Power Platform and intelligent automation: What they are and what they can do for you

Estiaan van der Merwe, Principal CE Consultant, Decision Inc.

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The integration of Power Platform and intelligent automation marks a pivotal milestone in the evolution of remote work – transforming the way organisations operate in an increasingly interconnected world. These innovative technologies have revolutionised traditional work paradigms: they have empowered employees to work efficiently and collaboratively from anywhere – transcending the limitations of physical office spaces. Through the automation of repetitive tasks, the seamless accessibility offered by cloud-based ecosystems and the facilitation of enhanced collaboration, these tools have not only streamlined workflows but also unlocked the potential for more strategic and impactful work.

The increasing prevalence of remote work has been largely driven by advancements in technology, changing work culture, and the global shift towards a more digitalised and interconnected world. Factors such as the availability of high-speed internet, cloud computing and communication tools have enabled businesses to transition to remote work and hybrid work set-ups more seamlessly than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst, compelling many organisations to swiftly adopt remote work practices to ensure business continuity and employee safety. Although the pandemic fast-tracked remote working, without the pandemic it was still something bound to happen in some industries.

This shift has had a profound impact on businesses, reshaping traditional work dynamics and prompting a revaluation of operational strategies. Companies have had to adapt to managing geographically dispersed teams, ensuring secure data access and maintaining employee engagement and productivity in a virtual environment. Moreover, the remote work trend has prompted a rethinking of traditional office spaces and overhead costs, leading many businesses to explore more flexible and cost-effective work arrangements. As a result, businesses are increasingly turning to innovative technologies, such as the Power Platform and intelligent automation, to effectively manage and optimise remote work operations.

Infrastructure and technology

Many organisations face challenges related to setting up the necessary infrastructure to support remote work, such as ensuring secure and reliable internet connections, providing employees with the appropriate devices and implementing effective communication and collaboration tools.

Communication and collaboration

Maintaining effective communication and collaboration among remote teams can be challenging, especially when relying solely on digital platforms. Limited face-to-face interaction can lead to miscommunication, decreased team cohesion and a lack of personal connection, which can ultimately affect productivity and employee morale.

Data security and privacy

Ensuring the security and privacy of sensitive company data when employees are working from various locations can be a significant concern. Without robust security measures and protocols in place, organisations may be more susceptible to data breaches, cyber attacks and unauthorised access to confidential information.

Employee well-being and engagement

Remote work can potentially lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection among employees. Without the social interactions and support typically found in a traditional office setting, employees may experience a decline in overall well-being, motivation and engagement, ultimately impacting their job satisfaction and performance.

Work-life balance

Balancing work and personal life boundaries can become blurred when working from home. Employees may find it challenging to establish clear boundaries between their professional and personal lives, leading to longer working hours, increased stress and potential burnout.

Addressing these challenges requires the implementation of effective strategies and the utilisation of technologies like Power Platform and intelligent automation to streamline processes, enhance communication, ensure data security and support employee well-being and engagement in a remote work environment.

Power Platform is a collection of Microsoft products that allows users to create custom apps, automate workflows and analyse data. Power Apps enables the creation of custom applications without extensive coding knowledge, while Power Automate allows for the automation of repetitive tasks and workflows. Power BI facilitates data analysis and visualisation, and Power Virtual Agents enables the creation of chatbots to automate customer interactions.

Intelligent automation refers to the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to automate complex tasks and processes that traditionally require human intervention. This can include automating decision-making, data analysis and various other repetitive tasks that would otherwise be time-consuming for employees to handle manually.

Power Platform and intelligent automation can address the challenges of remote work by:

1. Streamlining processes: The Power Platform technologies operate within a cloud-based ecosystem, allowing users to access applications, data and workflows from virtually anywhere with internet connectivity. This accessibility empowers employees to work remotely without being constrained by geographical boundaries or the need for on-premises infrastructure. Power Platform and intelligent automation excel at automating repetitive and mundane tasks that would traditionally require physical presence or office tools. By automating these tasks, employees are no longer tied to specific office hours or locations to complete routine job functions. Tasks like data entry, report generation, approvals and notifications can be automated, allowing employees to handle them from anywhere with an internet connection.
2. Enhancing communication and collaboration: Power Platform tools facilitate seamless collaboration and communication among remote teams. By providing a centralised platform for sharing information, collaborating on projects and communicating in real-time, employees can work together effectively without the necessity of physical co-location.
3. Supporting employee well-being: By automating mundane tasks and reducing administrative burdens, Power Platform and intelligent automation can contribute to reducing employee stress and promoting a healthier work-life balance, thus supporting employee well-being and engagement.

Overall, the integration of Power Platform and intelligent automation can significantly enhance remote work operations, promoting productivity, efficiency and data security while fostering a more positive and engaging work environment for remote employees.

To put this in perspective, we can consider a call centre as an example. We can look at how work had to be conducted from the office in the past and how it transformed in recent years with evolving technologies to a point where a call centre can be run remotely.

In the past, before the advent of intelligent automation and advanced AI-driven solutions, managing a high volume of incoming e-mails in a customer service setting would often necessitate employees to work from the office due to several factors:

1. Limited accessibility to information: Handling e-mails typically required access to specific software or systems available only within the office network. Employees might have needed to be physically present in the office to access customer databases, knowledge bases or systems required to respond to inquiries effectively.
2. Manual e-mail triage and responses: Without automation, sorting through numerous e-mails manually to identify urgent inquiries or categorise them based on content was a time-consuming process. This manual triaging often demanded continuous presence in the office to keep up with the inflow of e-mails and maintain timely responses.
3. In-person collaboration and supervision: Collaboration among team members and supervisors might have been more effective in an office environment. Quick consultations or discussions regarding customer inquiries and resolutions often required physical proximity, hindering effective remote work.
4. Lack of remote accessibility to tools: Traditional customer service tools and platforms might have lacked remote accessibility or required VPN access to function outside the office network. This limited employees' ability to efficiently handle customer inquiries from remote locations.
5. Resource-intensive manual handling: Addressing each e-mail individually without the aid of AI-driven solutions would have demanded substantial human resources, making it impractical for employees to handle the workload remotely due to the time and effort required.

Intelligent automation and AI-driven solutions have fundamentally altered this landscape by providing remote accessibility, automating repetitive tasks and enabling advanced functionalities such as chatbots. These technologies now allow employees to handle tasks that once required physical presence in the office, empowering them to effectively manage workflows and customer interactions from anywhere with an internet connection.

Looking at the same example as above, this is how the same operation would look in a “modern workplace” using Power Platform technologies:

E-mail triage and response

Intelligent automation is utilised to analyse incoming e-mails and categorise them based on their content and urgency. AI algorithms powered by natural language processing quickly understand the intent of the e-mail (eg, inquiry, support request, complaint) and classify them into relevant categories automatically.

Chatbot interaction

Once categorised, the system can trigger appropriate responses or actions using AI-driven chatbots. For routine inquiries, the chatbot interacts with customers, providing instant answers to frequently asked questions, offering troubleshooting steps or directing them to relevant resources.

Automated escalation and human intervention

If an e-mail requires human intervention or resolution beyond the capabilities of the chatbot, intelligent automation systems automatically route it to the appropriate customer service representative or department. Relevant details and context extracted from the e-mail are presented to the human agent, enabling a more informed and efficient response. Communication with a human also doesn’t require the employee to physically answer a landline telephone as there are several other preferred communication channels that can be used. The Microsoft Dynamics 365 Omnichannel platform enables customer service agents to communicate with their customers through various channels, and if a physical phone call is required, a tool such as Microsoft Teams can be leveraged.

Continuous learning and improvement

The AI algorithms continuously learn from interactions and customer feedback. Over time, the system improves its accuracy in understanding and categorising e-mails, refining responses and optimising the customer service process.

The remarkable adaptability and flexibility brought forth by Power Platform and intelligent automation have redefined the future of work, enabling organisations to navigate challenges, seize opportunities and thrive in a dynamic and rapidly changing business landscape. As remote work continues to evolve, embracing these technologies not only fosters operational efficiency, but also contributes to a more agile, resilient and empowered workforce.

As we embrace this transformative era of remote work, organisations must harness the full potential of Power Platform and intelligent automation. By doing so, they not only elevate productivity and collaboration, but also pave the way for a more inclusive, adaptable and future-ready work environment, where geographical boundaries no longer confine the realm of possibilities.