People are afraid that robots will take their jobs. I cannot wait. I’m SO over doing the same things over and over. #Microsoft #PowerAutomate gives end users the ability to automate tasks for themselves. Yes really, but with all things you need to put some effort in to figure out how it works. Let’s get started.

Disclaimer:  The purpose of this blog series is not to create experts, but create curious, self-learning #HumansofIT, not afraid to try, fail and learn. Focus is to enable #CitizenDevelopers (non developers) to add extra to ordinary and become EXTRAORDINARY. All humans have the ability to be great, it’s fear of failing and the unknown that keeps us back. If that’s the only thing I can achieve, to break down your fear of technical concepts, then my work here is done 🙂

Microsoft Power Automate

Power Automate is an online workflow service that automates actions across the most common apps and services. For example, you can create a flow that adds a lead to Microsoft Dynamics 365 and a record in MailChimp whenever someone with more than 100 followers tweets about your company. Read more here..

What you should know

  • Power Automate was called Flow first, so if you pick up some conflicting names, that’s why. You can read more here.
  • Power Automate has different licensing options, which we’ll discuss in another blog. Any examples etc. I do in future (or past blogs) is with the license that’s included in my #Office365, not the standalone Plan.
  • Don’t think of Power Automate as something that only builds those BIG workflows – onboarding, leave applications etc. I’ve always focussed on the Quick Wins, and that means we’ll be looking at small, simple workflows that can improve your everyday life and maybe that of your team. As your maturity and experience level grows, you can start investigating the processes that affect everyone in the company.
  • Flow works with connectors (think of them as the translators that speaks the different language of the apps / services you want to connect to – OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, Twitter, YouTube etc.)
  • Microsoft has create many preconfigured templates that you can use to get started.
  • You cannot create workflows on an account or service that you do not have access to (permissions). For example, you cannot create a workflow that does things on the emails or OneDrive of your boss. #JustSaying 🙂
  • Power Automate is available in the web and on mobile.

We’ll start with the basics today, and that’s to investigate the menus when you sign into flow.

How do you sign in?

https://flow.microsoft.com/ or got to https://Office.com and log in with your Office 365 credentials (email / password), then navigate to the Power Automate App.

But first, a quick overview from the Power Automate YouTube Channel:

Below you’ll find my Infographic Quick Reference on the menus in Power Automate. Yup, I know it’s a lot, but I promise it will all soon make sense to you. Tomorrow we’ll cover the templates and connectors available.

Other blogs in this #PowerPlatform series:

  1. Getting Started with the Microsoft Power Platform
  2. Microsoft Power Platform: What is Power BI?
  3. Microsoft Power Platform: Using Power BI on different platforms / devices
  4. Microsoft Power Platform: Introduction to Power Automate (Flow)
  5. Power Platform: What are the connectors & triggers in Power Automate?
  6. Power Platform: How to use Templates in Power Automate

Community = #LearningThroughSharing

Power Automate Specific 

Twitter handles to follow:

  • Microsoft Power Virtual Agents @MSPowerVirtual
  • Microsoft Power Apps @MSPowerApps
  • Microsoft Power Automate @MSPowerAutomate
  • Microsoft Power BI @MSPowerBI
  • Dynamics 365 @MSFTDynamics365
  • Microsoft Azure @Azure
  • Office 365 @Office365
  • Microsoft @Microsoft
  • Tech Community @MSTCommunity

See you tomorrow… 🙂

Moving to the Cloud or stuck somewhere without adoption? Contact me for a FREE 60 minute, Microsoft 365 Immersion Experience.

Disclaimer: I create content about Office / Microsoft 365. Content is accurate at time of publication, however updates and new additions happen daily which could change the accuracy or relevance. Please keep this in mind when using my blogs as guidelines. And yes, I change my mind all the time as well, because “The only thing that is constant, is change”.
My life mission is to “Facilitate the evolution of human capabilities”: Reach out on: Website > LinkedIn > SlideShare > Twitter > Medium > YouTube > MVP Profile > Contact Me