Excel, that handy data storage format, which often comes to mind first when you want to save, edit, or share information. The threshold for opening Excel is low, and it feels like an easy and effortless option for accomplishing the aforementioned tasks. Excel is well-suited for processing and temporary storage of information, but its utilization in a ‘database-like’ manner often poses challenges. Lanttu.io has identified these challenges and noticed that the Power Platform offers many solutions for solving the challenges created by ‘Excel masters’.
The challenges of Excel administration
A situation that might be familiar to you as well: there’s a desire to start maintaining information more systematically, but at that moment, there’s no place or system available to collect it, so the data is recorded in Excel. Excel is then sent via email or shared, for example, in a OneDrive or Teams folder. The file is circulated back and forth among recipients. People may be added to the distribution, and sometimes someone might drop out, especially if it’s an email distribution list. Data security may also be compromised if the file accidentally goes to the wrong recipients. Recipients have their own versions of the file, and the location of the latest version becomes unclear. The file may occasionally break or changes may overlap. Sometimes, the file may not be updated. At this point, maintaining the data often starts to feel cumbersome.
Eradicating challenges with the Power Platform
Microsoft Power Platform is a low-code platform provided by Microsoft. It consists of tools for creating business applications using low-code principles. The platform can be quickly deployed, and tangible results are achieved rapidly. You can build solutions incrementally, addressing specific needs one piece at a time, gradually combining them. Alternatively, you can create a comprehensive data management system all at once. Applications can include:
- User Interface (Power Apps)
- Database (Dataverse)
- Business Logic Automation (Power Automate)
- Reporting Capability (Power BI)
These are the core components of the Power Platform, in addition to which the platform offers many opportunities to leverage and support other systems and data sources.
User interface
Power Apps offers three different interface options, all of which are compatible with both web and mobile devices. These three options are:
- Canvas App
- Model-driven app
- Power Pages
In summary, a Canvas App is the option closest to a mobile application, and its base can be built to be mobile or tablet-compatible (in terms of scalability). A Canvas App is highly customizable and suitable for targeted solutions, such as implementing a specific process. In addition to using Power Platform’s Dataverse as a database, external data sources like SQL Server or SharePoint lists can also be utilized.
As its name suggests, a Model-driven app is built on a data model. It requires Power Platform’s database, Dataverse, to function. The user interface of a Model-driven app is built on top of tables created in Dataverse, and each table has both a list (view) and a form view. Tables or a set of tables form the application, which is particularly suitable for handling and maintaining large amounts of data. Model-driven apps come with many built-in features, such as importing and exporting data.
Power Pages are essentially web pages connected to Dataverse. Power Pages are a viable option, especially when enabling external users such as suppliers to access data or reports. Power Pages also offer pre-built web-based list and form views based on Dataverse tables, facilitating data entry for users.
You can customize the interface according to your usage needs and data model, allowing users to maintain and retrieve information quickly. No more sifting through files or interpreting complex data or files! Through the interface, information retrieval, readability, and quality can be defined according to requirements.
Database
Instead of Excel, data can be stored in Dataverse, which is the Power Platform’s database—a scalable, secure, and highly customizable relational database. It offers change tracking, capabilities for role-based user permissions, and the definition of data models and associated rules. Dataverse is easy and quick to deploy and is protected by Microsoft’s security technology. Access to data typically requires AD authentication and an appropriate Power Apps user role. Access to data can thus be restricted on multiple levels, from the environment down to field-level permissions. With Dataverse, data can be stored in a secure and centralized location where versioning, change history, and any business requirements for stored data can be defined. Unlike Excel, Dataverse provides tools for both data and user management, ensuring data security and integrity. No more overlapping changes, broken files, or lost latest versions! Data is always available in the same place for those who need it.
Automation and business logic
Power Platform also includes Power Automate as a separate tool, which is an automation and integration tool. It allows leveraging data and functionalities from numerous services and applications, not just within the Power Platform, and automating tasks with its hundreds of connectors. With Power Automate, manual steps in processes can be eliminated, and successful completion of process steps can be ensured while maintaining data quality. However, when comparing Excel to Power Automate, it’s important to remember that Excel is primarily a spreadsheet program, so functionalities equivalent to Power Automate would require at least macro coding, and even macros don’t enable everything.
Reporting
Power BI is a versatile tool for data visualization and reporting, which simplifies data analysis, tracking, and sharing. It is integrated with other components of the Power Platform, enabling diverse and efficient data management and utilization. Reports and graphics stay up-to-date, eliminating the need to recreate them every time the file is updated or changed.
Conclusion
The Power Platform provides a comprehensive platform for low-code development and data management. It doesn’t require significant investments for deployment and can adapt agilely to needs. Application development on the Power Platform follows low-code principles, allowing even complex business logic and automations to be created quickly. The platform is suitable for solving both small and larger challenges, and changes can be responded to flexibly. With Power Apps, we can ensure that users have a modern and secure interface for managing data. Data can be stored centrally using Dataverse, ensuring the storage of data change history and user role management. With this combination, any unclear situations and data recovery can be quickly resolved. The platform also offers reporting capabilities (Power BI) as well as automation and integration tools (Power Automate), facilitating seamless data sharing, processing, and integration, especially with Microsoft applications such as Teams and SharePoint.
Our latest articles: