Build custom business apps with Power Apps

What are Power Apps and how can your business use it?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 project service automation

Power Apps are an exciting tool that allows you to easily build custom business apps – without the use of code.

Matthijn Hoogenboom

By Matthijn Hoogenboom, Sales Director, MicroPartner

Build custom business apps with Power Apps

Microsoft launched an exciting product: Power Apps. But what are Power Apps and how can you and your business use the tool?

Power Apps are an exciting tool that allows you to easily build customized business apps – completely without the use of code.

Power Apps can be used to support multiple processes involving workflows, automation, data visualization, reporting, collaboration, and more. In other words, you can add digital transformation to manual processes. You can build custom business apps with Power Apps to your phone, website or even in an Office 365 tool such as Teams.

Common Data Service

Power Apps use the same access control and security structure from the Dynamics 365 CRM suite. Data is available across applications through the Common Data Service. As a result, you can use information about, for instance, data structure and business rules that you have already defined and use in Dynamics 365, to build your app on.

With Power Apps, you can build on the data you already have, but you can also integrate other 3rd party applications and programs. In fact, Microsoft has developed over 200 unique sources for data integration, including Office 365, Dynamics 365, SQL, and Common Data Service. That way, you can build custom business apps with Power Apps that can be easily shared.

Link processes and workflows in one app

One of the significant advantages is that you can build custom business apps with Power Apps based on Office 365 and Dynamics 365. For example, if you have a process that uses both Office 365 Excel and entities from Dynamics 365 Sales, you can combine the process in one app. It provides opportunities to tailor solutions to specific departments, which support the way you work.

Access to built-in tools

Power Apps has built-in tools that make it easy to get started building custom business apps:

  • A library of app templates that you can customize to your needs.
  • A library of over 200 connectors for integrating data and systems across Office 365.
  • An easy “drag and drop” tool to build apps with.
  • Close integration with other Office 365 and Dynamics 365 tools.

Build custom business apps with Power Apps – Canvas Apps and Model Driven Apps

Power Apps consists of two types of apps, namely Canvas Apps and Model Driven Apps. Canvas Apps lets you build apps from a blank canvas (hence the name) without the use of complicated code or programming. If your app needs complex business logics, Model Driven Aps are the ones you need. Model Driven Apps can run alone or as back end to Canvas Apps.

The Difference Between Canvas Apps and Model Driven Apps

Roughly speaking, Canvas Apps solves specific problems or functions, and Model Driven Apps support complex processes that can even span over many sub-processes and many different types of data.

At MicroPartner, we can advise you on which type of app suits you need. And we can also help map processes and build apps that match your needs.

Build custom business apps with Power Apps

There are many possibilities for incorporating Power Apps into the company – in fact, only the imagination sets the limits. If you need inspiration on how you can build custom business apps with Power Apps, I will provide a few examples here for inspiration:

  • Assistance with inspections

    For employees in the field who can enter information about for instance repairs and results of inspections.

  • Know your customer

    For a ‘Know Your Customer / Client app’, which can be used by employees to create due diligence about new clients based on different criteria and different databases.

  • Automatic documents

    To create standard documents such as contracts via automations based on various criteria and metadata.

  • Rating system

    To build a 360-degree rating system using input from different users, workflows, and reporting.

  • Overview of IT

    For a system for the IT department where they can keep monitor hardware, mobile devices, and software licenses.

  • Marketing automations

    For various marketing automations to follow up on customers / clients based on their response and interactions.

  • Credit rating of customers

    The finance department needs information about payment terms, etc. for the company’s customers to be able to credit assess customers. As a result, they decide to build a model-driven app. Access to the app is controlled on specific security roles and contains only the necessary entities, forms, and views.

  • Lead management tool

    The sales department often attends trade fairs and needs a smart tool for lead management. As a result, the company builds a canvas app that includes a business card scanner for quick capture of contact information. When a lead is created, a flow grabs hold of it, checks the zip code against a zip code grouping, and assigns the lead to the salesperson associated with the grouping. The salespeople can then continue working with the new leads in Dynamics 365 Sales.

  • Managing internal ordering of hardware

    A business needs a smarter way to handle ordering of internal hardware. They decide to use both a Canvas App and a Model Driven App.

    Canvas App

    The Canvas app lets employees order new hardware. Approvals of the orders are managed either through Microsoft Flow or via a Model Driven app.

    Model Driven App

    The Model Driven App has access to prices, specifications, etc. on hardware via the Common Data Service and controls the ordering process at the supplier. In addition, the internal delivery process and possibly individual hardware budget are controlled through the Model Driven app. Delivered hardware is registered at user level and is available in the Common Data Service.

Build custom business apps with Power Apps

Do you need more inspiration? Or do you need help getting started building custom business apps with Power Apps? Please contact us at T 4345 0660.

Do you want more information?

Contact us at +45 4345 0660

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