How to create a process with the tools in Microsoft 365

Some processes work better and some work worse. This is the case in all businesses. In this blog post, we will focus on the ones that work less well and how you can easily streamline them using the built-in tools in Microsoft 365.

When building a process in Microsoft 365, the end goal is a user-friendly app that takes the user through the entire process in a simple and intuitive way. With a well-defined process and a customized app, the user never has to ask what to do next. It can only be done one way and only moves on to the next step when the previous one is done.

The benefits of building apps for your processes are numerous:

• Standardization - You make sure that everyone in the business does things the same way.
• Security - Building an app tailored to a specific task reduces the risk of making mistakes.
• Flexibility - You can easily adapt the steps and make changes as processes change.
• User-friendliness - By presenting only the information and choices required by the task, the tool can be used by staff with less computer experience.

Which processes can be streamlined?

There is no limit to how simple or how complicated processes you can build in this way. You can build a vacation application app, but you can also build a flow that takes you through the entire HR process, from recruitment to offboarding. One tip is to start with poorly performing processes that require a lot of manual intervention. If you still have processes that rely on paper and pencil, you should definitely consider taking them first!

The alternative to building your own apps in Microsoft 365 is to buy ready-made solutions. The advantage of traditional purchased solutions is that you don't have to spend time mapping and defining your processes. The disadvantage is that you are likely to end up with a solution that doesn't suit you completely and is more difficult to change afterwards.

Let's build a contract management app

To illustrate what we mean by building a process in Microsoft 365, let's look at how a contract management app could work. This is something we see many companies need. It can also be a difficult nut to crack because there are many different types of contracts and many people are often involved.

In the app, we want the employee to be able to upload their contracts along with all the necessary data. Then we want automated reminders to be generated when the contract is about to expire.

The tools we use to build the process are Power Apps, Sharepoint and Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow).

We build the app in Microsoft Apps

The app is built in Power Apps, i.e. in the user interface that the end user encounters. The app is used to make it simple, intuitive and process-driven. The data is retrieved from and sent to a data source, such as a Sharepoint list.

What happens in the Contracts app: The user is presented with a document library with different contract types. Which ones are displayed depends on the rights the user has. The app is used to upload the contract together with information on when the contract expires, who is responsible and when to generate a reminder. Requiring that the contract number has the correct number of digits and that all fields are filled in reduces the risk of errors.

All data is stored in Sharepoint

Sharepoint is the actual library where the data is stored along with its attributes.

This is what happens in the contracts app: The Sharepoint list stores the contracts together with the information entered by the user. If you are in an administrative role and need to see the whole picture, you can work with your own views, for example to see all contracts that expire within a year.

Automation and triggers are built in Power Automate

Power Automate, previously known as Microsoft Flow, is the automation engine that connects the different parts and makes them interact. This is also where you set up the conditions/business logic for your processes and can build advanced approvals and more.

What happens in the contracts app: Once the user has entered a contract in the app, Power Automate starts working behind the scenes. Power Automate adds reminders to the owner's calendar and sets rights based on what has been entered into the app.

Building a contract management app couldn't be more difficult. Want to know more about how you can use the built-in tools in Microsoft 365 to build processes?

Contact us to find out more.