To read Part 1 of this blog - What is a Data Fabric and Why Does it Matter? Click here.
Data Fabric is a core component of our new process automation platform, Formstack Streamline, enabling seamless connections between workflows and external data sources without retaining any of the data in those sources. This approach ensures data remains in its original location while still being available for automation, personalization, and secure collaboration.
Let’s explore how our Data Fabric works, its key capabilities, and the benefits of its Zero Data Retention (ZDR) approach.
Connecting Data Without Duplication
Traditional automation tools often require data to be copied into a centralized database, creating security risks, compliance challenges, and data inconsistencies. Our Data Fabric takes a different approach.
When a data source is connected, the Data Fabric automatically analyzes its metadata to create a virtual map of the underlying data types and relationships—whether it’s a relational database, an API-driven SaaS platform, or an unstructured data store. This process identifies:
- Data Organization – Understanding tables, fields, and key relationships in structured data sources, as well as extracting relevant elements from API-based or unstructured sources.
- Data Classification – Detecting and labeling fields such as names, email addresses, and postal addresses, for example.
- Security and Compliance Tagging – Automatically tagging sensitive data under frameworks such as HIPAA, SOC 2, PII, and PHI, providing users with a clear understanding of security obligations.
Once discovery is complete and a Data Catalog is created, workflows can access and use the data in real time—without requiring migration, replication, or storage within the platform.
Using Data Fabric in Workflows
With the Data Fabric, customers can leverage external data sources to:
- Prefill forms – Pull relevant data into forms to reduce manual entry and improve accuracy. This saves time and creates a better end-user experience.
- Enable real-time data editing – Allow users to view and update information from connected sources, with changes written back directly to the system of record.
- Generate dynamic documents – Use live data from connected sources to create contracts, agreements, and other documents for eSignature and automated delivery.
Because all data interactions happen at the source, changes made while collecting data in workflows can be immediately reflected in the original system, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
Watch a real customer use Formstack Streamline
Zero Data Retention (ZDR): A Secure, Privacy-First Approach
A key differentiator of our Data Fabric is its Zero Data Retention (ZDR) model. This means the platform does not retain customer data permanently. Instead, it acts as a secure bridge between workflows and external data sources. Any data accessed during a session is temporarily retained only for the duration of that session to enable seamless operations and is automatically purged afterward, ensuring both efficiency and data safety.
Benefits of ZDR:
- Enhanced data privacy – No data is duplicated or stored, minimizing exposure to breaches.
- Compliance & security – Meets strict security and compliance requirements by ensuring sensitive data remains in its system of origin.
- No AI data reuse – Unlike some platforms that retain data for AI training or analytics, the Data Fabric approach ensures your data is never repurposed.
Summary
Our Data Fabric within Formstack Streamline enables seamless, secure data connectivity without the effort and risks associated with copying or storing sensitive information. By leveraging a Zero Data Retention approach, it reduces security risks, enhances compliance, and ensures that workflows interact with live data at its source.
With capabilities such as automated discovery, real-time data classification, and workflow integration, our Data Fabric provides a powerful yet privacy-conscious way to automate business processes without disrupting existing data infrastructure.
Let’s talk about how Formstack Streamline can help you connect data and build automations without duplicating or retaining your data.
