An online workflow provision that automates actions across all available services and apps, Power Automate can send prompts on outstanding jobs, transfer scheduled business data between systems, chat to over 275 data sources or any widely available API, and even automate duties on your local computer. Power Automate enables all those with an understanding of the company processes to make a repeatable flow that when activated, jumps into action, and executes the method.
For example, users can automate these duties:
- Copy all email attachments to their OneDrive for Business account.
- Automate approval workflows
- Gather data about their company, and share it with the team.
- Immediately reply to high-priority emails or notifications.
- Capture, track, and follow up with the latest sales leads.
Commonly users can use Power Automate to receive notifications and copy files. Another feature is the ability to observe what people are saying about the company by designing a flow that operates whenever someone sends a tweet with a specific company hashtag. The flow can then attach information about each tweet to a Facebook post, a Microsoft Lists list or even a Microsoft Excel file. Users can also connect the collected data to Microsoft Power BI, identifying trends in that data and then allowing for any relevant questions.
Designing and directing a flow
Users can make a flow, and execute any administrative tasks in a browser or, on their phone, if they have downloaded the mobile app.
Some of these tasks include:
- Assess thorough run history reports.
- View and screen runs by type of notification.
- Turn flows on or off, no matter the location
- Be notified if a flow fails.
Operate your data in its location
Accessing data is vital when developing an app. Power Automate presents users with choices; with over six hundred connectors, users are able to connect easily to the information and services across the web or on-premises. Popular data sources include:
- Microsoft Dataverse
- Office 365
- Dynamics 365
- Salesforce
- Google Drive
The Microsoft Power Platform also effortlessly looks after multiple data connections enabling users to connect data from many platforms into one individual automation.
Additionally, if the data is not retrievable by one of the over six hundred connectors, Power Automate allows the user to design custom connectors, enabling them to chat with any data source through a swagger file.
Power Automate and the types of flows available to create
Power Automate operates by creating flows, consisting of three types:
- Cloud flows – Flows that are built with a trigger and one or more actions. There are a variety of triggers and actions available such as a notification of an email from a specific person, or someone mentioning a company on social media, all thanks to active connectors.
- Business process flows – Flows that are constructed to enhance the experience when using Model-driven apps and Microsoft Dataverse.
- Desktop flows – Robotic process automation (RPA) flows enable users to record themselves performing actions on their desktop or web browser. They can then trigger a flow to perform that process. Users are also able to pass data in or get data out of a process, allowing even “manual” business processes to be automated.
Security and Administration
Through the Microsoft Power Platform admin center, users have full tenant-wide access to Power Automate, with the capability to develop and oversee environments, implement Data Loss Prevention policies, and manage user licenses, amongst others.
As an extra, as Power Automate is all about automation, there are built-in flow actions for handling both Power Apps and Power Automate.
Guiding and pushing the business value
Power Automate flows are designed with activations and actions. Triggers decide what begins the flow, whilst the action decides what happens. With Power Automate users can have the power to indicate the business logic in order to decide on the relevant conditions. For many companies, this means automation is not driven solely by the IT department but also directly by the company itself.
Therefore, Power Automate has plenty to offer companies, especially those in IT or responsible for governance. With Power Automate comes numerous governance, security, and reporting capabilities required to deliver all necessary oversight.
If Power Automate sounds like something that could benefit your company, but a little more guidance is needed, then Casper365 can help!
The Casper365 Azure-based cloud platform includes a mix of bespoke SharePoint and Microsoft Teams templates, Casper365 templates, and SharePoint Online support. These templates include SharePoint Online starter kits, project management, auditing, and document management. Casper365 leverages your cloud platform, automating your SharePoint and Teams sites by up to 60% faster, improving productivity, and driving user adoption. You determine which users create sites, what types, and how many they can deploy, ensuring your environment is effectively managed and governed.
With automatically deployed business-ready solutions in Casper365, you can empower your teams to be productive, and safe in the knowledge that the governance is completely under control.
We offer a range of business-ready solutions that can be deployed instantly, easily customised to fit your business requirements, and that are designed by a team with decades of experience and world-class SharePoint Enterprise Content Management expertise.
Chat to us today, tell us your goals, and see how we can help make them a reality!