This course develops participants’ ability to build, manage, and improve business workflows using Microsoft Power Automate. Building on foundational cloud flow skills, participants work with complex conditions, structured data, multistage approvals, error handling, and reusable flow components.

The course focuses on cloud automation across Microsoft 365 and introduces Microsoft Dataverse integration, solution-based flow management, and deployment practices. Participants apply these skills in a capstone project that combines business rules, approvals, monitoring, and exception handling.

 

Duration 4 Days – 28 hrs.

 

Objectives

• Design cloud flows that support multiple business rules and decision paths.
• Use expressions to manipulate text, dates, arrays, and structured data.
• Apply trigger conditions, filtering, and pagination to process relevant records.
• Build sequential and parallel approval workflows.
• Integrate Microsoft 365 services and Microsoft Dataverse.
• Implement error handling, retry policies, and failure notifications.
• Improve flow efficiency while accounting for concurrency and service limits.
• Create reusable child flows within solutions.
• Manage connection references and environment variables.
• Package and move flows between environments.
• Develop a complete business workflow with exception handling and operational documentation.

 

Target Audience

• Power Automate users who already build basic cloud flows.
• Business analysts and process improvement specialists.
• Citizen developers responsible for departmental automation.
• Microsoft 365 power users and application support staff.
• IT professionals maintaining business workflows.
• Operations, finance, human resources, and administrative personnel managing multistep processes.

 

 Prerequisites

• Completion of a Power Automate beginner course or equivalent practical experience.
• Ability to create automated, instant, and scheduled cloud flows.
• Familiarity with connectors, dynamic content, conditions, and basic loops.
• Experience using SharePoint lists, Outlook, and Microsoft Forms.
• Basic understanding of tables, records, and common data types.
• A work or school account with appropriate Power Automate and Microsoft 365 access.
• Access to training environments with Dataverse enabled and permissions to create solutions, flows, and training tables.
• Appropriate licensing or trial access for the premium features and connectors used in the course.
• Access to source and destination training environments for deployment activities.
• A computer with a supported web browser and reliable internet access.

 

Course Outline

Day 1: Workflow Logic and Data Handling

Module 1: Designing Maintainable Business Workflows

• Reviewing foundational cloud flow concepts
• Translating business requirements into workflow steps
• Identifying triggers, data sources, decisions, and exceptions
• Selecting suitable flow types and connectors
• Organizing actions using scopes and descriptive names
• Documenting workflow dependencies and expected outcomes

 Module 2: Expressions and Structured Data

• Working with text, numbers, dates, and Boolean values
• Using expressions for formatting and data conversion
• Handling null values and optional fields
• Understanding JSON objects and arrays
• Using Parse JSON to access structured information
• Transforming data with Compose, Select, Filter array, and Join
• Creating HTML tables for business summaries

 Module 3: Controlling Flow Execution

• Applying nested conditions and Switch actions
• Using Apply to each and Do until
• Configuring loop exit conditions and limits
• Creating parallel branches
• Applying trigger conditions to reduce unnecessary runs
• Understanding concurrency and shared-variable risks
• Preventing update-triggered loops and duplicate processing

  

Day 2: Data Integration and Approval Processes

Module 4: Working Efficiently with Business Data

• Retrieving and updating SharePoint list records
• Applying OData filter queries and selecting required fields
• Handling pagination when retrieving multiple records
• Working with Excel tables and recognizing concurrent-update limitations
• Introducing Dataverse tables, rows, and relationships
• Creating, retrieving, and updating Dataverse rows
• Choosing suitable storage for workflow status and tracking

 Module 5: Building Multistage Approval Workflows

• Selecting appropriate approval patterns
• Configuring sequential and parallel approvals
• Routing requests according to business rules
• Processing approval responses and comments
• Managing rejection and resubmission paths
• Designing reminders and timeout handling
• Recording approval status and decision history
• Recognizing flow-duration constraints in long-running processes

 Module 6: Coordinating Microsoft 365 Workflows

• Combining Forms, SharePoint, Outlook, and Teams
• Handling supporting files and attachments
• Sending contextual notifications with record links
• Generating scheduled status summaries
• Separating request capture from follow-up processing
• Maintaining consistent status across connected services

 

Day 3: Reliability, Reuse, and Flow Management

Module 7: Error Handling and Recovery

• Grouping actions into Try, Catch, and Finally-style scopes
• Configuring run-after behavior
• Handling failed, skipped, and timed-out actions
• Configuring retry policies for temporary failures
• Using Terminate to control flow outcomes
• Recording errors and notifying workflow owners
• Designing safe recovery and resubmission procedures

 Module 8: Performance and Operational Monitoring

• Diagnosing failures through run history and action details
• Reducing unnecessary actions and nested loops
• Filtering records at the data source
• Balancing parallel processing with connector limits
• Understanding throttling and request consumption
• Identifying connection, permission, and data-quality issues
• Establishing ownership and routine monitoring practices

Module 9: Reusable Flows and Solution Management

• Creating solution-aware cloud flows
• Building parent and child flows within the same solution
• Passing inputs and returning outputs
• Configuring child-flow connections
• Using connection references
• Managing configuration with environment variables
• Exporting and importing solutions
• Understanding managed and unmanaged solutions
• Reviewing data policies, sharing, and access permissions

 

Day 4: Deployment and Integrated Capstone

Module 10: Preparing Workflows for Deployment

• Separating development, testing, and production environments
• Reviewing solution components and dependencies
• Mapping connections in a destination environment
• Setting environment-specific configuration values
• Confirming access to destination data sources
• Checking workflow behavior after import
• Preparing maintenance and support documentation

Module 11: Capstone Project — Multistage Purchase Request Automation

• Capture purchase requests and supporting information
• Store request details and processing status in SharePoint
• Validate required information and identify duplicate submissions
• Route requests according to purchase amount and department
• Configure manager approval and additional approval when required
• Process approved, rejected, and timed-out outcomes
• Use a child flow for a reusable notification or logging function
• Record decision history and send requester notifications
• Implement structured error handling and failure alerts
• Generate a scheduled summary of outstanding requests
• Package the workflow in a solution with connection references and environment variables
• Move the solution to a destination training environment
• Verify decision paths, exception handling, and configuration
• Document ownership, dependencies, and recovery procedures