What is Microsoft Power Apps?
Microsoft Power Apps is a low-code development platform that features various connectors, apps, services, and a data platform so businesses can develop their own custom applications with Microsoft Power App.
Low-code development platforms allow professional developers to build applications extremely quickly, as they don’t need to write code by line. It’s a visual approach to software development, and it allows you to break down the traditional silos of business and IT.
A low-code platform like Microsoft Power Apps is highly customizable and easy to use. It can help solve business problems for task and role-specific scenarios like inspections, field sales enablement, prospect to cash, and integrated marketing views, and more. In theory, even non-developers with little to no coding experience, can create simple yet professional custom solutions.
In fact, according to the Total Economic Impact of Power Apps, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting, businesses using Microsoft Power Apps saw the following benefits:
- 188% ROI over three years
- 74% reduction in app development costs
- time savings of 3.2 hours/week on average.
Top Benefits & Advantages of Microsoft Power Apps
Power Apps Benefit #1: It solves unique business challenges
If your business faces a specific challenge, has to meet a unique need, or has an idea for an innovative solution that could give you a competitive edge, you can build a custom app through PowerApps to tick all these boxes for you. From automating communications, tracking employee expenses, running data analytics, and incorporating AI functionality to your processes, chances are it can be done easily through Power Apps. Plus, as it’s customized, you can consider any inefficiencies or unique processes present and build your app to fit your business.
Power Apps Benefit #2: It accelerates business transformation
One of the top benefits of Power Apps is the speed with which your business can develop a professional app. Businesses no longer need to wait for IT. It is much faster to develop and deploy an app through Power Apps compared to traditional development methods, especially if there is a large backlog of projects within your IT team. The low-code platform has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface with pre-built templates, which means you can easily build an interface, connect your data, and more within weeks, if not days.
Power Apps Benefit #3: It saves your company money
Another important benefit of Microsoft Power Apps is that it is extremely cost-effective. As it offers a lot of out-of-the-box connections, pre-built templates, and more, it reduces the amount of time and effort required to develop an app. The Total Economic Impact of Power Apps study by Forrester revealed that the companies that used Power Apps to develop their custom applications reduced their app development costs by 74%. It was also easier (and cheaper) to maintain and manage the application after deployment. Microsoft Power Apps plans are also quite affordable, starting at $10 USD or $12.80 CAD per app per plan.
Power Apps Benefit #4: Anyone can build an app (in theory)
In theory, anyone can use Power Apps to build a simple custom app, thanks to the intuitive drag-and-drop interface, without requiring technical expertise or knowledge of coding. However, just keep in mind that there is still a learning curve for non-developers, and you’ll need some training before you build an app. (If you need a more complex app, you might want to consult with your in-house developers or Microsoft Partner.)
Power Apps Benefit #5: It can integrate with Microsoft 365 and other Microsoft applications
One advantage of Power Apps is that if you’re using Microsoft 365 (Office 365), it will easily integrate with it, allowing you to leverage data from Excel, SharePoint, and more. It also integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft software such as Dynamics 365 and the rest of the Power Platform. If your business runs on any of this software, adding Power Apps can be a great option to improve your efficiency with Azure Consulting Service.
Power Apps Benefit #6: You can build mobile-ready apps
Power Apps lets you design mobile-friendly apps that work and can be accessed on any smartphone. You get the same user experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop. It lets you leverage mobile functionality to capture photos, videos, signatures, and complete interactive forms.
Power Apps Benefit #7: There are multiple data sources
Another Power Apps advantage is that you can combine data from multiple sources to create an app. There is a large range of connectors available for Power Apps, consisting of hundreds of popular third-party services. You can view the entire list of available connectors here.
Power Apps Benefit #8: The apps you build are extremely secure
Custom apps built through Power Apps are extremely secure. These applications and workflows tie into the Azure Active Directory and other Microsoft security solutions like the Common Data Services (CDS) that provides a role-based security model. You can control permissions at the data and applications levels, which means end-users only see what’s relevant to them. Apps built on the CDS are also automatically GDPR-compliant.