One of the most widely used components of the Microsoft 365 software package is called Microsoft PowerApps. Companies put the application to use to resolve typical problems associated with business processes, such as service requests and to satisfy workflow requirements, such as those for newly hired staff. Both the pre-existing features of PowerApps and Microsoft’s most recent program updates make it possible for companies to customize their applications further and expand their capabilities. Check out the best Microsoft powerapps development services.
What is Microsoft PowerApps?
The application builder, PowerApps, allows users to construct mobile and web-based forms and applications with little to no coding. Apps that are enabled by it will be able to communicate with data sources and services that are part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. App developers can integrate business information dashboards and automation into their products, making the platform more appealing to companies.
When PowerApps first appeared on the market, its creators envisioned it as a simple tool that could be used by anyone with varying degrees of technical ability. It was mainly a platform for app creation with the primary purpose of allowing users to develop interactive applications that could be utilized in various corporate or personal settings. However, the medium became popular, and the evidence of its success is that it can solve problems experienced by many companies.
Recent Microsoft improvements included the introduction of model-driven applications in addition to the PowerApps Portal. The company’s more recent canvas applications, which allow users to construct apps without code written in conventional programming languages, maintain its flexibility in creating and modifying various layouts. These characteristics make it possible for multiple applications to be built using PowerApps, providing additional functionality for enterprises.
The following PowerApps use cases illustrate the value of the application to various types of enterprises.
1. Interactional applications with other Microsoft 365 services
Users of PowerApps have access to a free template called Meeting Capture. Microsoft developed Meeting Capture to assist users in taking notes during meetings and delegating activities or assignments to other participants. Additionally, thanks to the app, users can record rich video using the camera on their smartphone and take handwritten notes using a touch-screen device.
This use case exemplifies some of the essential features and capabilities that PowerApps has to offer, including the following:
• integration with many services provided by Microsoft Office 365, such as Exchange Online, Planner, and OneNote;
• the capacity to make use of the device’s hardware, such as cameras; and
• the capability of using touch displays to jot down notes or create pictures.
2. Employee onboarding application
Because PowerApps can connect with and tap into the data from other Microsoft 365 services, many firms utilize the free PowerApps template to construct an onboarding tasks app that can help HR and new workers throughout the onboarding process. These applications provide new workers access to various tools, such as connections to policy guidelines, contact information for team members, and forms to complete their internal profiles.
3. Image processing tools
Because PowerApps can interact with devices that include cameras, enterprises can now design applications that provide image processing capabilities.
During inspections, retailers, construction businesses, and healthcare professionals can take images of goods and other things using the camera on their mobile devices and the data obtained from the GPS. A custom inspection app mimics the behavior of a hosted database by storing part of the information inside SharePoint or in the standard data service layer.
Additionally, industrial organizations may utilize the platform to construct applications for quality checks, allowing staff to examine items and shoot images to record any flaws. Developers may also use the platform to build applications that take photographs of people, then transmit those photographs to a face recognition algorithm in the background, which then returns information about the photograph’s subject. These apps can be built using the platform.
4. New user setup scenarios
The process of setting up a new user may be simplified using PowerApps. It provides recruiting managers with straightforward intake forms they can fill out and then send off to the relevant departments for new workers to be processed. Several companies use PowerApps forms with Microsoft Flow to automate workflows and gain approval.
5. Sales intake forms
PowerApps, in conjunction with a subscription to Microsoft Dynamics 365, is available to mobile workers who are out in the field visiting customers and need to finish off sales orders while they are away from the office. Because of this interface, users can retrieve data from the Dynamics 365 CRM and input it into the system using simple forms.
6. Service request applications
Some companies use PowerApps to develop an interactive helpdesk solution that allows customers to submit IT issues directly from inside the app. Other firms use it to gather service requests for things like purchase orders, human resources, facility maintenance, and more.
7. Applications with complex entity relationships
Users can develop fundraising apps using the model-driven methodology available in PowerApps. These applications may include a variety of entities, including contributions, campaigns, contributors, recipients, and users. In general, the entities depend upon one another; more specifically, donors provide the gifts, and receivers receive those donations.
Users may find that the model-driven approach helps develop applications that appropriately handle information and support complicated interactions. Within the platform, developers can design apps allowing PowerApp users to build things already present in the app. Users won’t have to develop the various screens required for the CRUD cycle (create, read, update, and delete) this way. CRUD stands for creating, reading, editing, and deleting. This shortens the time needed to build software since users may rapidly produce applications capable of complete functionality inside the platform.
8. COVID-19 pandemic tracking applications
Several organizations and institutions must comply with newly imposed state and federal regulations following the pandemic outbreak. Because of this, businesses were required to keep track of the number of customers that entered and left their premises, which is analogous to the limited capacity in restaurants and retail establishments. In some instances, companies carried out a variety of examinations, including inspections of the temperature and confirmation of vaccinations.
To rapidly and effectively comply with pandemic regulations, businesses might develop applications for mobile devices or tablets to keep track of visitor numbers, temperature checks, and appointment scheduling. Several companies resorted to using paper to keep track of the information gleaned from these examinations. PowerApps enabled other companies to create bespoke applications, which they could use to respond to new difficulties.
Users of any PowerApps project may access their custom-built applications either inside SharePoint or directly via the PowerApps application, which is available for iOS, Android, and Windows devices. Contact our leading PowerApps development Company to know more.
Key takeaways
Looking into the future, we can see that the need for applications will continue to climb as companies search for new methods to simplify their operations, hire PowerApps developers to decrease expenses and boost the productivity and efficiency of their employees.
Because of the recent updates that have been made to PowerApps, organizations can now construct applications that can be accessed from desktop computers, tablets, and mobile devices. However, organizations may still be concerned about prices since many sophisticated powerApps development services provided by PowerApps charge monthly. As a PowerApps development company, we have years of experience in this field.