Using the Microsoft Power Platform to Make Microsoft Dynamics Business Central ERP Even Better
ERP systems have the potential to play a much bigger role in your enterprise due to the valuable data they manage. For this reason, you should view your ERP through a much broader lens. Unfortunately, programmers, data scientists and tech professionals are in limited supply or they are expensive to hire, which makes it difficult to unlock the full capabilities of your ERP.
Unless you are in the IT business, it doesn’t make sense to invest in hiring these professionals. Those financial resources should be spent strengthening your business. Luckily, if you’re using Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, which includes the Microsoft Power Platform, you already have all the tools you need.
What is the Microsoft Power Platform?
Your ERP should be customizable and easily accessible to everyone. With the Microsoft Power Platform, building personalized apps is as simple as point-and-click, which is a game changer. The Power Platform consists of three tools:
- Power BI: Microsoft Business Analytics
Power BI allows the user to connect to data from a variety of sources such as your ERP, the cloud, data center, as well as, Excel spreadsheets. With the ability to intelligently analyze data from multiple sources, you will attain a better understanding of your clients, which will provide insights you might have missed otherwise. Power BI has grown rapidly over the past few years and is now being used by millions of users.(One of them might be your competitor!)
- PowerApps: App Development Platform
Data is only useful if it is easily accessible.And too much data can create “interference”, causing important trends to be missed. PowerApps allows non-technical users to create web and mobile applications without writing code, which translates to improved productivity and job efficiency.And PowerApps can connect with Power BI to continually monitor and analyze a problem.
- Power Automate (formerly Flow): Microsoft’s Workflow Automation Engine
Microsoft Flow allows a user to automate annoying tasks (Flows) such as syncing files, getting notifications, collecting data, and much more.There are numerous templates available, and you can connect to more than 100 data sources such as Power BI, LinkedIn, Outlook, Twitter, and Facebook, just to name a few.
Microsoft’s Power Platform provides a three-pronged approach that allows your business to analyze, act and then automate based on your findings.
- Analyze a problem using Power BI
- Act upon the problem by creating an application with PowerApps
- Automate the process by using Flow
How Do You Get the Power Platform? If You Use BC, You Already Have It
Good news! If you use Business Central or Microsoft Office 365, the Power Platform is probably included. You can purchase the Power Platform separately, but to maximize its capabilities, you should consider adding Business Central and/or Office 365 to your platform to take full advantage of Microsoft’s Common Data Service approach (i.e. seamless synchronization of software you’re probably already using).
How Non-Technical People are Using the Power Platform
Examples of “non-techies” who have used the Power Platform with great results include: A psychology student with no IT background who used PowerApps and Flow to create a universal audit app that enables people to complete audits and inspections; and a training specialist with the American Red Cross created a process used by CPR and first aid instructors to order training class supplies.
Do you have Microsoft Dynamics Business Central and want customizations? Contact ArcherPoint…we’ll help you explore the Power Platform and get you on your way.
Looking for an ERP that will fit the way you do business? Choose Business Central so you can use the Power Platform to get exactly what you want.