Item: Microsoft Power Automate
Rating: 10
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use Microsoft Power Automate extensively in our organization. We use it for everything from sending automated emails based on dates in a SharePoint list to automating our Goals and Bonus program with a Power App, and many other uses. Our email automations are very simple. We use a SharePoint list with dates and a lookup column for email templates, then Microsoft Power Automate sends emails based on the templates at the selected dates. Our bonus program is much more complicated, with an employee selecting a previously filled and approved (via a Microsoft Power Automate flow) goals sheet. Then the sheet sets off an approval flow for their manager. We have a Microsoft Power Automate flow to unlock Salesforce accounts which have not been in use for more than a month, and another to open cases in Salesforce from emails or voicemail messages in Teams.

Pros and Cons

Access most things in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Quickly prototype web services.
Integrate with other Microsoft Power Platform services (Power Bi, PowerApps, etc.)

I REALLY wish I could just drop in a block of python or PowerShell code sometimes. The visual low-code things are great for moving around data but sometimes it would be faster if I could just tap out some code.
The DOM (Document Object Model) is not entirely apparent and takes a lot of trial and error, and sometimes it's even different between different connectors. I would love to be able to just see the path to access some specific variables from earlier processes.

Most Important Features

Integration with Microsoft services.
Easy to quickly prototype.
Low code.

Return on Investment

Automating emails for finance and payroll has not only saved hours of work for those departments but lowers the risk of human error.
Creating workflows and approvals for our goals and bonus system has saved everyone in the organization hours of manual work and MATH!

Implementation Rating

If you have Microsoft 365 already there is next to zero setup or work for implementation.

Generative AI

I have tested out the AI tools a bit but have not had good results. They technically work but my own solutions have so far been much more elegant and understandable.

Alternatives Considered

Zapier

Microsoft Power Automate is worlds ahead of Zapier in so many ways. The looping, DOM access, and flow controls are much better. I feel that accessing different data within previous connectors used in a flow is much easier in Microsoft Power Automate as well.

The custom connector creation process is a lot more pleasant in Microsoft Power Automate.

The DateTime data type is handles MUCH better in Microsoft Power Automate, which is reason enough to use it.

Key Insights

Do you think Microsoft Power Automate delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Microsoft Power Automate's feature set?

Yes

Did Microsoft Power Automate live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Microsoft Power Automate go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Microsoft Power Automate again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Power Apps, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Intune

Likelihood to Recommend

Microsoft Power Automate is the best tool to extend Microsoft services you already use. Hands down.

Prototyping workflows is very easy in Microsoft Power Automate.

It's also the best choice for sending custom cards through Teams and email.

It's the easiest way to get data from Microsoft Graph.

I love Microsoft Power Automate and couldn't do my job without it!

Software Version

Modules Used

Overall Satisfaction with Microsoft Power Automate