Microsoft made Power Automate to streamline processes and increase productivity by helping you have fewer tedious tasks on your plate every day. With the power of automating small tasks that you don’t want to do, you can spend more time doing the things that are important and need your full attention.
While you could use complicated software and programming to achieve the automation you need, most IT Support Services in London would recommend you rather just give Power Automate a try. The tool is very user-friendly and ready for any user of any skill level.
Power Automate works by the user creating flows. Flows are automated workflows that get triggered by a pre-defined event that the user needs to be completed. These flows can be triggered by anything and can easily collect data, schedule notifications, and synchronize files,
But there isn’t just one type of flow. Each flow is for specific tasks that need to be completed. The three types of flows are cloud flows, desktop flows and business process flows. With the help of TechQuarters, a trusted IT Support Company, let’s break down each one and what they can do.
Cloud Flows
Cloud flows will be your go-to if you’re looking to have an automated task be completed either automatically, instantly or via a schedule.
For automated flows, these forms of automation are triggered by events like receiving an email from specific people, like your boss, or getting notified when being mentioned in a social media app. They work by using connectors to connect accounts and enable them to talk to each other.
Instant flows aren’t automatically triggered but rather need the user to begin the automation process with a click of a button. This is a useful flow for needing repetitive tasks done from your desktop or mobile. For example, team leaders can send reminders to the whole team from their mobile devices. It can also be used for requesting approvals for SharePoint or Teams.
Scheduled flows, as the name suggests, work on a scheduled basis to automatically complete tasks in a pre-defined time slot. Users can schedule tasks like doing a daily data upload to a database or SharePoint.
Desktop Flows
Desktop flows are dedicated flows for all repetitive desktop processes or on the Web. These types of flows can be for simple or complex rule-based tasks. Whether for home, small businesses or enterprise, desktop flows work to interact with tools like email and Excel. Examples of these flows include needing to organize documents with dedicated folders, extracting data and storing it in Excel or even putting your work on autopilot.
Business Process Flows
Business process flows are dedicated to providing a work guide for their users. These types of flows will lead users through processes defined by the business. They can be tailored for different roles and what best suits them and the work they do.
Office 365 Consultancy providers have explained that if you need employees to follow a defined set of steps for a desired outcome every time then this is the flow needed. They are user-friendly and easy to follow with visual indicators of progress and what’s the next step.
This is especially useful for newer employees needing training. For example, businesses can set up a flow to support their employees through common sales methodologies to achieve better results from their sales groups. It reduces the risk of mistakes and gets everyone up to speed sooner.
Ultimately it will result in saving everyone’s time, reduces training costs and makes user adoption more efficient.
In closing, using the variety of flows available through Power Automate will be the ultimate key to combatting those tedious, repetitive tasks. Getting rid of these small things can make a big difference. Efficiency is always the goal and with Microsoft Power Automate, you can always find new ways to spend your time being more productive and creative.
