New challenges require new solutions. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has seen plenty of the former, with new distances created between colleagues, customers, and businesses, together with new considerations that are necessary to carry out even everyday operations. Organizations everywhere have had to rely on new technology solutions to maintain productivity and collaboration, and Microsoft’s Power Apps has arguably been the breakout star of the year. Let’s look at why many are choosing Power Apps for business continuity. But first, a little recap of the story so far.
COVID-19 was a wakeup call
Until not so long ago, it was often expertise-and-time-intensive for a business to create its own bespoke technology solutions. It required professional developers and drawn-out development periods. The alternative was to enlist a third party, which could be expensive.
Historically, these two unappealing options led many businesses to either hang in there with legacy systems long passed their expiry dates, or go for off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all solutions that were far from ideal. Full digital transformation and modernization could wait.
This year, that stopped being an option. When the outbreak hit, it was crunch-time, and businesses couldn’t put off change any longer. Now, it was urgent.
When the need for change hit boiling point
When offices and other business premises worldwide emptied and workers set up at home, organizations realized they needed to accelerate digital transformation right now. The legacy systems they’d been putting off modernizing were now a very real threat to business continuity, anchoring employees to premises they couldn’t work at, data they couldn’t easily reach, and processes that might have worked fine six months previously but were now unfit for purpose.
Faced with this, businesses were forced to take action in order to maintain productivity and collaboration in the “new normal”. Many uncomfortably found themselves once again looking down the barrel of a prolonged and expensive development period, but they needed new solutions in place now, not in a matter of months.
Quickly empowering employees with Power Apps
Fortunately for organizations around the globe, we’re in the midst of a no-code revolution. It’s never been easier for non-developers to create technology solutions themselves, quickly and effectively, with little to no programming expertise. And Microsoft Power Apps is riding high on that wave.
An industry-leader, Power Apps has given all kinds of businesses the ability to create the solutions they need to keep going. Offering unrivalled ease of use and seamless integration with the Microsoft stack, it’s not hard to see why Power Apps has become their low-code platform of choice. Time for some specific examples.
Helping brick and mortar stay in the black
When C-19 first reared its ugly head and breathed pestilence across the land, US wireless carrier powerhouse T-Mobile cut the number of retail staff on-premises to just 20 percent in order to maintain safety. To manage this new working situation, and ensure business could continue safely and effectively, T-Mobile hit the ground running with Power Apps.
They quickly created an employee roster app that allowed them to closely monitor the staffing situation, empower staff to opt in or out of work on a daily basis, and keep the business operating as normally and well as possible during an extraordinary time. And their development process only took a matter of days.
Reaching out to support employee wellbeing
Meanwhile, in India, Bangalore-based IT services company Mphasis had found their own way to use Power Apps to safeguard their most valuable asset: their employees. Mphasis created their own employee outreach app to stay in touch with their people, keep an eye on their health, and ensure those working from home would be paid for the hours they worked.
In just four days, a team of two developers created an entire suite of six apps, including Mphasis Employee Outreach, and deployed them across the organization’s multiple offices. If they’d done it the old–fashioned way, that would have taken considerably longer – and that’s the beauty of Power Apps. You can create the solutions you need, when you need them, without extensive, expertise-heavy development. It’s a benefit that goes way beyond the current global crisis.
Agility and adaptability for whatever the future holds
Although it’s proved indispensable during the rough waters of 2020, low-code isn’t going back in the box when all this is over. Businesses are realizing that the kind of agility it provides, to overcome challenges and make the most of new opportunities, will prove vital as we move forward. Power Apps isn’t just for putting out fires – it’s for building your tomorrow.
It may have taken an unprecedented crisis to underline the value of low-code development and empowering employees with Power Apps, but it’s been a lesson well learned. And one that could set the scene for a fruitful future.
Want to discuss how the Bauen Group can help you harness Power Apps for business continuity and build a technology foundation for your future? Get in touch with us today.
