Battle of the Apps: Canvas vs. Model-Driven Apps in Power Apps
In the dynamic world of app development, Microsoft Power Platform offers two powerful approaches: Canvas apps and Model-Driven apps. Each has its unique strengths and use cases, making the choice between them crucial for developers and businesses alike. Let's dive into the battle of the apps and explore which one might be the best fit for your needs. What are Canvas Apps? Canvas apps are all about flexibility and customization. They allow Nonprofits to design the app's user interface from scratch, providing a blank canvas to place controls, images, and other elements wherever desired. You can also design the interface using available templates, providing you with a solid starting point. Key Features: Drag-and-Drop Interface: Easily design the app layout with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. Custom Logic: Implement custom business logic using Power Fx, a powerful formula language. Integration: Seamlessly integrate with various data sources, including SharePoint, SQL Server, and more. Responsive Design: Create apps that work on different devices, ensuring a consistent user experience. Use Cases: Field Service Apps: Perfect for mobile workers who need a customized interface to capture data on the go. Customer Engagement: Tailor the app to meet specific customer interaction needs, enhancing user satisfaction. What are Model-Driven Apps? Model-Driven apps focus on data and processes. They are built on top of Dataverse, leveraging a data-first approach. This means the app's design is driven by the underlying data model, ensuring consistency and standardization across the application. Key Features: Data-Centric: Automatically generate forms, views, and dashboards based on the data model. Business Processes: Implement complex business processes with built-in workflows and business rules. Security: Robust security model with role-based access control to protect sensitive data. Scalability: Easily scale the app as your business grows, thanks to the structured data model. Use Cases: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Ideal for managing complex business processes and data across the organization. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Streamline customer interactions and data management with a standardized approach. Choosing the Right App for Your Needs The choice between Canvas and Model-Driven apps depends on your specific requirements and goals. Here are some factors to consider: Customization vs. Standardization: If you need a highly customized user interface, Canvas apps are the way to go. For standardized, data-driven applications, Model-Driven apps are more suitable. Complexity of Business Processes: Model-Driven apps excel in handling complex business processes and workflows, while Canvas apps offer more flexibility for simpler, user-centric applications. Conclusion In the battle of Canvas vs. Model-Driven apps, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Each approach has its strengths and is best suited for different scenarios. By understanding your business needs and the capabilities of each app type, you can make an informed decision that maximizes the potential of Microsoft Power Platform. Additional Resources Overview of building canvas apps - Power Apps | Microsoft Learn Overview of building a model-driven app with Power Apps - Power Apps | Microsoft LearnAutomate Your External Data Collection: Power Automate and Microsoft Forms
In the fast-paced world of nonprofits, efficiency is key. With limited resources and time, automating routine tasks can free up valuable hours for more impactful work. One area ripe for automation is data collection. By leveraging tools like Power Automate and Microsoft Forms, nonprofits can streamline their data collection processes, ensuring accuracy and saving time. (Please note that this process is applicable to both internal and external members using Microsoft Forms. For a simplified process that works exclusively for internal members, please refer to this blog: Simplify Internal Data Collection with Microsoft Lists Forms | Microsoft Community Hub) Why Automate Data Collection? Nonprofits often rely on data to make informed decisions, track progress, and report to stakeholders. However, manual data collection can be time-consuming and prone to errors. Automation offers several benefits: Efficiency: Automating data collection reduces the time spent on manual entry, allowing staff to focus on mission-critical tasks. Accuracy: Automated processes minimize human error, ensuring that data is consistent and reliable. Real-time Insights: With automated data collection, information is available in real-time, enabling quicker decision-making. Today, we will develop a Power Automate flow to capture form responses and automatically send a thank-you email. Let's begin by creating the form. Getting Started with Microsoft Forms Microsoft Forms is a powerful tool for creating surveys, quizzes, and polls. It's user-friendly and integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 applications. Here's how to get started: Log in to your Microsoft 365 account by going to https://www.office.com/ , select apps, then select all Apps and navigate to Microsoft Forms. Choose the appropriate form type for your needs. Select a template to begin your form creation. Tailor your questions and style to fit your specific requirements. Once your form is ready, Click on Collect Responses share it with your audience via a link, email, or embed it on your website. Automating with Power Automate Power Automate allows you to create automated workflows between your favorite apps and services. Here's how you can use it to automate data collection from Microsoft Forms: Log in to https://make.powerautomate.com/ and click on "Create" to start a new flow. Choose between "Automated flow" to trigger actions based on specific events or "Scheduled flows" to run at predefined times or intervals. In this example we will work with Automated flows. Set Up Triggers: Write a flow and Select "When a new response is submitted" in Microsoft Forms as your trigger. This will initiate the flow whenever someone submits a form response. Pick a Form: Click on the trigger and search for the form. If the form does not appear, save the flow and refresh the page. Define what happens next: For example, you can add an action to save the form responses to an Excel file, send an email notification, or update a SharePoint list. For this example, we will send an email. To Send an email, we have to first get the email address from the responses. Add Action: Click on the plus sign and select "Add an action." Get Response Details: Select get response details. Select Form: Choose the form, click on "fx" to access the Dynamic content, select "Response Id," and click "Add." Send Email Action: Add an action and select "Send an email (V2)." Switch to Advanced Mode. Use Dynamic Content: Use Dynamic content to add the email address and the name of the user in the email body. Click on "fx" to add dynamic content. Save and test: Save and Test your flow to ensure it works as expected. A green checkmark shows that there are no issues with your flow. Real-World Applications Here are a few examples of how nonprofits can use Power Automate and Microsoft Forms: Volunteer Sign-Ups: Automate the collection and organization of volunteer information, making it easier to manage and communicate with your volunteers. Expense Approvals: Simplify the form submission process for expenses and reimbursements by implementing an approval workflow, ensuring that all expenditures are reviewed and authorized by the appropriate personnel. Project Proposals: Implement a form and approval workflow for new project proposals to ensure they align with the organization's mission and strategic goals. Once approved, a workflow can be initiated to create the project in a Planner board. Conclusion By automating data collection with Power Automate and Microsoft Forms, nonprofits can enhance their efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making capabilities. These tools not only save time but also empower organizations to focus on what truly matters – making a difference in their communities. Additional resources Microsoft Power Automate – Process Automation Platform | Microsoft Get started with Power Automate - Power Automate | Microsoft Learn Microsoft Forms help & learningData-Driven Decisions: Creating Your First Power BI Report
In our upcoming guide, we'll take you through the exciting journey of creating your first report using sample data. Creating Your First Report Using Sample Data Creating a report from sample data is a great way to familiarize yourself with data analysis and reporting tools. Whether you're using Excel, database or another data source, the process generally involves similar steps. Here's a guide to help you create your first report: Step 1: Open Power BI and Create a Blank Report Begin by opening Power BI and selecting the option to create a blank report. This will give you a clean slate to start building your visualizations. Step 2: Select the Data Source Next, you'll need to select the data source for your report. You can use get data from the top left to select your data source. While there are many options, Excel is one of the most popular. For this guide, we'll use the sample data provided by Power BI, which comes from an Excel sheet. Click on "Use sample data." Click on "Load sample data." Select the "Financials" table. Step 3: Transform Data in Power Query Editor To clean and prepare your data, you'll use the Power Query Editor. Select "Transform Data" to open the Power Query Editor. Power Query Editor is a tool that helps you clean and organize your data before you use it to create reports. For now, select "Close & Apply" to load the data into Power BI. Step 4: Create Visualizations With your data loaded, it's time to create visualizations. Open the data tab and select "Sales" and "Country". Choose a pie chart for your visualization. To format the visual, select "Format visual", then "Detail labels". Choose "Label contents" and select "Percent of total". Set the position to "Inside". Step 5: Add Text and Customize Visuals Enhance your report by adding text and customizing visuals. On the home page, select "Text Box." Choose Arial as the font and set the size to 28. Step 6: Create Additional Visualizations Add more depth to your report by creating additional visualizations. Select "Profit" and "Product" from the data pane. Choose a Staked bar chart in the visualization options. In the format pane, select 'Bars' and change the color to your preferred color. Step 7: Save Your Power BI Report Once you are satisfied with your report, it's important to save your work. Go to the "File" menu. Select "Save" Choose a location on your computer or OneDrive to save the report. Enter a name for your report and click "Save." Step 8: Experiment and Explore Feel free to play around with different visualization and formatting options. This hands-on experimentation is key to mastering Power BI and creating compelling reports. Additional resources Tutorial: From Excel workbook to stunning report in Power BI Desktop - Power BI | Microsoft Learn What is Power BI? - Power BI | Microsoft LearnMicrosoft Lists Integration with Power Automate
Discover Microsoft Lists Microsoft Lists, part of Microsoft 365, is ideal for nonprofits. This intuitive app helps organize information and streamline work processes effortlessly. With templates for event planning and asset management, it meets various team needs perfectly. Enter Power Automate Power Automate enables workflow automation, previously known as Microsoft Flow. It helps create automated workflows between applications and services, reducing repetitive tasks and focusing on strategic activities. Benefits of This Integration for My Nonprofit Nonprofits often grapple with limited resources and high demands. The integration of Microsoft Lists with Power Automate offers transformative benefits: Automate Routine Tasks Free up your team's valuable time by automating routine tasks like data entry, notifications, and approvals. For example, a new donor is added to a list, and Power Automate sends an instant thank-you email while updating your donor database—all automatically! Boost Collaboration Keep your team in sync with automated notifications and reminders. Everyone stays informed about project updates, deadlines, and responsibilities, ensuring flawless collaboration and minimizing the risk of missed tasks. Elevate Project Management Streamline your project management by creating workflows to track milestones, budgets, and deliverables. For instance, when a project milestone is reached, the workflow can notify the team and generate a status report, keeping everyone on the same page. Let’s Get Started! Ready to integrate Microsoft Lists with Power Automate? Here's a step-by-step guide to get you started, complete with real-world examples to showcase the benefits. Step 1: Create a List in Microsoft Lists Navigate to the Microsoft Lists app. Choose a template that suits your needs, like the "Issue Tracker" template. Customize the columns and fields according to your requirements. Step 2: Access Power Automate Go to the Power Automate application within your Microsoft 365 suite. Select "Create" from the navigation bar to start a new flow. Step 3: Choose a Trigger Select "When an item is created" as the trigger from Microsoft Lists. Connect to your Microsoft Lists account and select the list you created in Step 1. Step 4: Define Actions Add an action, such as "Send an email" from Outlook or "Create a task" in Microsoft Planner. Customize the action with relevant details, such as recipient email addresses and task descriptions. Step 5: Test and Activate the Flow Save your flow and test it by adding a new item to your Microsoft List. Check if the defined actions are executed correctly. Once satisfied, activate the flow to automate your process. Create a Flow for a List Microsoft Lists Overview Getting Started with Power AutomateWhat’s Included with Microsoft’s Granted Offerings for Nonprofits?
Are you a nonprofit looking to boost your impact with cutting-edge technology? Microsoft is here to help! From free software licenses to guided technical documentation and support, this program offers a range of resources designed to empower your organization. In this blog, we’ll dive into the incredible tools and grants available to nonprofits through Microsoft, showing you how to make the most of these generous offerings. Whether you’re managing projects or just trying to simplify your day-to-day tasks, there’s something here for everyone. Let’s explore what’s possible!Access FREE professional services for your Nonprofit
Join BHFE Solutions for a live webinar, showcasing the many ways the nonprofit industry can benefit from Smart Automation implementations with the Power Platform. All nonprofit organizations attending the webinar will automatically be approved for a $1,500 ‘Needs Assessment’ workshop. Details and registration code will be shared during the webinar. Register for the event here: Access FREE professional services for your NonprofitPower Platform Citizen Developer I: Where to start?
Join us for Demo Days: Microsoft Tools and Technologies for Nonprofits, a series of live trainings that will show you how to make the most of Microsoft products for your nonprofit mission. Learn more and register below! Power Platform Citizen Developer I: Where to start? In this session, you will learn how to use the Power Platform, a suite of low code and no code developer solutions, to create custom apps and workflows for your nonprofit needs. You will also learn how to use Copilot to enhance your Power Platform solutions with natural language processing and artificial intelligence. The Demo Days sessions will focus on using AI in the following functions at a nonprofit: program management, marketing & communications, fundraising & development, people development and administrative tasks. You can register for one or all the sessions, depending on your interest and availability. Each session will last for one hour and will include a live demonstration of Microsoft features and scenarios as well as a Q&A session with the presenter. Sessions will be held in English, with captions available in the following languages: Arabic, Hindi, Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. See below for details of each training session. Register for the event here Note: You must register at this link to receive information on joining the session.Fast-track your hiring process with Microsoft Power Platform and AI
Presented by Microsoft and technology partner MERP Systems, Inc., this webinar will discuss and demonstrate a modern approach to improving your recruitment and onboarding process by coupling the strengths of the low-code Microsoft Power Platform and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities of the Azure OpenAI solution. During the webinar, MERP will demonstrate aspects of their AI HR Accelerator solution, including key features such as: Using Azure OpenAI for quick curation of job postings and templates Collective resume upload from external agencies, portals, and systems Reduce the time it takes your recruitment team to sort through resumes for an effective ranking Hire top talent by identifying top applicant profiles quicker Increase the productivity of your recruitment teams and improve efficiencies of HR departments, including onboarding system integration Register for the event here Note: You must register at this link to receive information on joining the session.Canvas Apps in PowerApps
Greetings to our Excellent non-profit organizations. In this article, we will give you an introduction of a method that helps you in developing applications with low-code experience called Canvas apps. Canvas apps are types of Power Apps which are a great tool for creating custom business applications in Microsoft PowerApps with low code or no code experiences. Power Apps is a set of low-code tools for building apps, workflows, AI bots, and data analytics that allows you to create modern applications from your data. With Canvas apps, you can create custom business apps that connect to your data stored either in the data platform, which is Microsoft Dataverse, or in various online data sources (such as Excell, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, SQL Server, and so on). The applications built with PowerApps are part of the Power Platform. Therefore, you can only run your application inside the official PowerApp. You cannot publish it on AppStore or PlayStore. Features of Canvas Apps Canvas applications can be run on multiple devices including mobile, desktop, and tablet. A canvas environment allows you to drag and drop elements to build custom applications. These elements can be formatted to design a user-friendly interface for the users. Canvas apps can be easy to use and become user-friendly for the users. Once you create an app with templates that would be easily customizable because it has easy drag-and-drop functions element. By embedding canvas apps in an iframe, you can integrate those apps into websites and other services, such as Power BI or SharePoint. Canvas Apps also provides role-based access and supports all platforms. So, it is easy to access. Now, you're going to create your first canvas app in Power Apps using data from an Excel table. To create your first canvas app, start by logging into the Power Apps with an admin account. Or if you don't have a license for Power Apps, you can sign up for free. Under Start from, select Excel. If you don't have a OneDrive for Business connection already, you'll be prompted to create. Select Create to create the connection. Select OneDrive for Business connection. Browse to the location where you have the Excel file. Under Choose a table, select the table. Run the app: Now that we have created our canvas app let’s run the app: To run the app, open “Preview” by pressing F5 (or by clicking or tapping the play icon near the upper-right corner Toggle the sort order by clicking or tapping the “sort” icon near the upper-right corner. Filter the list by typing or pasting one or more characters in the search box. Add a record by selecting the plus icon! Add the data that you desire, and then select the checkmark icon to save your changes. Regards,
