This course introduces Microsoft Power Automate for automating everyday business tasks and simplifying repetitive workflows. Participants learn to create cloud flows, connect Microsoft 365 applications, process information, and automate notifications and approvals. The course focuses on beginner-friendly cloud automation, with an introduction to desktop automation and its business applications.
Duration 3 Days – 21 hrs.
Objectives
- Identify routine business tasks suitable for automation.
- Explain cloud flows, desktop flows, connectors, triggers, and actions.
- Create automated, instant, and scheduled cloud flows.
- Use dynamic content, conditions, loops, and basic expressions.
- Connect Microsoft 365 applications to automate common business processes.
- Build approval workflows and automated notifications.
- Review flow run history and troubleshoot common errors.
- Apply basic practices for flow ownership, sharing, and responsible data handling.
- Build an end-to-end request and approval workflow.
Target Audience
- Business users seeking to automate repetitive tasks.
- Administrative and operations personnel.
- Human resources, finance, sales, and customer service staff.
- Team leaders and process owners.
- Business analysts and process improvement personnel.
- IT support staff and aspiring citizen developers.
- Beginners with no prior Power Automate experience.
Prerequisites
- Basic computer skills and familiarity with a web browser.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications, such as Outlook and Excel.
- Basic understanding of everyday business processes.
- No programming experience required.
- A work or school account with appropriate Power Automate and Microsoft 365 access.
- Access to Outlook, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Forms for course activities.
- Permission to create flows and connections in an available Power Automate environment.
- A computer with a supported web browser and reliable internet access.
Course Outline
Day 1: Power Automate Foundations and Basic Cloud Flows
Module 1: Introduction to Business Process Automation
- Understanding business process automation
- Identifying repetitive tasks and suitable automation opportunities
- Mapping a simple process, including inputs, decisions, and outputs
- Overview of Power Automate within Microsoft Power Platform
- Understanding cloud flows and desktop flows
- Recognizing when desktop automation may be useful
Module 2: Getting Started with Power Automate
- Navigating the Power Automate portal and flow designer
- Understanding environments and connections
- Exploring connectors, triggers, and actions
- Recognizing standard and premium connector distinctions
- Understanding basic access and licensing considerations
- Exploring templates and creating flows from scratch
Module 3: Creating Basic Cloud Flows
- Choosing automated, instant, and scheduled flows
- Configuring triggers and actions
- Using dynamic content
- Creating email notification flows
- Configuring recurrence and time zones
- Saving, running, and editing flows
- Reviewing flow run history
Day 2: Working with Data, Logic, and Approvals
Module 4: Conditions, Loops, and Basic Expressions
- Working with common data types
- Creating conditions and branching logic
- Processing multiple items with Apply to each
- Introducing variables and the Compose action
- Using basic text and date expressions
- Handling empty or missing values
Module 5: Automating Microsoft 365 Tasks
- Capturing Microsoft Forms responses
- Retrieving response details
- Creating and updating SharePoint list items
- Working with Excel tables stored in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint
- Sending Outlook email notifications
- Passing information between connected applications
- Avoiding unintended repeated processing
Module 6: Building Approval Workflows
- Understanding approval workflow components
- Creating an approval request
- Configuring approvers and request details
- Handling approval and rejection outcomes
- Updating request status in SharePoint
- Notifying requesters of decisions
Day 3: Troubleshooting, Flow Management, and Capstone
Module 7: Troubleshooting and Improving Flows
- Using flow checker and run history
- Inspecting action inputs and outputs
- Resolving connection and permission issues
- Correcting missing data and expression errors
- Introducing Configure run after
- Understanding retries and basic failure notifications
- Organizing actions with clear names and descriptions
Module 8: Managing and Sharing Flows
- Turning flows on and off
- Editing and maintaining existing flows
- Understanding owners, co-owners, and run-only access
- Managing connections and access dependencies
- Applying clear flow naming conventions
- Understanding organizational data policies
- Documenting flow purpose, dependencies, and ownership
Module 9: Capstone Project — Business Request and Approval Automation
- Define a simple internal request process
- Capture request information through Microsoft Forms
- Record request details in a SharePoint list
- Send an acknowledgment to the requester
- Route the request to a designated approver
- Apply conditions for approval and rejection
- Update the request record with the outcome
- Notify the requester of the final decision
- Configure a basic failure notification
- Verify both decision paths and document the completed workflow
