Microsoft Power Platform: A Comprehensive Guide for Businesses

A technology platform that fuels every aspect of your business is no longer a competitive advantage in this data-driven, digital-first business world – it is an imperative. The Microsoft Power Platform (the Platform) delivers a low-code solution, enabling users to build custom business applications, automate workflows, analyze data and deliver Automated Intelligence (AI) solutions in one inclusive environment.

1. What is the Microsoft Power Platform?
2. What is the Microsoft Power Platform Used For?
3. What are the Benefits of the Microsoft Power Platform?
4. What Skills are Needed to Use the Microsoft Power Platform?
5. Can the Microsoft Power Platform Be Accessed Externally?
6. What is the ROI for Using Microsoft’s Power Platform?
7. Innovating with the Microsoft Power Platform
8. Microsoft Power Platform Use Cases and Best Practices
9. Helpful Microsoft Power Platform Terms to Know

What Is the Microsoft Power Platform?

The Microsoft Power Platform is a powerful set of business applications serving different functions as part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite of products. The Power Platform has five major components:

• Power Apps: A suite of apps, services and connectors, as well as a data platform, that provides a rapid development environment, with low-to-no code, to build custom apps for business needs.
• Power Automate: A service that enables process automation, and creates automated workflows between apps and services to synchronize files, alert notifications, collect data, etc.
• Power BI: A collection of software services, apps and connectors that work together to turn disparate sources of data into cohesive, visual and interactive insights.
• Power Virtual Agents: A service that creates powerful AI-enabled chatbots for a range of simple to complex conversations.
• Power Pages: A service that creates, hosts and administers modern, external-facing business websites.

Combined, these solutions allow non-developers to work data in ‘analyze, act, and automate’ processes specifically tailored to their business.

Listen to our podcast to understand the main components of the Microsoft Power Platform and how you can better leverage these solutions to best suit your business needs:

Each application was designed by Microsoft with the intent of working together to enhance capabilities. For example, by leveraging Power Apps to build an expense reporting application, and connecting Power Automate to design a workflow, the report can be routed through appropriate approval channels.  When connecting Power BI to these two components, an analysis can determine the timeliness of the reporting process. To create additional insight, adding predictive analytics or integrating into other cloud systems can give users additional insight into future actions.

What is the Microsoft Power Platform Used For?

Each application was designed by Microsoft with the intent of working together to enhance capabilities. For example, by leveraging Power Apps to build an expense reporting application, and connecting Power Automate to design a workflow, the report can be routed through appropriate approval channels. When connecting Power BI to these two components, an analysis can determine the timeliness of the reporting process. To create additional insight, adding predictive analytics or integrating into other cloud systems can give users additional insight into future actions.

What Are the Benefits of the Microsoft Power Platform?

The Platform enables organizations to effectively compete by providing low-code tools that empower the workforce in all critical performance areas.

• Workflow – Users can connect and automate processes across hundreds of business applications and systems, centralizing all enterprise-wide processes into one platform. Workflows are instantly streamlined and processes standardized, saving time, increasing employee satisfaction and minimizing errors.
• Data – All applications and external data sources are managed within one central platform, enabling 360-degree visibility across an organization to improve data accuracy, increase value and streamline reporting. By gathering and accessing data, users can create data visualizations to garner valuable insights and make data-based decisions accordingly.
• Remote Work and Collaboration – With full web and mobile application integration, employees can connect anywhere from any device to retrieve, share and interact with project activities without disruption.
• Security and Compliance – Organizations can ensure regulations and compliance standards are consistently and accurately met with automated processes that monitor data collection, output and results.

As a multi-tiered, in-depth defense security solution, the Platform is accessible via the cloud to every user, focusing on citizen development, and is broadly viewed as the global leader in the fight against ‘malicious actors.’ Because Microsoft integrates with other cloud solutions, the opportunities for integration such as with SQL, SharePoint, AWS, QuickBooks etc. are all possible.

• Self-Service – With its low-to-no code approach, users can easily generate insights from data, deploy rich applications, create powerful workflows and automate with a basic skillset application.

Listen to our podcast to learn more about the benefits of the Microsoft Power Platform:

What Skills Are Needed To Use Microsoft Power Platform?

The introduction of a new software or functionality within an existing platform can be intimidating. Engaging with Microsoft implementation professionals like those on the Cherry Bekaert Digital Advisory team can help simplify this decision and process.

Identifying the appropriate technical skills needed to work within the platform depends on the work being performed. Microsoft has built a robust platform with user-friendly and easy-to-navigate components, such as building a basic workflow approval in Power Automate or working with a simple data set in Power BI.

As business applications and processes become more complex, like a capital request where different conditions and fields apply, or writing to SQL and pulling data from Amazon Web Services (AWS) or QuickBooks, a more advanced skillset may be required. It is very important that users understand their skillsets and limitations when performing advanced activities and tapping into a higher skillset user or a consultant for additional help.

For example, an inexperienced employee using a Power App leverages a data gateway to an on-premises SQL server and converts their Power App to a premium subscription. However, the user does not realize the implication of updating their subscription, which directly impacts all user subscriptions and potentially costs the organization an additional 20k.

Can the Microsoft Power Platform Be Accessed Externally?

For external customers and vendors, Power Pages was introduced to support individuals needing access to a component within an organization’s Microsoft Power Platform. Power Pages enables Platform users with the ability to build low-code, scalable, business websites where customers and vendors can access to add content, edit documents, create lists, or view information. Power Pages’ pre-built templates and tools help users manage live sites.

This component can be extremely useful in industry verticals where projects involve several external teams who are actively engaged in a project. For example, an architecture firm using Microsoft’s Power Platform works with several external construction vendors in the process of a project. The architecture firm can create a Power Page for each vendor and provide access to one to two users per vendor to access the page to do the extra level of business process needed for the project. This may include making a request using a Power App, and/or viewing info on project data from Power BI. Power Pages makes it seamless for an external customer or vendor to engage in a project and alleviates any disruption to the process.

What is the ROI for Using Microsoft’s Power Platform?

Forrester, a leading global market research company, in a recent economic impact report, conducted a study across multiple organizations who invested in the Microsoft’s Power Platform, factoring in licensing and developed applications within the platform. The combined results of fully integrating the platform into their businesses saw a ROI of 502% in less than three years with a reduction of application development costs by 50% (Firth and Heaney).

These organizations were able to increase workforce productivity and eliminate inefficiencies. By virtue of the cloud, organizations were able to instantly receive updates, new features and enhancements, eliminating support, downtime and manual hours of labor. Also due to the cloud, organizations were able to eliminate operational and facility expenses, such as electricity and equipment maintenance. Workforces empowered with the Power Platform can perform higher quality work, more quickly, which allows the workforce more time to be innovate and drive profitable outcomes.

Innovating with the Microsoft Power Platform

A construction company, with territories throughout the southeast, specializes in sales and service of Caterpillar products, including earthmoving, construction and materials handling equipment, along with diesel engines used for electric power generation, on-highway and marine propulsion applications. They began noticing that they were losing sales as many of their prime sales inquiries were happening when the team was in the field. At that time, the company used an on-premises SharePoint, SQL and ERP so to respond to a client while in the field, and a salesperson had to be on a laptop connected to a VPN with a strong internet connection.

By migrating their SharePoint to Office 365 SharePoint online and integrating their ERP with Power App, a custom app was built to help convert sellable pieces of equipment to rentals in real time. In addition, a custom workflow was built for approvals and Power BI was leveraged for analytics. This enabled the salesperson, while in the field, to leverage the app, review inventory in ERP, request an item and close a sale all within 30 minutes, versus the prior three-week process. Additionally, the sales team can make smarter business decisions and increase profitability with the foresight to see how many construction items they are converting from a sale to rental and number items in inventory, ensuring no missed revenue.

The Microsoft Power Platform offers a host of benefits for organizations, realizing most benefits when its components are utilized in connection. It empowers organizations through automation and innovative enterprise applications, and provides users with the insights needed to make smarter business decisions that fuel performance, innovation and growth.

Microsoft Power Platform Use Cases and Best Practices

Listen to our podcast to learn about real-world Microsoft Power Platform use cases and best practices for leveraging this tool:

Helpful Microsoft Power Platform Terms to Know

• Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) – Covers governance, development and maintenance of all applications to provide a standardized system for communication and collaboration
• Canvas App – A custom design-focused app built and managed from Power Apps. You can add dynamic components and arrange them based on what experience you want to present to the end-user and run from virtually anywhere
• Center of Excellence – Natural maintenance and organic growth support system that organizations can use to achieve business outcome goals and manage their tenant and users
• Cloud Flow – This system allows a series of commands to be executed based on a trigger, ranging from a scheduled trigger, manual trigger, or a specified action item
• Dataverse – Data storage system that allows you to store and manage data used by business applications securely
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) – helps you prevent the unintentional or accidental sharing of sensitive information
• Environment – This is the space where you keep, collect, and share business data, Power Apps, and flows. These typically consist of a sandbox (test) and production environment
• Application Lifecycle Management– The maintenance of environments and their relevant applications
• Model-driven App – Application design approach focuses on the data and content vs. overall aesthetic and end-user experience through little to no code
• Power Apps – Application development platform for custom apps
• Power Automate (Flow) – Used for business processes and workflows
• Power BI – Business analytics and reporting
• Power Virtual Agents – Custom chatbots to answer questions for your customers

About Cherry Bekaert Digital Advisory

Cherry Bekaert’s Digital Advisory team is comprised of strategists who have broad industry experience and keen business acumen. Utilizing an agile and flexible approach, we help examine what you want to achieve with a focus on people, process, technology and culture. We are here to help organizations manage risks, enable growth and support sustainable operations. Leveraging our strategic process, we help digitally enabled organizations – especially middle-market companies – do more with less. Cherry Bekaert stays on top of the latest technology trends, but we know that technology is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Cherry Bekaert is here to guide you on what technology makes sense to adopt as it pertains to delivering the highest value to your organization.

Questions? Contact Us