Power Automate

Power Automate (previously known as Microsoft Flow) is a component of Power Platform which represents user friendly and intuitive way of creating automated workflows between applications and services to generate notifications, synchronize files, collect data, and produce other actions.

Key features:

  • Automates repetitive business processes.
  • Integrates with over 320 data sources and APIs, including Business Central.
  • Can be used by business staff and IT professionals.
  • Requires some understanding of Business Central’s business logic and solution architecture for optimal use.

Types of Power Automate Flows

  • Business process flows: These flows are used in model-driven apps to help people get work done. They provide a streamlined user experience that leads people through the processes their organization has defined for interactions that need to be advanced to a conclusion of some kind.
  • Cloud flows: These are the most used flows. Cloud flows begin with a trigger such as receiving an email from a specific person, or a mention of your company in social media. Once triggered, they also generally include one or more actions such as creating a record in a different system or sending an approval request to someone.
  • Desktop flows – These robotic process automation (RPA) flows allow you to record yourself performing actions on your desktop or within a web browser. You can then trigger a flow to perform that process for you. You can also pass data in or get data out of the process, letting you automate even “manual” business processes.

Power Automate Applications

To ensure that Power Automate flow creators can create the flows and automations that they need, there are three different Power Automate applications that makers can use to create and manage the different types of flows available.

  • Power Automate Portal: The maker portal provides a single access point for makers where they can easily create, manage, and monitor the different Power Automate flows they have created.
  • Power Automate Mobile: Power Automate Mobile provides access to Power Automate functionality while on the go.
  • Power Automate for Desktop: Power Automate Desktop is used to create robotic process automation flows.

Power Automate Administration

  • Managed via Microsoft Power Platform admin center.
  • Provides capabilities for environment management, data loss prevention policies, data integration, user licenses, and quotas.
  • PowerShell cmdlets are available for more control and auditing.

Embedding Microsoft Power Platform in Business Central

  • Power Automate can be embedded in Business Central for approval processes.
  • Accessible from pages like Item Card, Customer Card, Vendor Card, General Journals, Sales Quote, Sales Order, Sales Invoice, Purchase Order, and Purchase Invoice.
  • Predefined embedded templates are available for these pages.
  • Similar approval flows can be created for other entities from Power Automate.