Course Outline
Definition and strategic objectives of the Microsoft Power Platform in a public sector context
- Course learning outcomes and application of Power Platform tools for government operations
- Architectural overview of the Power Platform and the integration of its constituent tools
Description of the specific administrative workflows selected for automation
- Core Use Case: Automating the financial drawdown process for institutional loan management
Power Virtual Agents
- Definition of Power Virtual Agents and implementation of external-facing digital assistants on public websites
- Applied case study: External and internal deployment scenarios for Power Virtual Agents
- Managing document repositories in SharePoint to optimize bot-driven user navigation
- Accessing the Power Virtual Agents application interface within the Microsoft Teams environment
- Configuration of an initial Power Virtual Agent or Copilot instance
- Analytical overview of the Power Virtual Agents canvas interface within Microsoft Teams
- Construction of the first conversational topic
- Integration of variables within topic logic to enhance user interaction
- Implementation of redirects to secondary topics within the Power Virtual Agents framework
- Explanation of the Call to Action node and its functional purpose
- Implementation of post-interaction feedback mechanisms prior to bot publication
- Deployment and publishing of the bot within the Microsoft Teams workspace
Power Automate
- Overview of Power Automate (Cloud) and its utility for process streamlining
- Definition and identification of manual processes suitable for automation
- Comparative analysis of Power Automate Cloud and Power Automate Desktop
- Development of the first automated workflow
- Integration of conditional logic within workflow triggers
- Implementation of conditional branching within workflow steps
- Leveraging pre-built templates to accelerate workflow development
- Construction of an instant cloud flow utilizing Microsoft Excel as a data source
- Implementation of an automated approval workflow using Forms and Approvals within Microsoft Teams
Power Apps
- Overview of Power Apps and its strategic value for operational efficiency
- Criteria for determining the suitability of Power Apps for specific business needs
- Introduction to the Power Apps Canvas application model
- Best practices and limitations when utilizing Power Apps templates
- Development of the initial application interface, specifically the “Welcome Screen”
- Application of AI-assisted tools to generate application formulas
- Integration of the initial data source: Project List stored in SharePoint
- Implementation of interactive controls, specifically button components
- Development of the primary functional interface, the “UpdateTasks” screen
- Connection to the secondary data source
- Implementation of data filtering logic within the application
- Integration of gallery controls for dynamic data display
- Definition and usage of variables within Power Apps logic
- Integration of the tertiary data source
- Application of filtering criteria to gallery controls
- Enhancement of gallery controls with additional interactive elements
- Implementation of the Patch function for data persistence in SharePoint
- Verification of data integrity following task submission
- Implementation of conditional logic using hidden toggle controls to refine data operations
- Application of conditional filters within the Patch function
- Validation of data updates following the application of conditional filters
- Development of the concluding interface, the “Success Screen”
- Publication and deployment of the completed application
Supplementary Module: Integration of photographic evidence capture
- Implementation of camera controls in the application and corresponding data storage columns in SharePoint
Supplementary Module: Integration with Power BI for automated reporting
- Synchronization of SharePoint data with Power BI for analytical purposes
- Configuration of data tables in Power BI and publication of reports to the Power BI Service
- Generation of Power BI queries for integration with Power Automate workflows
- Implementation of the “Run a Query Against a Dataset” action and workflow construction
- Utilization of Power BI data columns within Power Automate workflow logic
- Construction of a dynamic automated workflow for bi-weekly report generation
- Formatting of data tables for optimal presentation in automated email notifications
Supplementary Module: Integration of Power Automate within Power Virtual Agents
- Use of Power Automate to retrieve and display data from SharePoint lists to users
- Use of Power Automate to capture user input and persist it to Microsoft Excel workbooks
Summary and Recommendations for Continued Professional Development
Requirements
Target Audience and Professional Applicability:
- Business Analysts: Professionals seeking to automate routine administrative tasks, develop custom internal applications with minimal coding requirements, and enhance data visualization and reporting capabilities for informed decision-making.
- IT Professionals: Technical staff aiming to streamline operational workflows through automation, integrate disparate systems and services, and support organizational digital transformation and modernization initiatives.
- Public Sector Managers and Small Business Operators: Individuals seeking to implement cost-effective solutions for process management, leverage technology to improve operational efficiency, and enhance stakeholder engagement and service delivery.
- Students and Early-Career Professionals: Aspiring public service employees seeking to acquire skills in high-demand technology areas, gain practical experience with industry-standard tools, and establish a robust foundation in low-code and no-code development methodologies.
- Project Managers: Professionals aiming to optimize project workflows and task management, automate repetitive administrative duties to focus on strategic planning, and provide teams with efficient tools for improved collaboration and productivity.
- Human Resources Specialists: Staff seeking to automate key HR processes such as onboarding, leave management, and performance feedback, create custom applications for employee data management and analytics, and enhance the overall employee experience through digital solutions.
- General Public Sector Staff: Employees interested in learning to automate tasks and develop applications without extensive coding knowledge, explore the capabilities of Power Virtual Agents, Power Automate, and Power Apps, and implement practical solutions to address real-world operational challenges.
Testimonials (3)
Practical and hands on labs on report developmemt using Power BI The labs were excellent and the trainer offered very good hands on sessions
Sinzala Sichaanji - Bank of Zambia
Course - Mastering Power Platform: Power Apps, Power Automate, DataVerse, Power BI, and Power Virtual Agents
We did quite complex examples, so we could get a feeling of how the real work with Power Automate Desktop can look like in the real world scenario.
Michal Strnad - MicroNova AG
Course - Microsoft Flow/Power Automate
Dynamic, adaptive, and informative