For a company to be competitive in the market, it must digitize, and streamline its processes. Thanks to this, it can ensure the highest efficiency of internal departments and guarantee a seamless experience for a client. Additionally, creating a digital space for operations allows for their accurate tracking.
At NATEK, we support our Customers in starting and completing the demanding digitization process by implementing solutions, such as Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Power Platform, that help them streamline their operations, enhance productivity, and optimize workflows. In this article, we will focus on the Microsoft Power Platform, which is invaluable when it comes to creating custom business apps.
What is Microsoft Power Platform?
Microsoft Power Platform is a solution that consists of several key components that work together to empower users to analyze data, automate processes, and create custom solutions without the need for extensive coding. Thanks to its user-friendly design, it bridges the gap between IT professionals and business users. Moreover, it’s a solution that enables businesses to organise all processes in a single platform, which results in their simplification and significant cost reduction.
NATEK on the other hand is here to help organizations in the process of implementation of the Power Platform, as well as the whole Microsoft ecosystem. If you would like to know more about how we can support you in maximizing your business efficiency, head out to our "Maximizing Business Efficiency - Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform” article!
Implementation of Microsoft Power Platform cases
IIn the fast-paced and dynamic realm of modern business, the quest to maximize efficiency, accelerate processes, and optimize operations has become paramount. Leveraging the capabilities of Microsoft Power Platform has emerged as a strategic imperative for organizations looking to stay ahead of the curve.
At NATEK we have been observing this trend for a long time, which is why the implementation of solutions from the Power Platform family occupies one of the key positions in our portfolio. In projects for our Customers, we often focus on introducing solutions based on Power Apps and Power Automate, because we see that they have a real impact on optimizing the operation of organizations.
Let’s delve into some implementation cases that show how NATEK can support various organizations.
New application for old processes
When it comes to optimization and maximization, we cannot forget about the processes that were implemented in organizations at earlier stages of development, because they have the greatest potential for improvement. Their optimization is the key for companies to save both budgets and time. A great example of such a situation is a project we carried out for a large Client from the automotive industry.
One of the obstacles to automation that the Customer faced was the process of submitting investment applications, which had been widely used in the organization for many years. After an in-depth analysis of the environment and the company's needs, we concluded that the process consisted of too many stages that had to be performed manually, which translated into the length of the entire operation. The solution we created was based on Power Platform automatic flows, which, thanks to a simple and understandable interface, allows each user to complete the necessary data and then proceed to the automatically generated approval process. In turn, thanks to SharePoint lists, admins have full access to the new process and are able to assign appropriate employees responsible for individual steps.
The implementation of the proposed solution enabled continuous monitoring of the status of new investment requests, ensuring clarity regarding individual responsibilities for all involved parties. Consequently, this has led to the accelerated process, enabling every employee to initiate and manage tasks efficiently, thus positively impacting the overall productivity of the company.
Maximizing the potential of Microsoft solutions
After the success of the above-mentioned project, the Customer decided to also improve the expense creation process, which until now was based on an outdated Microsoft solution. This process was one of the key factors for the proper functioning of the company, as it was the only way for the employees to register expenses. The organization needed a versatile, and easily accessible solution, that could be used by both people working in the office and the ones traveling on business.
To make the process as easy and user-friendly as possible, we proposed creating a mobile application thanks to which the user will be able to complete the necessary data during the trip, without having to log in using a computer. After all the necessary data is entered, the employee's manager receives a notification and can immediately accept the request.
Thanks to this solution, the user experience has significantly improved, and with a relatively small investment, the expense process has been upgraded to a version that will serve for years to come.
Extensive solutions are doable too!
As the Client was operating strictly in the automotive industry, we were also engaged to modernize the old version of the application used to plan the production of parts. The redevelopment of the application was crucial, as the process required accurate and detailed control, as well as a clear user interface that would ensure the best user experience.
Our specialists ensured that the updated application meets all requirements, and that the production process is organized and understandable. From the application level, the user can now add all required production data. Additionally, the application serves as a pipeline in which each step is distributed among employees, and the supervisor can easily track the production stage of a given part.
The application we have developed directly enhances our Customer’s productivity by meticulously monitoring and documenting each stage of part production, thereby minimizing the risk of errors to the lowest possible level.
How can NATEK help you implement Power Platform?
The above examples are only a sampling of what we offer at NATEK, but we believe that they illustrate the versatility of both the Power Platform and our services. So regardless of your organization’s needs - whether to rewrite an old application, build a new one, or harness the power of process automation, you can be sure that we will be able to support you! It's worth noting that we have rewritten applications even from such unpopular languages as Lotus Notes.
By deciding to implement the Power Platform, our customers can be sure that the business processes taking place on a daily basis in their company will be significantly accelerated and optimized.
If you are interested in improving processes in your company, contact NATEK Sales Prospections Team Lead Andrzej Osman at andrzej.osman@natek.eu and #growITwithus!
Why should you consider Power Platform for your organization?
The use of Power Platform means not only streamlined business processes and improved user experience but also saved resources. With applications created using this solution, you will not incur the costs of constant maintenance on the external platform. All you need is a one-time expense, the outcome of which will be your own application, with your data model implemented. Additionally, creating solutions in the Power Platform can be very fast and we can boast of projects where entire applications were rewritten in about two weeks! The flexibility of the Power Platform can be best showcased by the number of main components:
- Microsoft Power BI: A business analytics tool that allows users to visualize and share insights from their data through interactive dashboards and reports.
- Microsoft Power Apps: A platform for building custom applications that streamline processes or solve specific business problems.
- Microsoft Power Automate: An automation tool that enables users to create automated workflows between different applications and services to synchronize files, get notifications, collect data, and more.
- Microsoft Power Virtual Agents: A chatbot development platform that allows users to create virtual agents to handle customer queries and automate conversations.
- Microsoft Power Pages: A solution that enables to build websites by drag and drop method.
Companies also greatly appreciate the availability of Power Platform solutions. Thanks to the fact that the power platform is created by Microsoft, the applications can be used both from the browser/phone level as well as from Microsoft Teams by all employees of your company to whom you grant access. If you would like to harvest the potential of your processes, contact us, and we will propose the best solutions for your organization.
We wrote this article in cooperation with Maxime Marcinkiewicz, NATEK SharePoint Developer, who provides expertise in the field of Power Platform environment and uses Microsoft products to improve existing processes for NATEK Customers.
