Automation, Dashboard or App This is how
you realize Projects
with Power Platform

The Power Platform is an Integrated Application Platform

Many companies rely on the Microsoft products - as almost all important applications can be found here: Windows, Business Central, Microsoft 365 for all Office applications such as Word, Excel or OneNote, SharePoint and OneDrive as well as Teams for communication… and the Power Platform connecting many of these applications with each other. There are various tools that enable you to implement your own projects with Power Platform without any previous knowledge.

Get started easily with the Power Apps Developer Plan

You have the opportunity to learn how to use, develop and test Power Platform products free of charge.

For this purpose, Microsoft provides the Power Apps Developer Plan, which includes access to all development tools, (an) own development environment(s) and Dataverse. To be able to register for the Power Apps Developer Plan , you only need a work or school address , which is secured with Microsoft Entra ID . Once you want to integrate your development into your production environment, a corresponding license for Power Apps , Power BI  or Power Automate  is required.

To sign up, please visit the Power Apps Developer Plan , select ‘Start free’ and follow the registration.

When you register for the Power Apps Developer Plan, an environment of the type Developer is created in Power Apps and Power Automate called ‘MOD Administrator’s Environment’. It is possible to create additional environments of the type Developer, for example as a test environment in which you can check whether your development meets your requirements or whether you should possibly make further adjustments.

Generally, there is documentation for all Power Platform products where you can look for solutions at any time. If you prefer video explanations, you might also want to explore the YouTube channels of Microsoft Power Platform , Microsoft Power Apps , Microsoft Power Automate  and Microsoft Power BI .

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Power Apps: design your own App

If you want to design an app yourself, it is best to start with the Overview “What is Power Apps?” . This gives you a summary of Power Apps and where to turn first, depending on whether you want to develop, use or administer.

It may then be useful to take a look at some learning paths . A learning path consists of several modules that build on each other. A module is a mixture of explanations and exercises that you can try out alongside each other. In this way, you are guided step by step through different scenarios and quickly gain a better understanding of how the individual parts in Power Apps work together and what options you have as a result. For example, there are the following learning paths:

• Learning path “Create a canvas app in Power Apps” 

• Learning path “Create a model-driven application in Power Apps” 

The documentation contains many instructions that explain, for example, how to create a first canvas app from a template , add a data connection  or work with a catalog . So if you want to know how to implement a specific requirement, you should have a look there.

In Power Apps  itself, you will find the ‘Learn’ tab in the left selection bar. This always gives you central access to the documentation and learning paths from within Power Apps.

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Power Automate: from Routine to Workflow

For Power Automate, you can start at “Get started with Power Automate” . This overview shows you the structure of Power Automate, how to create a workflow, use templates and more.

You can also take a look at how the different types of flows  work. Microsoft provides an instructional video that explains the important differences between cloud flows, desktop flows and business process flows.

For Power Automate there is also the option of exploring learning paths and modules , that explain and set up different (business) scenarios step by step. Examples:

• Learning path “Start using buttons in Power Automate” 

• Learning path “Automate a business process with Power Automate” 

Just as for Power Apps, there is documentation for Power Automate  in which you will find instructions for implementing specific aspects, e.g. you will learn how to create a cloud flow from a template , execute a flow according to a schedule  or store values in variables  in order to be able to use them again in the flow at a later time.

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Power BI: presenting Data clearly

If you have not yet worked with Power BI, you can start by familiarizing yourself with the basics of data analysis.

You can get a further overview on the page “What is Power BI?”  from Microsoft.

Moreover, you can find answers to specific questions for Power BI in the documentation . Among other things, you can learn how to create a data connection  or share dashboards and reports  with others.

Microsoft also organizes one-day practical workshops called “Dashboard in a Day” . Various Microsoft partners offer these in different languages - including German and Spanish. You can participate free of charge .

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Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI: Start-up Support for Beginners

Microsoft in particular provides plenty of material for the three solutions Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI, giving you the opportunity to get started and then implement a project independently. This article also serves as a small starting aid. There are many other websites containing helpful information apart from Microsoft - feel free to do some more research.

Documentation and Learning Paths at a Glance

To conclude, here is an overview of the documentation and learning paths for all three products: