Unless you’ve been living on a desert island for the last few years (if so, we’re jealous) you’ve probably heard of Microsoft Power Apps. Since its launch in 2015, the software development platform has made big waves in the technology world, unlocking new possibilities for organizations everywhere.
In this article, we’ll take a look at just why Power Apps development has become such a massive hit and consider the benefits of using it for your own custom applications. We’ll also show you some examples of organizations who’ve succeeded with Power Apps.
So, what’s the big deal with Power Apps?
Seamless integration with all your data and services
As Microsoft says, the world needs great solutions right now – perhaps now more than ever. Power Apps is designed to enable you to build them. It’s seamlessly integrated with the full Microsoft stack, including Office suite apps like Excel and Word, storage services such as OneDrive, and more recently Microsoft Teams.
Power Apps even plays nice with third-party tools like Salesforce, allowing you to connect your entire technology infrastructure and harness it most effectively. All your data and services can now be brought into the custom business applications you create, putting everything users need in one place.
Faster, easier, low-code development
Crucially, Power Apps is also a low-code development platform. That means it empowers you to create the solutions you need right now without delay. Because Power Apps development is low-code, organizations don’t need to invest in prohibitively large amounts of time, cost, and tech expertise to create game-changing bespoke business tools.
Non-technical personnel can now play a far greater and more meaningful role in the process of creating the business tools they and their colleagues will be using every day. One of the great things about low-code development is that because it’s so much easier for non-tech people to understand, they can have a greater insight into what’s being built. That means they can ensure it meets their needs completely, rather than just giving the devs a description of the functionality they need, crossing their fingers, and hoping the finished product isn’t too far off the mark. It also drastically reduces the need to go back and amend or update your application later.
OK, so we’ve taken a brief look at the “why” of Power Apps. Now let’s explore the “how” with some success stories.
Australia’s telecoms titan harnesses the power of creation
With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it’s easy to forget that the world has also faced other crises over the past few years. One of these is the Australian bushfires that ravaged the country from November 2019 to February 2020. Against this backdrop, Australia’s biggest telecoms company Telstra needed to restore and maintain communication for customers in New South Wales and beyond.
Power Apps gave Telstra the ability to quickly and effectively automate crucial business processes, and empower their people in the field to access vital data and document their work. Their “Field Digitization Team” knew all the areas where delays and stumbling blocks could occur, so they rolled up their sleeves and set to work. They created more than 77 custom apps, which resulted in an estimated 10 million minutes of time saved for their workers.
Read that over again. 10 million minutes of time saved. That’s the kind of power that Power Apps development offers. And Telstra are just one business of many.
Office Depot builds new tools for success
In the USA, a leading office supplies retailer has also been busily building for the future. Office Depot adopted Power Apps development to bring employees’ innovations and improvements to life, digitizing fundamental business processes quickly, effectively, and compliantly.
They created more than 30 apps to streamline processes for updating payroll data, requesting temp workers, and more – saving an estimated $100,000. Office Depot has even created their own ten-week course and forum, “Power Hours”, where staff can learn about Power Apps and explore its potential to help them and their colleagues work more effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. That’s a pretty powerful testament to Power Apps in itself.
Ready to get started with Power Apps development?
If this article has started you thinking about the potential Power Apps offers for your own organization, we’re glad. At the Bauen Group, our business is building the technology your business needs – together with you, using market-leading platforms such as Microsoft Power Apps.
So, if you’d like to be the next Power Apps success story, we’d love to explore the possibilities with you. Let’s see what we can do together.
Want to discuss how your business can harness Power Apps development? Get in touch with us today.
