Specialists

Use this page to understand how Specialists are invoked, created, and configured in AI Studio.

Overview

Specialists are domain-focused AI agents that help Yarken handle specific types of technology finance questions.

Each specialist is configured with:

1. Identity details.

2. Operating instructions.

3. Conversation starters.

4. Assigned data sources.

5. Active or inactive status.

The orchestrator can delegate work to a specialist based on the user's prompt and the specialist configuration.

User flow

Users do not manually select a specialist in normal use.

Specialists are invoked by Ask Yarken when the user's prompt matches a specialist domain.

For example, a cloud cost question can be routed to Cloud FinOps Analyst, while a contract renewal question can be routed to Vendor & Contract Analyst.

How Specialists work

Where to find Specialists

To open Specialists:

1. Go to Admin.

2. Select AI Studio.

3. Under Configure, select Specialists.

The Specialists page displays specialist cards in the main panel.

What the Specialists page shows

Each specialist card shows:

The page also includes + Add Specialist.

Specialist status

Specialists can have the following status values:

• Active: The specialist is available to the orchestrator.

• Inactive: The specialist exists but is not available for use.

Use Deactivate when a specialist should remain configured but should not be available to the orchestrator.

Default specialist examples

The following specialists are included by default in client instances:

• IT Cost Analyst.

• Cloud FinOps Analyst.

• Vendor & Contract Analyst.

• License & SaaS Optimization Analyst.

• Application & Service TCO Analyst.

• Chargeback & Showback Analyst.

• Cost Model Steward.

Admin configuration flow

Create a specialist

There are two ways to create a specialist.

Guided setup

To use guided setup:

1. Go to Admin > AI Studio > Specialists.

2. Select + Add Specialist.

3. Describe what kind of questions or tasks the specialist should handle.

4. Review the specialist preview as the setup progresses.

5. Continue through the guided prompts until the specialist is ready to save.

The guided setup includes a preview panel so administrators can review the specialist while it is being created.

Use Restart to restart the guided setup.

Use Skip to manual setup if you want to configure the specialist directly.

Manual setup

To create a specialist manually:

1. Go to Admin > AI Studio > Specialists.

2. Select + Add Specialist.

3. Select Skip to manual setup.

4. Enter the required identity details.

5. Add specialist instructions.

6. Add conversation starters.

7. Select one or more data sources.

8. Select Save.

Configure identity

In the Identity section, configure:

Write the description for administrators and users. It should make the specialist's scope clear.

Example:

Specialist in IT and operational spend analysis across vendors, cost centres, business units, and TBM taxonomy dimensions. Handles aggregate spend queries and line-item drill-downs.

Configure instructions

Use Instructions to define the specialist’s role, behavior, available Data Sources, system tools, and limits.

Good instructions should define:

1. What the specialist is responsible for.

2. Which Data Sources it should use.

3. Which system tools it may use.

4. When it should use each Data Source or tool.

5. How it should handle ambiguity.

6. What it should return to the orchestrator.

7. What it should not do.

Example:

The Chargeback Waste Detector: Identifies services that business units are being charged for but not actively consuming

Instructions:

Role:
You are the Chargeback Waste Detector sub-agent for the Yarken askYarken platform.

Objective:

You identify IT services and cloud resources that business units are being charged for but are not actively consuming or are significantly underutilizing. Your goal is to help finance and IT teams eliminate wasteful allocations and optimize chargeback accuracy.

Data Sources/Tools: (you have to select/tag any existing tool using "@")

- @Chargeback_Analysis — Analyzes IT service chargeback data to compare allocated costs vs actual consumption by business unit. Use when identifying services with charges but no corresponding usage.

- @BU_Showback_Report — Shows business unit cloud application costs and service allocations for showback analysis. Use when examining specific BU service portfolios or cloud app consumption patterns.

Instructions:

Scan broadly across all business units and services unless the user specifies a particular BU or service type.

Flag both zero-usage waste (services with charges but no consumption) and significant underutilization (services used far below allocation).

Compare allocated costs against actual consumption metrics to identify discrepancies.

Prioritize findings by financial impact — show the biggest waste opportunities first.

When presenting findings, include: service name, business unit, allocated cost, actual usage level, and potential savings.

Output:

Present findings as concise lists with key metrics in table format. Include service name, BU, monthly charge, usage %, and recommended action (cancel, reduce allocation, or investigate).

Constraints:

Do not answer questions outside chargeback and service consumption scope.

Do not call tools speculatively — only when needed to answer the specific question.

Do not make recommendations to cancel services without showing the usage data that supports it.

Understand Data Sources and Tools in specialist instructions

In specialist instructions, admins can reference both Data Sources and Tools using @.

These are different.

Data Sources

Data Sources define the data available to the specialist.

Examples include:

Data Sources are configured in AI Studio > Data Sources. They can be referenced in specialist instructions using @.

Tools

Tools are system-default actions available to the agent. Admins do not create or configure them in AI Studio.

Examples shown in the current interface include:

How to reference Data Sources and Tools

Use @ inside the instruction editor to mention an available Data Source or Tool.

Example:

Use @Chargeback_Analysis when the user asks about allocated costs, service consumption, business unit chargeback, or underused services.

Use @BU_Showback_Report when the user asks for business unit showback, cloud application costs, or service allocation details.

Use @Generate_Chart when the response needs a visual comparison or trend chart.

Use @Ask_User when the request is missing a required filter, time period, business unit, or scope.

How to decide what to mention

Use a Data Source when the specialist needs governed Yarken data.

Use a Tool when the specialist needs to perform a system action, such as asking a clarification question or generating a chart.

Good instruction pattern

Use this structure when writing specialist instructions:

Example

Role:
You are the Chargeback Waste Detector specialist for Ask Yarken.

Objective:
Identify IT services and cloud resources that business units are being charged for but are not actively consuming or are significantly underutilizing.

Data Sources:

Use @Chargeback Analysis when identifying services where allocated cost is higher than actual consumption.

Use @BU Showback Report when reviewing business unit cloud application costs and service allocations.

Tools:

Use @Generate Chart when the response needs a trend, comparison, or ranked view.

Use @Ask User when the request is missing the business unit, time period, service scope, or chargeback category.

Instructions:

1. Scan across business units and services unless the user specifies a narrower scope.
2. Flag zero-usage waste and significant underutilization.
3. Compare allocated costs against actual consumption metrics.
4. Prioritize findings by financial impact.
5. Include service name, business unit, allocated cost, actual usage level, and potential savings.

Constraints:

Do not recommend cancellation without usage data.
Do not answer outside chargeback and service consumption scope.
Do not query Data Sources unless they are needed for the user’s request.

Add conversation starters

Conversation starters are example tasks shown to users to help them understand what to ask.

To add a conversation starter:

1. Open the specialist.

2. Go to Conversation Starters.

3. Enter an example question.

4. Select Add.

5. Repeat for additional examples.

6. Select Save.

Examples visible in the current Spend Analyst configuration include:

• What is the total spend by vendor for Q1 FY2024?

• Show cost centre breakdown for IT tower Software this financial year.

• Which vendors have spend over $1M this year?

• Compare spend across business units year over year.

• Drill into line items for vendor Accenture in March.

• What is the spend trend for the Applications cost pool over the last 3 quarters?

Assign data sources

Edit a specialist

To edit a specialist:

1. Go to Admin > AI Studio > Specialists.

2. Open the specialist card.

3. Update identity, instructions, conversation starters, or data sources.

4. Select Save.

Changes can affect how the orchestrator delegates tasks and how the specialist answers.

Deactivate a specialist

To deactivate a specialist:

1. Open the specialist.

2. Select Deactivate.

Deactivated specialists are not available for orchestration but remain in AI Studio for review or future reactivation.

Delete a specialist

To delete a specialist:

1. Open the specialist.

2. Scroll to Delete specialist.

3. Select Delete.

Deleting a specialist permanently removes the specialist and its configuration. Use deactivation when the specialist may be needed later.

Configuration guidance

Before activating a specialist, confirm that:

1. The display name is clear and specific.

2. The description matches the intended scope.

3. Instructions define what the specialist should and should not handle.

4. Conversation starters are realistic and useful.

5. Assigned data sources match the specialist domain.

6. The specialist does not duplicate another active specialist.

Next step

Explore the default specialist guides:

• IT Cost Analyst

• Cloud FinOps Analyst

• Vendor & Contract Analyst

• License & SaaS Optimization Analyst

• Application & Service TCO Analyst

• Chargeback & Showback Analyst

• Cost Model Steward

Related content

• Data Sources

• Skills

• Playbooks