Skip to main content
Showcases how ArcKit documents complex government workflow systems integrating payment processing and notification services.

​
Project Overview

An intellectual property filing platform that automates patent application workflows whilst integrating GOV.UK Pay for fee collection and GOV.UK Notify for applicant communications. View the complete project: arckit-test-project-v6-patent-system

​
Key Features Documented

  • Multi-stage application workflow orchestration
  • GOV.UK Pay integration for patent fees
  • GOV.UK Notify for email and SMS notifications
  • Document management and version control
  • Examiner review queuing and assignment
  • IPO (Intellectual Property Office) data standards
  • Payment reconciliation and refund handling

​
Generated Artifacts

ArcKit produced:
  • Workflow state diagrams for application lifecycle
  • Integration architecture with GOV.UK platforms
  • Data model covering applicants, patents, payments
  • Security controls for IP confidentiality
  • Deployment architecture with staging environments
  • Operational runbooks for common scenarios
  • API specifications for external integrations

​
Commands Used

# Initialise project
arckit init

# Generate core architecture
arckit.design

# Create detailed workflow documentation
arckit.workflows

# Document integrations
arckit.integrations

# Generate operational procedures
arckit.operations

​
When to Use This Pattern

Reference this example when building:
  • Government transaction services
  • Multi-step approval workflows
  • Systems using GOV.UK Pay or Notify
  • Document-heavy submission platforms
  • Fee-based public services
  • Intellectual property systems

​
Key Learnings

ArcKit documented authentication flows, webhook handling, and idempotency patterns for GOV.UK Pay. Retry logic and payment reconciliation were key considerations.
Complex state machines govern patent progression. The architecture captured state transitions, validation rules, examiner actions, and applicant amendments.
Patent applications contain sensitive IP. ArcKit generated access control models, encryption at rest/transit, and audit logging for all document operations.
Critical updates must reach applicants. The design included notification queuing, delivery confirmation, and fallback channels (email + SMS) using GOV.UK Notify.

UK Government API Aggregator

Unified access to 240+ government APIs

Platform Design Guide

Designing multi-tenant platforms with ArcKit

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us