Microsoft Power Apps is a development platform for mobile and web applications that allows “empowered” users to reach new heights in app creation, those which were previously only possible by professional programmers. As its main drawcard, it offers the chance for users in your company to design apps with little to no code.

Microsoft vs COVID-19

With the worldwide expansion of COVID-19 (coronavirus), Microsoft and a group of its engineers decided to collaborate on an application template called “Crisis Communication” which was released in a first version for the Power Apps plan for the government of the United States (Power Apps US Government Service). 48 hours after the first release, a version applicable to any organization was published and is already being used in more than 100 companies worldwide.

This application combines the functionality of SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Outlook and Power Automate.

How can Power Apps help in the fight against COVID-19?

• Employees can report on the work they are doing and make requests to carry out face-to-face or remote activities as a preventive measure while communicating to customers how the tasks of an ongoing project will be carried out
• Administrators can send relevant information to stakeholders and update the emergency contact data of all employees
• Companies can integrate to their system an RSS feeds from local media sources to keep everyone in their network updated with the latest events regarding COVID-19
• Microsoft is giving all Power App users temporary access to a premium feature, Power Apps Push Notifications, so you won’t need any premium licenses to use Power Apps to send crucial information to users.

Steps to install the Crisis Communication App

With the release of the application, Microsoft has published installation steps, which we have summarized:

1. 1. Download the application from the official website
   2. Create a public site in SharePoint, in which the lists of information that the application will use as a repository will be uploaded

1. 1. Create and run an application in Power Automate that will populate the content lists on the previously created SharePoint public site
   2. Once the flow is executed, import the “Crisis Communication” App and define the accounts with which the connections to Teams, Office and Outlook will be executed

1. 1. Once the amount is finished, open the application and configure SharePoint data sources with the path of our site
   2. Import the “CrisisCommunicationAdmin” template, configure the permissions, and publish the application
   3. Run the app and configure the data sources of the created SharePoint site
   4. Open the application, the administration site and configure the account that will administer it, the Active Directory group, logo and where we will share RSS information
   5. Test the access of the client application, and check that the links of each option are configured

1. Now ready, you share the app and enjoy the benefits of Power Apps-powered internal communication.

About AlfaPeople

Market leader in supplying Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions, AlfaPeople has expanded its operations to 14 countries worldwide with more than 550 employees.

AlfaPeople offers a range of Microsoft business solutions including Dynamics 365 Finance, Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, Power Platform, and many more. Our teams combine business and technical knowledge with extensive cross-industry experience, providing excellent results for organizations taking the next step in their digital transformation.

Contact us today to speak to one of our consultants!