a) Apollo automatically ingests documents from various sources (email, Google Drive, MS OneDrive, AmazonCloud etc) and in a wide variety of formats (pdf, png, jpeg, docx etc);
b) it identifies then separates the different documents, according to their specifics;
c) it classifies by category all ingested documents (invoices, contracts, receipts, etc).
- PROCESS & VALIDATE:
a) Apollo extracts all relevant data from the ingested documents, through a semantic and/or spatial analysis;
b) it understands and reasons on the extracted data;
b) next, Apollo automatically validates all predefined fields, based on the company’s rules and processes;
c) it applies the data transformation rules, if necessary;
d) Apollo then groups those documents that should be processed together, according to the rules established by the beneficiary.
- TRANSFER:
Apollo replicates the existing business flows within the company and transfers the data to the existing software used by the beneficiary, whatever it is.
Do I need to install anything on my computer?
Not, you don’t. Apollo is a SaaS platform, which means it runs in cloud, on our and our suppliers', and requires no hardware or software to be installed locally. Smart Touch Technologies, Apollo’s developer, manages access to the platform, including security, availability, and performance.
Do I need an account?
Yes, an account is needed if you want to test or use Apollo. Please contact us by email contact@smartouch.rofor further details.
How many documents do I need to have?
Apollo, the Intelligent Document Processing platform that serves all departments, can help you regardless of the number of documents your company processes each month. We have several types of subscriptions available, depending on the volume and functionalities. Please contact us by email contact@smartouch.ro for further details.
How much does Apollo cost?
Access to the Apollo platform is subscription based, depending on the number of processed pages, and used features. For example, the value of a basic monthly subscription that includes access to the platform’s main functionalities and the processing of a maximum of 2,000 pages of documents per month is only 300 euros + VAT. For more details or a personalized quote, please contact us.
Is Apollo an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tool?
No, Apollo is not just OCR. Traditional OCRs extract text from a previously scanned document and transform it into a computer-readable structure (text), but cannot understand the data. Instead, Apollo understands data in context using continuous-learning and advanced Artificial Intelligence techniques that enable accurate and rapid extraction of data relevant to the process to be automated.
Is Apollo an RPA (Robotic Process Automation) tool?
No, Apollo is not an RPA. RPA is a point & click action automation tool that runs on a defined set of rules to process specific tasks. Unlike Apollo, RPAs cannot understand context itself and require human intervention or support from other technologies such as IDP to hyper-automate processes that require decisions based on unstructured or semi-structured data.
Is Apollo GDPR compliant?
At Smart Touch Technologies we respect each person’s right to the protection of personal data and have adopted measures to comply with the legal provisions provided for by EU Regulation 2016/679 ("GDPR"), as well as with the other regulations in force in the field of personal data protection. Moreover, Apollo’s development was carried out primarily with respect to the principle of "privacy by design".
Is Apollo secure?
All data stored by Apollo is encrypted at the storage layer using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm, AES-256. We use a common cryptographic library, Tink, which includes our FIPS 140-2 validated module (named BoringCrypto) to implement encryption consistently across Apollo cloud components.
Each document has a unique identifier. Access control lists (ACLs) help ensure that each document can be decrypted only by Smart Touch Technologies services that operate with authorized roles, which are granted access only at that point in time. This access limitation helps prevent access to the data without authorisation, strengthening Apollo’s data security and privacy.
How accurate is Apollo?
Apollo's degree of accuracy is highly dependent on the image quality of the processed documents. And once the business processes have been finalized and the Artificial Intelligence engine has learned what to do, the Intelligent Document Processing performed by Apollo has an up to 99% accuracy.
How fast is Apollo?
The Intelligent Document Processing performed by Apollo takes places automatically, within seconds, once the business processes have been finalized and the Artificial Intelligence engine has learned what to do.
Which industries can Apollo be used in?
Apollo can develop intelligent processing flows for any type of document in any industry, however specific they may be. At the moment, however, we have prioritized the intelligent processing of documents from the financial-accounting, retail and logistics & transport industries. If you want to use Apollo for document processing in any other industry, please contact us for more details on how we can help you.
What benefits does Apollo have?
The main benefits of using the Apollo SaaS platform are:
- Digital transformation accessible to any company, regardless of size, industry, or current degree of digitisation.
- Increased efficiency & productivity. Your company will process more transactions with the same or fewer employees, obtaining a higher accuracy, a faster pace, and a reduced number of errors. For example, by using an IDP technology, the number of processed invoices are increased by 67.1%, according to Ardent Partners' Accounts Payable Metrics that Matter in 2022.
- Optimising costs & increasing profitability.
b) costs generated by poor quality are reduced, by reducing or eliminating processing errors;
c) Apollo has no implementation costs, no additional hardware or tools, and no training costs. Additional costs may arise if the beneficiary asks us to configure the platform or develop additional functionalities or connectors.
- Easy implementation and integration into the current business ecosystem. Apollo integrates seamlessly with existing company processes, procedures, and software.
- Reducing the level of emissions. Using a SaaS solution allows:
b) infrastructure and hardware reduction;
c) elimination of the necessary consumption of computer equipment;
d) workforce optimization and the possibility for employees to work remotely,
thus being more efficient from an ecological point of view and the resources involved.
Thus, Apollo helps companies optimize their role in reducing emissions and promoting a sustainable environment.
What is a SmartFlow?
A SmartFlow is a 100% customizable document flow that exactly replicates the process, the internal business flow or the company's internal procedure, from data extraction to their transfer to third parties. SmartFlow is done by simple drag&drop actions.
A user can build as many SmartFlows as they want or use predefined ones depending on each company's unique needs.
How much can I customise Apollo's processes?
As much as you want. Each step in the processing sequence is configurable by the user.
What happens to my documents or data after they are being processed? Where are they stored?
The decision always belongs to you, the beneficiary. You have full control over your data through the configurations you make to the platform.
You can choose between:
a) deletion of documents or data immediately after processing;b) their storage for a determined period in Apollo’s storage in the private cloud;
c) storing them on your storage, if the Bring Your Own Storage option has been activated.