Table of contents
Introduction
Please join us in a demonstration utilizing Power Automate and Project for the Web. In this video we demonstrate both the functionality and process automation to create a Microsoft Power Automate flow to copy an item from a Project Request list, to a Project list in Project for the Web. The process is triggered by the setting of the request's status field to "Approved".
This demonstrates one simple way in which a Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) may be used to help simplify and streamline a project management process. of course, the sky is the limit with this product due to it's incredible robustness. Ultimately this process is promoting a project request to an actual project.
Power Automate
So the big question for some is, what can you do with Power Automate? Well first let's understand Power Automate is part of The Power Platform. And the entire platform provides apps and services to help businesses operate more efficiently.
Well, we are here to provide some information on the usefulness of the project. With Power Automate you can:
- Send reminders for overdue tasks in Project for the Web. Or reminders for just about anything else for that matter!
- Automate all sorts of business processes: Like taking an attachment from an incoming email and placing in a folder based on document attributes. Or facilitate an approval process for a project request, or a document. The list of business processes that may be automated in mind-boggling.
- Moving data between systems: Building processes that push/pull information from different systems is another huge benefit. With the over 300 available data sources, the possibilities are endless.
- Even processes on your local computer may be automated. Such as updating files and sending documents to folders from email messages.
Who may benefit from Power Automate
When it comes to verticals, just about any organization can streamline existing business processes. And since a significant benefit of Power Automate flows is to simplify business processes, the application has the potential to help all types of verticals!
Project managers, team members, and the entire project team may benefit from some type of automation. Just think of all the ways the Power Automate may help manage a project team and the project management process. Automate a project request form through an approval process. Create a project request in Project for the Web based an an event in Dynamics 365.
When it comes to who can use it and what skills are required, well, that's easy too. Anyone from a seasoned IT developer to a business end-user can use Power Automates low-code platform.
What types of Flows may be created?
When it comes to Cloud Flows, you can create a flow to:
- Automated flows: We would create an automated workflow for instance, that is triggered by an event such as the arrival of an email. The email may be from a specific person or distribution group.
- Instant flows: An automated flow is started with a click of a button. Automate may be used for repetitive tasks from your Desktop or Mobile devices. How about sending an instant reminder to your team with the push of a button from your mobile device?
- Scheduled flows: A Scheduled automation could be something like a daily data upload to a SharePoint list or a database.
Power Platform
And realize this, Power Automate is just one piece of the Power Platform!
- Power BI: Make informed business decisions by placing data view visual and dynamics reports and dashboards into everyone’s hands.
- Power Apps: Build custom apps that solve business challenges. Power Apps turns ideas into simplified and streamlined solutions.
- Power Automate: Simplify and streamline business processes while boosting business productivity. Help your organization get more done by giving people the ability to automate organizational business processes.
- Power Virtual Agents: Build chatbots with ease that will engage conversationally with your users—no coding required.
Project for the Web
When it comes to project management, most of us know what a project is. If not, here you go:
A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources.
Project for the Web, or the new version of Project, or by it's nick name, “P4W”) is a relatively new product from Microsoft that is being built from the ground up to work completely in the cloud. (Think Office 365 and a browser).
Providing a timeline view (Gantt Chart), board view and grid view, the project management solution helps teams effective manage all types of project work.
Project for the Web is being built to fill the gap between two current project management products from Microsoft; Project Online and Planner.
This new, browser only product is not nearly as powerful as MS Project desktop or Project Online, in that it easily facilitates the management of large, complex projects. Actually, it's not meant to be. Project for the Web is project management redefined. The product is being built to handle the most requested features for project management and is expected to meet a large percentage of the project management needs of today.
This is modern project management
Microsoft Project for the Web offers a range of functionality that will be built upon over the coming years. Most of which by customer feedback. Microsoft will provide more information about a migration path from Project Online to Project for the Web in the future.
Project for the Web offers modern views, co-authoring on project plans, as well as simplified resource management. You may created summary tasks, milestones and task dependencies.
- Modern views provide for a timeline (think Gantt chart), Board view (think Kanban) and grid view.
- Simple resource management is facilitated by Office 365 groups. We do not yet see an Enterprise Resource Pool and capacity vs demand functionality yet.
Power BI
Fortunately, Project for the Web may be connected to Power Bi via a Dataverse connection. This allows the creation of reports and dashboards that far extend the capabilities of the product.
Also, when using the Power Automate interface, custom fields, view, forms, and much more may be created to help make the product very customer-center. Think Project Online for a minute and the ability to create attributes for your projects, resource and tasks. very powerful.
