A Crash Course in Microsoft Power Platform from the Tech Experts

Microsoft’s Power Platform is a collection of cloud services that make building end-to-end business solutions possible without any coding or software engineering skills. Altogether, Power Platform is made up of four suites: Power Apps, Power BI, Power Automate, and Power Virtual Agents. Each one works independently from one another to improve a different part of your business processes which helps to seamlessly integrate scalable business solutions with no knowledge of coding needed.

How do they do it? Through the data you’ve already put in through Office 365. Power Platform can pull information related to your company through Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, and more to make the process of building business solutions for your company simpler than it has ever been. Below, you will find out more about how each of the four suites works and how managed IT services can help your company get started on using Microsoft Power Platform today.

Refresh or Create Your Company’s New App Today Through Power Apps

Power Apps specifically assists you with creating business applications that are compatible with web browsers and mobile devices alike. Through a user-friendly graphical interface, you can drag and drop your ideas into a professional and polished new business app that connects to all your major data points within the Microsoft database. No more having to transfer and re-enter data on separate platforms to update your app or its content, Power Apps does it all for you in the Microsoft Cloud thanks to the streamlined processes of Power Platform and its connection to your company’s data within your Microsoft suite.

Streamline Business Analytics with Power BI

Power Platform can also help you run business analytics and data collection on your app, website, and company now, too, through Power BI (Business Intelligence). This part of the Power Platform helps you create meaningful and digestible representations of your company’s data. Usually, this is an incredibly time-consuming process that can get tedious quite quickly when compounded by all the complexities of statistical analysis. Power BI breaks down the analytical process for you through its use of intelligent reporting tools that analyze your data automatically while also helping to create correlative relationships and visual tools that seamlessly blend to make powerful reports. 

Since Power BI is also run through Microsoft, you can upload pre-existing business data to Power Platform from your Excel spreadsheets which will allow Power BI to further delve back into your company’s databases and connect those existing points with Microsoft’s data to curate reports and a comprehensive dashboard that will give a more holistic view of your company’s business analytics. And the best part? It all happens with just a few clicks and keystrokes. 

Simplify Your Online Workspace with Power Automate

While upgrading to an online workspace can certainly help you shave off huge amounts of time at work and increase your company’s productivity, there’s a lot that goes into even further streamlining that repetitive workflow in an online space. Usually, this would require hours of coding to even begin to simplify the process, but then there’s also the issue of getting that business solution distributed to the other users who need it.

Now, Power Automate can help you build solutions to your monotonous company task quicker than ever and can even help you share these solutions with their simple “drag and drop” interface. Updating your company’s software and more is as easy as sending an email and can arrive to your team just as quickly. 

Since they are part of the same application, Power Automate works similarly to Power BI in that it uses the same data connectors that are leveraged by the rest of the Power Platform. This means that it can automatically accomplish tasks for you by your actions triggered in other Microsoft services such as SharePoint. It’s truly an app that adapts to you and your company’s needs. 

Connect to Customers Faster through Power Virtual Agents

As your business starts to grow, communicating effectively and efficiently with your customers becomes a critical point of any company with customer-facing workflow. If you’re looking to reach your consumer base quickly and directly, Power Virtual Agents is here to help you. By generating an additional branch of frontline assistance, you will begin to open a new avenue of support for your customers. 

With no coding whatsoever, you can go into Power Virtual Agents and create chatbots that help interface with your customers based on your predetermined set of conditions and customer responses—making this app great for answering any of your customer’s FAQs or helping them troubleshoot any common issues with your products or website. You can even build additional automation processes behind the scenes with Power Automation to help make your Power Virtual Agents more comprehensive and useful when assisting customers.

But that’s not all you can do with Powerful Virtual Agents. This setting also allows you to use other components of the Power Platform to create your very own customer support solution. For instance, you can use Power Virtual Agents and BI to help remote workers enter statistics into your database and collect more information for a completely fleshed-out report. Or you can use Power Virtual Agents and Apps to help team members create and update any additional content on your business application without having any tedious meetings. These are great solutions for anyone with a larger business looking to fully utilize their team without decreasing their productivity because Power Virtual Agents can help them find answers to their questions faster.

How Elemental’s IT Operations Management Can Help You with Power Platform

Terms like automation, interface, and data connectors can sound like Greek to a business owner, so even if no coding is required to use Power Platform, it can still feel intimidating to start implementing some of its tools. However, this recently developed platform will change with time as it is continually tweaked by Microsoft. But until that gap between the non-tech user and automation is fully bridged, our managed IT services give you full access to a leveraged skill set that can help you create more intricate solutions for your small or big business.

If you’re ready to learn how to become a master of automation or just need help setting up a license with Microsoft Office 365, Elemental Technology Solutions is here to help your Knoxville or Nashville office with our managed IT solutions for your company. Visit our website to get in touch with us or learn more about our services today.

Tara Anders

Recent Posts

Benefits of a Successful SaaS Business Strategy

If an employee opens Office 365 from their laptop on a business trip, they are…

3 years ago

5 Cybersecurity Trends for 2022

It's no secret that the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation for almost every field, and…

3 years ago

To BYOD or to CYOD? What Strategy Suits my Small Business?

It’s no secret that digital continuity and working from home flexibility are continuing to rise…

3 years ago

Benefits of Cloud Services

Keeping up with the latest and greatest technology is nothing new for any progressive society.…

3 years ago

What You Need to Know about Wireless ATM

If you’re in desperate need of cash when out and about, what is your first…

3 years ago