Microsoft’s Power Platform is a suite of digital business tools that allows you to create apps as well as customized workflows, data analytics and more. Power Platform is comprised of three main tools: Power Apps, Power BI and Power Automate.

As a solution platform, it is focused on covering several aspects of successful business operations: analysis, action and automation, generating value and big business impact with a shortened learning curve for your teams and faster digital production times.

With centralized tools, integrable with CRM and ERP technology like Dynamics 365, processes are facilitated at all levels of the business, from the CEO to everyday end users. In this blog post, we’ll tell you more!

What is Power Platform?

Power Platform is a suite of tools that offer low code (low coding) or no code (without code to create applications) solutions for your business. It consists of three core products:

• Power BI
• PowerApps
• Power Automate

All platforms use Common Data Service and Data Connectors.

• Common Data Service is storage used as a service for information storage. As such, its offers security features such as encryption and is supported by the Microsoft Cloud, known as Azure, for data storage.
• Data Connectors are integration points with other applications and bases that allow the use of Power Platform. Data Connectors empower end-user in their ability to drastically cut development times. Users can also run their creations in a browser player or within Microsoft Teams.

1. Power BI

Power BI is a low code tool that builds dashboards for analytics and presentations. These can then be embedded:

• Within Dynamics 365 and its applications
• On a web page or emails
• On third party portals and systems

It is also possible to embed the dashboards (with a specific license) and publish them on other portals, in other ecosystems, from a single frame. In this sense, the maintenance is quite low.

In summary, Power BI is a business intelligence and data analytics solution, collecting data from multiple sources which is then stored in a CDS for analytics. Its components include:

• Services: a reporting, authentication, and dashboard access point, which allows you to generate information, customize frames and process data without the need of other programs.
• Desktop: a tool for developing dashboards and data visualization.
• Data Gateway: An on premise solution that synchronizes data between cloud services and local sources.

2. PowerApps

Power Apps is a tool to design quick and powerful apps for your business. Its cloud application development environment requires little to no line of code for web and mobile. Through connectors, it integrates with other Office 365 components, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Azure, and other solutions. Screens, settings, and applications are stored in CDS.

Development is supported in the Power Apps portal, making it easy to build applications. Power Apps connects with hundreds of systems and databases resulting in greater operational accuracy and a continuous improvement cycle thanks to cloud intelligence.

3. Power Automate

Power Automate is a cloud solution that supports simple and effective workflow automation. Its flow support activation triggers and multiple businesses flows through connectors, various third-party components and solutions which are easily integrated, ensuring flexibility for end-users.

Workflows are created from Power Apps insights and integrated with the systems supported by Power Platform. As such, they run and are supported from the cloud.

What are the benefits of Power Platform?

One of the main advantages of Power Platform is the accuracy it delivers to your day to day business processes. When building an application, for example, you need not worry about the operating system on which it will run, since Power Platform proved interoperability through a software layer (app) built by the Microsoft Engineering team. Therefore, all existing and consolidated platforms in the market are covered and delivery is therefore much more agile.

Another positive factor is Power Platform DevOps, an application that is actively managed and versioned, making the publishing of in-house tools easier and faster.

Other benefits include:

• Process automation: Power Automate, for instance, ensures automation of activities to increase productivity and ensure everyone is able to streamline processes. This is an important aspect for organizational management as solutions are delivered in a shorter timeframe. To reinforce this, an AlfaPeople solution architect gives the example of a company we recently supported: “We had a case with one of our clients where he spent two years trying to get an app up and running. In two months we were able to create that app and make it available. So Power Platform and Power Automate greatly shortened the process thanks largely to automation”.
• Improved visualization of data: Power BI, for instance, makes it easy to visualize data across different types of dashboards. The focus of visualization is Power BI Desktop, which allows you to explore information thanks to artificial intelligence capabilities.
• Data driven implementation: Power Platform, for instance, enables you to provide information to your teams for better decision-making based on powerful insights. It is a data-driven culture that will lead your organization to improved efficiency in its operations. This is achieved without investments in third party technologies or complex system integration and data management programs.
• Cost savings: One of the major benefits of Power Platform is the reduction of expenses in in-house IT development projects. This is because of Power Platforms’ low to nonexistent coding requirements.
• Azure infrastructure and security: Power Platform is supported by Azure, which is Microsoft’s powerful cloud infrastructure. With this foundation, you can integrate components, either DevOps or a function already published in Azure Function.

Interested to know more about Power Platform? Contact AlfaPeople today to learn how this innovative Microsoft business technology can help your business stand out from its competition by boosting productivity without big cost outputs.