Latest Power Automate Features to Boost Productivity

Evelyn Dennis
  1. Application Insights Integration for Monitoring Power Automate Flows
    The integration of Power Automate with Application Insights allows users to monitor and analyse the performance of their automated workflows. By connecting Power Automate with Application Insights, you can track flow execution, view real-time telemetry data, and gain insights into failures, performance bottlenecks, and usage patterns. This integration helps improve workflow reliability, optimize performance, and enhance troubleshooting, making it easier to maintain and troubleshoot automation processes.
Latest Power Automate Features
The above image refers to the Overview panel in Application Insights, providing key metrics and data to monitor and troubleshoot workflows.
Failures panel in Application Insights, displaying information on workflow errors and issues for troubleshooting.

Availability: This feature is generally available from Aug 2024.
Reference: Overview of integration with Application Insights – Power Platform | Microsoft Learn
Video: Power Automate Telemetry Integration with Application Insights | TechTalk

  1. Simplify Flow Creation with Copilot in Power Automate
    Copilot Assistance for Streamlining Automation in Power Automate helps accelerate automation by using natural language instructions to suggest solutions. It guides you throughout the entire process, from creation to completion, making it easier to adopt automation and transform your workflows.

    Note: Copilot Assistance for Streamlining Automation in Power Automate is enabled by default in the UK, Australia, US, and India, and can be disabled at the tenant level via PowerShell.
Copilot Assistance for Streamlining Automation

Availability: This feature is generally available from September 2024.

Reference: Copilot in Power Automate – Power Automate | Microsoft Learn

Video: Building Flows with Copilot

  1. Effortless Expression Creation and Editing Using Copilot’s Natural Language Support
    With this feature, makers can easily create or edit complex expressions in Power Automate using natural language prompts. No need for complex coding—just submit your request to Copilot. To use this, Copilot must be enabled in your tenant.

type a natural language prompt

Availability: This feature is generally available from Mar 2025.

Reference: Create and edit expressions with Copilot | Microsoft Learn

4. Task Mining and Process Mining in Power Automate for Automation Opportunities

Task Mining and Process Mining in Power Automate help find tasks and processes that can be automated. Task Mining looks at repetitive tasks done by users, like clicks and typing, and suggests ways to automate them. Process Mining looks at entire workflows to find delays and problems. Together, they help businesses work faster and more efficiently.

Task Mining vs. Process Mining

Both tools aim to uncover automation opportunities, but they operate at different levels:

Task Mining and Process Mining

Availability: This feature is generally available from August 2023.

Reference:  Microsoft launches Power Automate Process Mining and next-generation AI – Microsoft Power Platform Blog

Video: Improve Efficiency with Power Automate Process Mining and RPA | BRK213H

  1. Integrate Visuals in Power BI with Power Automate for Interactive Dashboards
    Integrating Power Automate with Power BI allows you to automate workflows and visualize data seamlessly. By creating a flow in Power Automate, you can process and send data to Power BI for real-time reporting. In Power BI, build a report based on this data and embed a Power Automate button to trigger workflows directly from the dashboard. This integration streamlines tasks, improves efficiency, and offers a more interactive experience for users.

Settings:

  1. Select the Power Automate icon from the Visualizations pane.

2. In Power BI Desktop, you can also add the visual from the ribbon. On the Insert tab, select Power Automate in the Power Platform section.

3. Scroll, resize the visual, or select the Focus mode icon to see all the instructions.

Availability: This feature is generally available from November 2024.

Reference: Create a Power Automate visual for Power BI – Power BI | Microsoft Learn

  1. Cancel Active Flow Runs for Specific Flow Versions in Power Automate
    In Power Automate, you can cancel all active flow runs for a specific version of a flow. This is useful when you need to stop unnecessary or problematic runs without impacting the entire flow. By targeting a specific version, you maintain control while ensuring your flow processes run smoothly. This feature helps clean up unwanted executions and avoids conflicts or errors, making flow management more efficient and reliable.
The image above indicates that the flow is in the process of being cancelled.
The image above indicates that the flow is in the process of being cancelled.

Availability: This feature is generally available from Apr 2024.
Reference: Cancel all flow runs for a version of a flow | Microsoft Learn

  1. Cloud-Based Automation and Task Management with Hosted RPA and Work Queues in Power Automate

Hosted RPA in Power Automate allows automation to run on cloud-based virtual machines without human intervention, making it scalable and efficient. Work Queues manage tasks by placing them in an organized queue for automation, ensuring smooth and timely processing. Together, these features streamline workflows, improve productivity, and reduce manual effort, helping businesses automate complex processes more effectively.

Availability: This feature is generally available from November 2024.

Reference: Introduction to the Power Automate Hosted RPA – Power Automate | Microsoft Learn

Video:  Power Automate Hosted RPA – Efficiently scale RPA operations

  1. View and Compare Multiple Action Properties Panes Simultaneously in Power Automate
    This feature lets you pin an action properties pane and open another one side-by-side. It allows for easy comparison of properties, copying values between panes, and taking screenshots, improving workflow efficiency.

Availability: This feature is generally available from Aug 2024.
Reference: View two action properties panes simultaneously | Microsoft Learn

  1. Mark Input Parameters as Optional in Manual Triggers for On-Demand Flows

This feature allows you to mark input parameters in manual or Power Apps triggers as optional in Power Automate’s modern designer, a capability previously available only in the classic designer. This makes it easier to run flows on demand without requiring all input parameters.

The image shows that you can now mark any input parameter in a manual trigger as optional in the modern designer.

Availability: This feature is generally available from Mar 2024.
Reference: Mark input parameters in triggers as optional | Microsoft Learn

10. Enhanced Creation and Testing of Seamless Approval Workflows in Power Automate

Streamline approvals with Power Automate. Easily create and test workflows to manage document and process approvals across platforms like SharePoint, Dynamics 365, and Salesforce.

Example:

  • Trigger: The workflow starts when someone creates a vacation request in a SharePoint Online list.
  • Add to Approval Center: The request is added to the approval center and emailed to the approver.
  • Notify Requester: An email with the approver’s decision is sent to the person who requested the vacation.
  • Update List: The SharePoint Online list is updated with the approver’s decision and comments.

Availability: This feature is generally available from October 2024.

Reference: Create and test an approval workflow with Power Automate – Power Automate | Microsoft Learn

Power Apps Features for Developers: Top 10 Highlights

Evelyn Dennis

Power Apps is constantly evolving to provide developers with powerful tools to enhance productivity and improve app performance. In this blog, we’ll explore the top 10 features introduced in 2024 that every Power Apps developer should know about. From simplifying formula creation to enabling seamless collaboration, these updates are designed to streamline your development process.

1. Comment-Generated Formulas

This feature simplifies PowerFx formula creation by allowing developers to input natural language prompts. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, this feature reduces complexity and boosts productivity.

For example, you can input: ‘Filter the gallery to show items where the status is Active.’ Power Apps will automatically generate the corresponding formula: ‘Filter(GalleryItems, Status = “Active”)‘.

Availability: December 2024 (2024 Release Wave 2)

Reference: What’s new in Power Apps: October 2024 Feature Update – Microsoft Power Platform Blog

Power Apps Features for Developers

2. Real-Time Co-Authoring

Collaborating on canvas apps has never been easier! With real-time co-authoring, multiple makers can now edit an app simultaneously, just like in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. This feature significantly speeds up development and fosters better teamwork.

Example: If you and a colleague are working on a canvas app, you’ll both be able to see each other’s changes in real-time, making collaboration seamless and efficient.

Availability: June 2024 (2024 Release Wave 1)

Reference: Work together in real time to create canvas apps | Microsoft Learn

3. Customizable Offline Profiles

Optimize your offline-enabled apps by selecting specific columns for each table. This reduces unnecessary data load, ensuring a smoother and more efficient experience for users, even when they’re offline.

Example: A field agent app that only needs a subset of columns can be customized to download only the essential data, reducing load time and improving offline performance.

Availability: December 2024 (2024 Release Wave 2)

Reference: Select columns downloaded on mobile devices | Microsoft Learn

4. Code View for Canvas App Functionality

Power Apps introduces a Code View that allows developers to inspect, share, and copy control code easily using a YAML-based format. This feature is invaluable for understanding app functionality at a granular level.

Example: To view the code for a specific control, right-click on it in the tree view and select ‘View Code (Preview)’. This makes it easy to share and modify control code.

Availability: October 2024 (2024 Release Wave 2)

Reference: Use code view for canvas app controls (preview) – Power Apps | Microsoft Learn

Visuals:

  • To view the code for a control, right-click the control in the tree view or directly on the screen, and then select View Code (Preview).

To add a new control from the copied code, right-click on the screen where you want to place the new control, and then select Paste Code (Preview).

5. WYSIWYG Data Modeling with Copilot

Create tables and relationships visually with Copilot’s WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) data modeling feature. Copilot generates Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs), making complex data modeling easier and more intuitive.

Settings:

  1. Open Power Apps
  2. Invoke Copilot
  3. Create a Table
    1. Prompt
    1. Define Relationship
  4. Visualize Relationships
  5. Refine and Update

Example: With a few clicks, you can generate an ERD that visually represents your data tables and their relationships, making the process of creating and managing data models faster and simpler.

Availability: June 2024 (2024 Release Wave 1)

Reference: Visualize and work with complex data using copilot | Microsoft Learn

Visuals:

Describe the solution requirements.

The copilot will generate the ERD (Entity Relationship Diagram) based on the requirements

An AI-generated table containing sample data.

Drag and drop the entities to establish a relationship.

6. Seamless Pipeline Setup

Setting up deployment pipelines is now faster than ever. In less than 60 seconds, you can automate solution transitions between development, testing, and production environments, ensuring smoother releases and better version control.

Example: Set up a pipeline to automate your app’s deployment from development to production, reducing the risk of human error and ensuring smoother transitions.

Availability: June 2024 (2024 Release Wave 1)

Reference: Set up pipelines in Power Platform – Power Platform | Microsoft Learn

7. Canvas App Insights with Monitor

Monitor your app’s performance and get actionable insights to improve its functionality with the new Monitor tool. This feature helps identify issues and recommends improvements, ensuring a better user experience.

Example: After deploying an app, use the Monitor tool to check performance metrics and receive recommendations to optimize the app’s responsiveness.

Availability: December 2024 (2024 Release Wave 2)

Reference: Get valuable insights and recommendations for your canvas app using Monitor | Microsoft Learn

8. GitHub ALM Integration

With GitHub integration, Power Apps now supports Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), enabling developers to implement version control, continuous integration (CI), and continuous deployment (CD) workflows.

Example: By linking your Power Apps project to a GitHub repository, you can manage source code, automate deployments, and monitor testing processes in one unified platform.

Setting Up ALM in Power Apps with GitHub

  1. Create a GitHub Repository
  2. Install Power Platform Build Tools
  3. Export Solutions from Power Apps
  4. Set Up a CI/CD Pipeline
  5. Configure GitHub Actions
  6. Automate Testing
  7. Monitor and Maintain

Availability: September 2024 (2024 Release Wave 1)

Reference: Available GitHub Actions for Microsoft Power Platform development – Power Platform | Microsoft Learn

9. Smart Paste in Model-Driven Apps

Streamline data entry in model-driven apps with the new Smart Paste feature. This feature automatically suggests inputs based on the content copied to your clipboard, saving time and reducing manual entry errors.

Example: If you copy a list of addresses into your clipboard, Smart Paste will automatically fill out the corresponding fields in your model-driven app, making data entry faster and more accurate.

Availability: September 2024 (2024 Release Wave 1)

Reference: Use Copilot’s form fill assistance feature in model-driven apps – Power Apps | Microsoft Learn

Visuals:

The Smart Paste feature suggests inputs for the fields in the form by analyzing the copied text and the form structure.

To accept all suggestions on the open tab of the form, on the notification bar, select Accept all suggestions.

10. SQL Server Procedure Integration

You can now call SQL Server stored procedures directly in PowerFx without relying on Power Automate, simplifying the app development process and improving performance.

Example: The following PowerFx formula demonstrates how to call a stored procedure: ClearCollect(ResultCollection, SQLConnection.spMyStoredProcedure(param1: TextInput1.Text).ResultSets.Table1).

Availability: September 2024 (2024 Release Wave 1)

Reference: Call SQL Server stored procedures directly in Power Fx (Preview) – Microsoft Power Platform Blog

Example:

ClearCollect(
    ResultCollection,
    SQLConnection.spMyStoredProcedure(
        param1: TextInput1.Text
    ).ResultSets.Table1
)

Select the stored procedure, as shown in the image below.

Below is an example of reference code that you can use in the Power Fx formula bar

Conclusion

The 2024 Power Apps features offer developers powerful tools to improve efficiency, collaboration, and app performance. These updates, including real-time co-authoring, enhanced offline capabilities, and better integration with GitHub and SQL Server, will significantly streamline your development process and improve your app’s functionality.

Stay ahead of the curve by exploring these features today. For detailed guides and video tutorials, visit Microsoft Learn or watch the latest demo videos on Sysfore’s YouTube channel.

Power Apps: Unlocking Offline Capability for Robust Mobile Applications

Evelyn Dennis

Introduction

In today’s dynamic business environment, many professionals, especially those in field sales, service, and remote support roles, often operate in areas with limited or no internet connectivity. To ensure productivity and data integrity in such scenarios, applications need to seamlessly transition between online and offline modes. Microsoft Power Apps, a platform for building custom business applications, offers tools to achieve this. The challenge lies in enabling the mobile Apps to store data locally, monitor network connectivity changes, and synchronize data seamlessly when connectivity is restored, ensuring a smooth user experience and data consistency.

Power Apps Offline Capability
Power Apps Offline Capability

Problem Statement

Traditional applications often struggle to provide robust offline functionality, even custom-built native mobile applications with custom code can be unreliable at times due to network connectivity issues or device limitations. For professionals in industries such as manufacturing, distribution, engineering, and medical supplies, with large field sales, service, and support teams working in remote locations, the inability to access or input data offline can lead to significant inefficiencies and data loss. Challenges include remote inventory management, field service operations, and real-time data collection, all of which are hindered by connectivity constraints. A reliable offline-capable application must address these issues by:

  1. Storing data locally for uninterrupted access.
  2. Detecting changes in network connectivity.
  3. Synchronizing offline data with the server once connectivity is restored.

Dataverse vs. Collections: A Comparative Approach

Power Apps Offline Capability

Dataverse is the superior choice for building scalable, efficient Power Apps with offline functionality. It simplifies development, ensures a smoother user experience, and supports future scalability.

Solution: Implementing Offline Capability

To achieve offline functionality in Power Apps:

  1. Use Dataverse for data storage, leveraging its out-of-the-box offline capabilities.
  2. Configure offline profiles and sync filters to manage data access and updates effectively.
  3. Detect network connectivity status using built-in tools and trigger synchronization processes upon reconnection.

Video Demonstration

For a step-by-step guide to implementing offline capabilities in Power Apps Canvas applications, watch this video on Sysfore’s Official YouTube Channel.