Power Apps

Understanding Power Apps

Do you want to upgrade any outdated or inefficient business processes? Do you still circulate data on paper or even in a shared Excel workbook? Do you wish to be able to carry out these business operations using various devices, such as PCs or smartphones? Power Apps are then necessary

Power Apps is a no-code/low-code platform for creating apps that is based on ideas that are comparable to formulas found in an Excel worksheet, such SUM and TEXT. Power Apps can be used to create both straightforward business solutions, like car inspection forms and status reports, and sophisticated business solutions, such purchasing procedures and inventory management. You can use your current abilities to design an app if you can think of one that will address a business issue. Power Apps offers advanced functionality and the capacity for seasoned developers to construct complicated apps with ease, despite the fact that this module is targeted at business customers with no background in computer science and coding.

Work with your data wherever it is stored

When modernising a paper-based process, there are probably systems in your organisation that have data that you can use.

You have options with Power Apps. You can easily connect to data using the underlying data service and app platform, Microsoft Dataverse, or a variety of online and on-premises data sources, thanks to hundreds of connectors. Among the most common data sources are:

  • Dataverse
  • SharePoint
  • Dynamics 365
  • SQL Server and Azure SQL
  • Office 365

Different types of Power Apps for different scenarios

Power Apps can create three types of apps: canvas, model-driven, and portals. Each is suited to different scenarios and end users.

1. Canvas App

Canvas apps are a great option when you want to build an app from a blank canvas. You start by choosing the screen size: tablet or mobile, then you have a blank screen from which to build. You can interact with data in your app by adding data sources. Drag and drop various controls and add the desired functionality by writing Excel style formulas. Canvas apps provide you complete flexibility when building your apps.

model-driven

1. Model-driven apps

Model-driven apps build from data in Microsoft Dataverse. Power Apps will build you a great looking, fully functional app to act upon and interact with this data. With model-driven apps, there is no need to worry about choosing the app size; it is responsive, meaning it works on mobile or tablet with no extra work by you. You define the relationships, forms, views, business rules, and more at the data layer, inside of the Dataverse.

model-driven