We develop low-code apps to provide the best possible user experience for our clients. The biggest issue is matching constrained environment with wide client needs, while keeping the appealin interface and user friendly interface. This often requires a compromise between usability and UX to as close to the client needs as possible. Sometimes it is necessary to walk around the issue to deliver a feature that client wants. But all in all it's a robust environment.
Pros
Backend data displayed in a graphic appealing form
Wide range of elements that may be used in the interface
Integration with Power BI layer
Cons
File uploads, and especially bulk ones
Constraints related to the use of graphical elements
History of user actions
Likelihood to Recommend
It all depends on the user needs. If a person looks for a solution that will provide database display in a graphic form and still do what it needs to do, a low-code app is a good choice. However, if someone looks for super-graphic apps with complicated, coded features, it may be difficult to deliver a fully compliant solutions. There always is a sory of compromise in case of low-code solutions; however, I consider that most of less complex apps may be developed using PowerApps.
VU
Verified User
Contributor in Information Technology (Civil Engineering company, 10,001+ employees)
Our organization has access to PowerApps through the Microsoft Office 365 suite of products. I stumbled upon it a little over a year ago and have used it to create a time calculator for in-house projects as well as a budget calculator for our products. Others have created more elaborate apps that connect to Microsoft Common Data Service(CDS) which takes the Power in PowerApps to a whole new level.
Pros
Easy to learn
If you have a working knowledge of Excel formulas you can get significant benefit out of PowerApps
Empowers the citizen developer
Reduces the time to market for solutions you would normally have to rely on IT/IS for
Cons
The tutorials provided are too brief and too high level. You need to dig into the forums and the help topics on the Microsoft PowerApps website.
Without IT/IS blessing the citizen developer may not have the ability to save a final output.
Unable to print to a printer or PDF. You need to take a screenshot of what you have done.
I would love being able to right click a function and have a tooltip/explanation of what that function actually does. Not just how to write it but what the outcome should be.
Likelihood to Recommend
I don't know of an area PowerApps would not be suited for. It is extremely powerful and when connected to the common data service becomes more powerful. I have seen it used in libraries to track books and attendants down. I have seen it used to track bus routes and or broken down buses. I have used it as a calculator, with a large number of formulas that drive it, that becomes simple and easy to use on desktop and on mobile. If you have a need to present or gather information of any kind, PowerApps can likely solve your issue.
We are currently looking to implement on the job site. Using PowerApps we are going to remove all the pen to paper activity that is occurring on the construction site. Instead we will begin to have construction workers enter the data into an app on their smartphone that was built using PowerApps.
Pros
Empowers the management team and support staff. PowerApps allows someone without any programming experience to conceive a resolution to problems. For example the capturing of data which may start out with someone entering data by filling out a form and that form is then presented to someone to enter into an Excel Spreadsheet which in turn is emailed to numerous parties for their inputs. With PowerApps you can easily push all of that activity to SharePoint and the automation being driven by Flow which will make the collection and use of data much more effecient.
PowerApps is highly flexible, it affords you the opportunity to connect to all kinds of data types from Excel Spreadsheets, to Lists built in SharePoint to all manners of databases.
It's really really simple but at the same time provides you with the ceiling to perform complicated task. PowerApps will meet you where you are at.
Cons
I'm sure cons exist but just haven't spent enough time working with the tool to experience its short comings yet. But what I've experienced thus far has been great. The support provided by Microsoft has been great, there is plenty of support for training as well.
Likelihood to Recommend
PowerApps can find a home in any situation. If a company already uses SharePoint then that company can find a place for it that makes sense. The real strength of PowerApps is realized by empowering those workers that aren't a part of IT, typically analyst, schedulers, or someone who works in managing, collecting or reporting data, by allowing them to develop their own solutions for any issues they may have. PowerApps well lessen the dependency that organizations have for Developers/IT and put them in a position to do things for themselves.
I am currently developing an application for our estimating department to address a need for tailor made software that manages the organization and indexing of contractor proposals and assembling of these proposals and our costs to bid to owners for consideration of construction management contracts.
Pros
Easy to create simple apps based on data from a wide variety of sources.
Branding and customization and is simple and powerful.
Works well for people with an excel background.
Cons
I feel that although it is possible to adapt the tablet view to desktop it can be cumbersome and the screen ratio is not right. There should be an option for making a desktop or browser based application specifically; or at least more screen ratio choices.
"PowerApps Desktop" is only available via windows store; for some enterprise users(specifically LTSB users) that makes it unavailable as windows store cannot be used with this version of Windows. A stand alone download or an explanation in the documentation would be nice to have.
I have spent a ton of time changing the formating over to the standard that I am using throughout the application on each data card or places where copy paste isn't an option. A format painter or a place to provide typical formating options such as font type and color would be a HUGE time saver for those of us trying to brand our applications.
Likelihood to Recommend
More basic applications for creating and editing records are very easy to create and can be very powerful. For more complex applications people need to make a relatively large time investment in order to adapt excel workbooks or other static databased work-flows to PowerApps and I have discovered that it can take some creative thinking in order to get certain scenarios to work the way you want. That being said I would still recommend PowerApps but with caution depending on the type of Application.
