As the world is getting globally digitalize, our daily life challenges increasing as well. To keep our performance at the peak level we need to hit our target on time.
Often time we have a task that is repetitive e.g. follow-up for approvals, reminders for deliveries, updating records, processing invoices, etc. If you agree with me, such repetitive tasks consume a lot of time and it somewhere impacting our performance area.
Let me tell you before I write more about Power Automate. I love to do automation.
If I spend more than 05 minutes on any of my tasks, then I make sure I find a way of automating that task in any way.
Power Automate for me is like “Genie 🧞♂️” with unlimited wishes.
What is Power Automate?
“Microsoft Power Automate” (formally Microsoft Flow) is cloud base application help user to create automated workflows between our favorite apps and services to synchronize files, get notifications, collect data, and more.
By creating automated workflows help us to stay focused on what is important and let Power Automate handle the repetitive task. Not only that even it can handle your high-value business assignment where you can free your team from tedious tasks with RPA (Robotic Process Automation).
- Schedule monthly e-mail reminders to the team to update their performance report.
- Obtain approvals and save them in Excel.
- Update the invoice details in SAP
- Connect to almost 300+ data sources or any publicly available API
How to use Power Automate?
Microsoft Power Automate is a no-code/low-code platform before you create your own flows I would strongly encourage you to check out the massive template library, simply search the click on the template give the authorization to the app and it will take care of the rest.
In case if you did not find your choice template then you can create your own flow.
✔ Remember that Microsoft Power Automate work on first on TRIGGERS and ACTION.
Let us understand what is a TRIGGER with an example?
- When email arrived
- File deleted from SharePoint
- YouTube video published
- Tweet with #ExcelExciting
All above mention event are some of the triggers. Something that about to happen.
Let us understand what is an ACTION with an example?
- Save the email to OneDrive
- Send notification
- Save the Tweet to Excel
All above mention are some of the ACTION.
When Power Automate hit that specific TRIGGER it is time for ACTION.
❌ You cannot add ACTION before the TRIGGER
Microsoft Power Automate divides its flows into five main types:
| Flow Type | About the flow |
|---|---|
| Automated flows | a type of flow that is activated when a pre-selected event occurs. An example is when a file is updated on SharePoint, other employees will receive a notification |
| Scheduled flows | a flow that occurs at a specified time such as receiving an alert notifying everyone daily about an upcoming event. |
| Instant flows | a flow triggered by the press of a button. |
| UI flows | Record clicks and keyboard strokes from your Desktop and Web applications and automate the playback of manual steps on legacy software. |
| Business process flows | Ensure that everyone in your company follows the same process by defining a set of steps for people to follow. |
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