Many companies already work with Microsoft 365 and therefore have access to Power Automate. The service lets you automate recurring processes largely without programming: a form is submitted, an approval is requested in Microsoft Teams, and the result is stored in SharePoint. Power Automate is thus one of the low-code tools and a typical entry point into process automation.
Flow types
Microsoft distinguishes three types of flows:
- Cloud flows: They start automatically through an event, manually at the push of a button, or on a schedule, and connect services through interfaces, for example "new email with attachment, then save file in SharePoint".
- Desktop flows: They automate work steps in Windows applications and in the browser. Microsoft calls them the RPA solution of Power Automate. They run attended, that is, alongside a signed-in person, or unattended on a dedicated computer.
- Generative actions: Instead of specifying every step, you describe the goal, and an AI selects suitable actions. According to Microsoft, this feature is marked as a preview.
Connectors and connections
According to Microsoft, connectors are wrappers around the APIs of services such as Outlook, SharePoint, SQL Server, or third-party applications. They provide ready-made triggers and actions. A connection is the authenticated sign-in to such a service and always belongs to one person. Connection references separate the credentials from the flow logic and make it easier to move between development, test, and production environments. Custom connectors can be created for your own systems, and incoming webhooks can trigger flows.
Standard connectors are available with a work or school account. Premium connectors, custom connectors, and advanced RPA features require an additional license, such as Power Automate Premium.
Typical use cases
- Submitting vacation requests or orders through a form and having them approved via Teams
- Automatically naming attachments from a shared mailbox and storing them in the correct SharePoint library
- Extracting data from invoices with AI features and submitting it for review
- Entering data via desktop flow in an older line-of-business application without an interface
- Compiling a status report from several lists every day at a fixed time
Governance and security
- Set data policies: According to Microsoft, no data policies are active in a tenant by default. Data loss prevention policies classify connectors as business, non-business, or blocked. Connectors from different groups can then not be combined in the same flow.
- Secure the default environment: All employees have access to the default environment. Microsoft recommends blocking new connectors there at first until they have been reviewed.
- Separate environments: Keep development, test, and production separate, and manage important flows as solutions.
- Clarify ownership: Connections always belong to one person. If that person's account is deactivated, flows using these connections can fail. Business-critical flows therefore need co-owners and a defined offboarding process.
- Limit privileges: Create connections only with the necessary permissions, following least privilege.
- Make errors visible: Monitor failed runs; otherwise gaps go unnoticed.
Limitations
Extensive logic quickly becomes confusing and hard to test in graphical flows. Licensing questions for premium connectors and unattended RPA should be clarified before starting. For complex integrations, custom software or a platform such as n8n may be a better fit.
How it differs
Low-code is the umbrella term; Power Automate is a specific product. RPA operates user interfaces like a person, while cloud flows use interfaces. Compared with n8n, Power Automate is tightly integrated into Microsoft 365 and Entra ID but is operated exclusively as a Microsoft service.
How TOMORIS relates
In its process automation work, TOMORIS NEXT connects existing systems, among other things with Power Automate and custom integration. The AI potential analysis Atlas recommends a type of solution for each process step, including Power Automate.