Article updated 21.7.2022

Today’s business environment is constantly evolving and requires organizations to respond to new types of challenges even faster and more agilely. Thanks to cloud service-based tools continuous improvement is possible in a modern work culture, and at best, the entire organization is involved in improving the operations of the entire work community. 

The Microsoft Power Platform provides tools to help develop task- and role-specific business applications quickly and easily to meet an organization’s needs. Custom enterprise applications combine data from multiple source systems and automate repetitive and inconvenient manual processes as well as workflows handling large amounts of data. 

Today’s case-specific application development streamlines any organization’s operations cost-effectively: business IT development projects are no longer expensive and long-lasting, but workable and tested solutions are created within days, as long as the application needs, business logic and data sources are clearly defined. 

Microsoft Power Platform streamlines business 

The Power Apps tool for building applications, the Power Automate tool for workflow automation, and the Power BI reporting tool included in the Microsoft Power Platform are available as cloud services. They combine and direct data streams into visual views and interfaces that allow reporting and data entry on a browser and iOS and Android devices, enabling time- and location-independent work. In this case, real-time business-critical information can be utilized by users mobile, and decision-making is speeded up and business operations become more efficient. 

Power Platform tools, which operate in the familiar operating environment of Microsoft, are constantly evolving with the development of Microsoft’s powerful, built-in security and other innovations. Deploying Power Apps is fast with organizations already using Microsoft 365, as it is along with new deployment of other Microsoft 365 products. They lower the threshold of the work community to participate in the jointly planned and implemented development of the organisation’s activities and improve the commitment of the staff to the organisation’s strategic priorities. 

Microsoft Power Apps digitizes business processes 

With Power Apps, scalable application development is possible for a variety of uses and entities ranging from simple implementations such as queries and forms to complex applications performing customized functionalities by integrating data from multi-source applications and systems. 

With the help of applications, data can be utilized in a more versatile and efficient way. Productivity also increases as the potential for human error by employees decreases, as does the number of manual, often repetitive, and unpleasant work tasks, and job satisfaction improves. Employees can focus on core tasks while easy-to-use applications save time by digitizing business processes. 

In addition to Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI leverage more than 400 aggregators to connect data from an organization’s existing on-premise data sources, for example. Microsoft and its active user community release new connectors at a weekly rate, and anyone can build them on their own, so there are countless opportunities to solve process- or task-specific challenges and drawbacks. 

Power Apps extend the lifecycle of information systems 

Power Apps can also be used to develop a mobile interface to existing on-premise applications. In this case, for example, a simply designed button on a mobile device launches workflows in the background implemented with Power Automate, which processes and, using Power BI visually display information from both on-premise systems and online-based information systems. 

With Microsoft Power Automate, it is also possible to implement functions performed in different user interfaces as UI flow workflows utilizing software robotics. This means that in addition to data utilized from online and on-premise systems, workflows can also include functionalities that run on desktop applications. In addition to the cloud service, Microsoft last month released the Power Automat desktop application, and workflows can also be built directly from the Microsoft Teams teamwork application. 

Gone are the time-consuming logins to different systems over VPN connections, and in the worst case, finding or entering information related to the same issue on multiple systems. Different applications can also address weaknesses and shortcomings in on-premises systems that are harder to customize, as well as complement their features. The life cycle of existing IT procurements will be extended and the added value they generate will improve. 

Application development with versatile opportunities 

Applications that can be used offline can also be developed, in which the entered information is updated online when the user is again in the network coverage area. The applications can also utilize the camera and location information of a mobile device, which enhances the work of, for example, field salesmen and regional inspectors working in the field. 

Power Apps can be used to implement simple forms for logging hours, maintenance, and inspection information, as well as for making resource and calendar reservations and for event registration. Various surveys are suitable, for example, for measuring customer and employee satisfaction and for developing business processes such as sales, marketing, and warehousing. 

The opportunities to solve the changing and new challenges of the business are endless. You should follow our blog, as we will introduce our various Power Apps solutions in more detail and explore what a successful Power Apps development project requires from a collaboration between an organization and a technical partner. 

Read more about Power Platform solutions:

• Power Platform at the heart of digitalization and remote work
• A digital leap of sales supported by Microsoft Power Apps
• Digital tools and unified practices support the digital leap required for remote and hybrid work
• Microsoft Power Platform enables agile application development for HR
• Document automation saves time and reduces risks
• Speed up the quoting and contracting process with automation

Would your organization benefit from cost-effectively developed business applications on a fast timetable? Contact us and together we will map out your usage needs. 

Jari Kyläjärvi
Director, partner