PowerApps is a low code / rapid application development product from Microsoft that allows users to quickly build apps.
$20
per month per user
SAP Build
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
SAP Build is a low-code app development and automation suite used to visually create apps, automate end-to-end processes, and design business sites with drag-and-drop simplicity. The solution includes a library with more than 300+ prebuilt business content and connectors for SAP and non-SAP systems to help users get started.
$1.82
per month per user
Pricing
Power Apps
SAP Build
Editions & Modules
Power Apps Premium
$20
per month per user
SAP Build Process Automation - Standard User
$1.82
per month per user
SAP Build Process Automation - Advanced User
$15
per month per user
SAP Build Process Automation - Attended Automation
$534
per month
SAP Build Process Automation - Unattended Automation
We are also using Uipath for RPA automation; I believe it works better for complex processes than SAP Build, but its functionalities are limited to RPA. SAP Build also offers functionalities around Workflow, which is lacking in Uipath. So, it is still OK in processes like …
PowerApps is well suited for "quick-wins" and fast prototypes of business solutions. It also is beneficial for situations where business partners and developers work together - it allows the business folks to provide a "quick-and-dirty" prototype which is then fleshed-out by developers that are trained experts on the platform. The interactive and easy to understand representation of the solution allows business partners to "see" the solution and add, remove, or correct aspects of it themselves. It provides a common view and understanding of the actual solution across business units and tech teams. PowerApps, being a low-code\no-code platform is not well suited for business processes that require many complex computations or large amounts of custom code - such as solutions that are better architected as Web Site or "full-blown" desktop solutions. There are solutions that are just not easy or quick to accomplish in a low-code\no-code platform. Enterprise Architects should know the difference, however business partners often try to create a solution and only when stuck because it becomes too complex do they engage a tech team for assistance - at which point there are sunk-costs involved and hinderences to re-platforming the solution
SAP Build is a strong and reliable partner with a rich FAQ and consulting power. New features make sense and are easy to distribute within the team and to end users. The community is nice, and there are many discussions on product development, shared solutions, and productivity improvements. UI is also one of the strongest points.
Power Apps has formats that are pre-built that don't require any coding which makes it easier to achieve your vision. This does become a challenge if your App needs don't fit into that format.
We deal with a ton of data so the fact that you can connect to any data source in addition to their pre-stablished data connections makes the process a breeze.
The online learning resources and tutorials are helpful as well for those who are tech savvy.
The only one I can think of that has made me not continuously use SAP Build is the cost of this tool. I see it a bit higher compared to other tools that provide the same functionality for cheaper or free plans.
PowerApps is a great solution and I have spent the last year familiarizing myself with the platform and building custom applications to complete a whole range of tasks such as asset management, custom invoice generation, and item restriction tracking. We as a company have barely begun to scratch the surface of what can be achieved with PowerApps.
SAP Build apps have three different design interfaces for its components: 1- SAP Build Apps 2- SAP Build Process Automation—Workflow 3- SAP Build Process Automation—RPA. The UIs are not bad in each service, but they are very different. I think this is because these services were originally different products that were acquired by SAP.
The community forums are extremely responsive to questions asked, there is a good body of online documentation and many community posts to draw from. Although the platform has changed, which means some of the posts are out of date and the solutions provided aren't relevant. Of relevance, I read over 400 articles plus documentation to get this first app built in SharePoint, move it to SQL and make it work exactly the way it should.
There are, for example, great blog writings about automation cases and examples. The studio version is updated often. There are also useful OpenSAP online courses.
Much cheaper, much more customizable, and easier to use. There is not much of a learning curve and the licensing cost is much cheaper. PowerApps does one thing very well, whereas other platforms are mediocre. There is much more customization possible for your in-house workflows that you can build yourself vs using NetSuite engineers to build it for you.
Bubble.io is more user-friendly in comparison with SAP AppGyver. The latter being practically a free tool provides enough functionality to achieve results though while Bubble.io doesn't let you export your projects without a paid subscription. Bubble.io has great initial tour and tutorial integrated into the platform that can be handy for any new beginner while SAP AppGyver can be a little overwhelming.
It has given us a focal point for development. We now have the possibility of connecting to mobile and the default SharePoint online interface isn't always easy to manipulate. PowerApps has given us an opportunity to improve our user experience.
An improved user experience has given us a better shot at compliance. When users don't fight the environment, they don't gravitate towards workarounds or non-compliance.
As lists and libraries change, the platform scales pretty well.
Having users with the capability to create their own forms and tools has dialed back the app dev need (there is a balance though) and distributed power to the process architects and people who actually need the solutions in the first place—much more efficient model of service delivery: self-service.
