Saturday, 8 February 2025

Power Automate Desktop RPA - workflow automation

 

In Power Automate Desktop RPA, workflow automation is just the beginning

In Power Automate Desktop RPA, workflow automation is just the beginning

In today’s fast-paced digital world, “time is money” rings more accurate than ever. Businesses constantly look for ways to streamline operations, cut costs, and boost efficiency. Enter Power Automate Desktop, Microsoft’s game-changing tool in Robotic Process Automation (RPA). This is not just another automation tool. It’s a practical, hands-on solution that directly addresses the everyday challenges of streamlining operations and boosting efficiency, meeting your needs head-on.

RPA has revolutionized how businesses operate by automating repetitive tasks, reducing errors, and increasing efficiency. Microsoft’s Power Automate Desktop is a powerful yet user-friendly tool. It allows tech-savvy professionals and business users to create automation workflows without extensive coding knowledge, ensuring you feel comfortable and confident in adopting the technology.

Power Automate Desktop enables RPA capabilities in Power Automate. RPA allows you to automate workflows across modern applications like Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Salesforce, the latest software tools, and legacy applications, which are older software systems still in use, such as mainframe applications or custom-built software, on your desktop by recording actions such as mouse and keyboard clicks.

This blog delves into the intricacies of Power Automate Desktop, exploring how it revolutionizes industries and business functions and how workflow automation with RPA in Microsoft Power Automate is cost-efficient.

What is Power Automate Desktop?

what is power automate

Imagine having a digital assistant that works tirelessly, never complains, and always delivers perfect results. Power Automate Desktop makes this possible by automating mundane and repetitive tasks, allowing you to save significant time and focus on what truly matters: innovation, strategy, and growth. This time-saving aspect will make you feel more efficient and productive, enhancing your work experience.

Power Automate Desktop is a versatile RPA solution that empowers you to create automated workflows for both desktop and web applications. Whether you are a seasoned developer or a business professional with no coding experience, this tool gives you the flexibility to design, deploy, and manage automated processes with ease, making you feel comfortable and reassured about its usability.

Power Automate Desktop is seamlessly integrated into the broader Microsoft Power Platform, which includes Power BI, Power Apps, and Power Virtual Agents. This integration provides a low-code environment, allowing users to create automated workflows by dragging and dropping actions onto a canvas.

Using the Power Automate Desktop flow designer, you can drag and drop prebuilt actions to create a flow or record your routine so that the tool captures the actions. UI automation, a key feature of desktop flows, refers to the tool’s ability to mimic human interactions with a computer’s user interface, such as mouse clicks, keyboard inputs, etc.

Power Automate + Teams: Everything you need to know about

If Power Automate + Teams can work like a magic wand as shown here, then imagine the transformative power of a combination like Power Automate + Desktop RPA.


Power Automate + Teams

How power automate desktop revolutionizes industries and business functions

Power Automate Desktop in manufacturing: Precision and efficiency redefined

Power Automate Desktop is a game-changer in manufacturing, where precision is critical and margins are tight. By automating repetitive tasks like quality control checks, production scheduling, and data collection, manufacturers can achieve higher efficiency and consistency. The tool’s ability to integrate seamlessly with existing systems means the production manager can streamline the most complex manufacturing processes. This approach reduces downtime and waste and enhances the overall quality of products, giving manufacturers a competitive edge in a demanding market.

Power Automate Desktop in finance: Automating the numbers game

Say goodbye to the monotonous grind of processing invoices and reconciling bank statements. With Power Automate Desktop, these tedious tasks are handled with precision and speed, freeing your finance team to focus on what truly matters – strategic financial planning and analysis. Imagine a world where your financial operations are flawless and efficient, where errors are a thing of the past, and your team has the bandwidth to drive growth and innovation. That’s the power of automation in finance.

Power Automate Desktop in supply chain: Streamlining every link

The supply chain is the backbone of global commerce. With Power Automate Desktop, it’s becoming smarter, faster, and more resilient. Imagine automating complex logistics processes, from inventory management to order tracking and supplier communications. Power Automate Desktop eliminates bottlenecks, reduces errors, and ensures that every link in your supply chain is optimized for peak performance. The result? Faster deliveries, reduced costs, and a supply chain that’s agile enough to adapt to any challenge.

Power Automate Desktop in healthcare: Enhancing patient care and operational efficiency

Power Automate Desktop is profoundly impacting the healthcare industry, where the stakes are higher than ever. Automating administrative tasks such as patient record management, billing, and appointment scheduling frees up valuable time for healthcare professionals, allowing them to focus on what truly matters – patient care. Beyond administration, the tool also plays a critical role in ensuring compliance with regulations, managing supplies, and streamlining department communications. This translates to better patient outcomes, more efficient operations, and a healthcare system that’s more responsive to the needs of both patients and providers.

MS Power Automate blog

Power Automate Desktop in human resources: Streamlining HR with a human touch

HR should not be bogged down by administrative headaches like onboarding, payroll processing, and leave management. Power Automate Desktop takes these routine tasks off your plate, speeding up processes and reducing delays. The result? A smoother, more efficient HR operation that enhances the overall employee experience. Your HR team can now shift its focus from paperwork to people, fostering a workplace culture that values and retains top talent.

Power Automate Desktop in customer service: Elevating the customer experience

In today’s competitive landscape, exceptional customer service is non-negotiable. Power Automate Desktop helps you deliver just that by automating routine tasks like ticket management, FAQ handling, and case escalations. This means faster response times, more accurate resolutions, and ultimately happier customers. Free your agents from the mundane so they can focus on what they do best – solving complex issues and delighting your customers with every interaction.

Power Automate Desktop in IT and operations: Driving efficiency like never before

Your IT team is the backbone of your organization. They deserve tools that make their jobs easier. Power Automate Desktop takes care of the repetitive, time-consuming tasks – automating software updates, monitoring system performance, and managing data backups – so your IT professionals can focus on strategic initiatives that drive your business forward. It’s not just about keeping the lights on. It’s about powering up your operations to reach new heights of efficiency and innovation.

In every corner of your business, Power Automate Desktop is the silent partner transforming work. It’s not just automation. It’s an evolution in how industries operate, delivering speed, accuracy, and innovation at every turn. Embrace the future with Power Automate Desktop and watch your business soar.

Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Enhancements to ‘Focused View’ and its usage within Dynamics 365- Enabling Focused View in D365

 

Enhancements to ‘Focused View’ and its usage within Dynamics 365


Introduction:

In the dynamic landscape of sales and marketing, the ability to effectively manage leads is a cornerstone of success. Yet, as businesses grapple with a multitude of tasks and data streams, maintaining clarity and focus in lead management can prove to be a daunting challenge. This is where the concept of a “Focused View” steps in as a game-changer.

In this blog post, we will start on a journey to explore the essential role of optimizing lead entity work and the transformative impact of enabling a focused view as the default mode. Furthermore, we will investigate the complexities of traditional lead management methods and uncover how a focused perspective can ease bottlenecks, enhance productivity, and ultimately drive superior results.

Key Advantages:

  • Streamlined Workflow: By defaulting to the focused view, users experience a streamlined workflow where they immediately can access the most relevant information without the need for additional navigations. Thus, reducing the number of clicks, which leads to ease of use and eventually leads to an increase in productivity.
  • Efficient Task Completion: With the focused view as the default, users can efficiently complete tasks without the distraction of irrelevant data or the need for frequent context switching. This enables them to stay focused on their objectives and accomplish tasks more effectively.
  • Enhanced User Experience: Adopting the focused view as the default setting improves the overall user experience by providing a more intuitive and adaptive interface.
  • Improved Decision-Making: By presenting users with relevant data, the focused view facilitates better decision-making. Users can quickly identify patterns, trends, and opportunities, enabling them to make informed decisions with confidence.

Overall, making the focused view as default offers multiple advantages, ranging from improved efficiency and user experience to increased adoption and better decision-making capabilities. By leveraging the focused view as the default setting, organizations can unlock significant benefits and drive greater success in their operations.

The list of features available in the Update is as below:

  • Set the lead entity’s default view to the focused view
  • Choose multiple records
  • Execute actions for both individual and multiple records by utilizing the command bar
  • Remember user preferences when utilizing the focused view control
  • Utilize an administrative option to specify which entities have access to the focused view
  • Set the focused view as the default landing page for all out-of-the-box or custom entities

Now, let’s explore each of these features in detail, one by one.

Set the lead entity’s default view to the focused view:

To set the lead entity’s default view as a focused view, the user needs to follow the below steps.

1) A user with administrative privileges needs to log into the CRM environment.
2) Navigate to any app that contains a Lead entity in it. (E.g. Sales Hub)
3) Navigate to Lead entity and click on “Focused View” as shown in the below image:

functionalities of Focused View

4) Then Click on three dots and open settings as highlighted in the image below:

functionalities of Focused View

5) Now, select the “Default View” option from the pop-up and enable the toggle for the Lead entity as shown below:

functionalities of Focused View

Now, you have successfully set “Focused view” as the default view for the Lead entity. You also can set it for the other three entities i.e. Opportunity, Account, and Contact by using the same procedure. By doing this user will no longer need to switch from “Read Only Grid” to “Focused View” every time while working on the records of the selected entity.

Choose multiple records:

The focused view, with its user-friendly interface and optimized functionality, offers users a powerful tool for managing records with precision and ease. In the latest release, it came up with the ability to allow users to select multiple records and perform actions on them, which were unavailable in the previous version.

To select multiple records in the focused view, the user needs to click the “Select Multiple Records” button as shown in the image below:

functionalities of Focused View

By clicking on the above button, the user will be able to select one or more records together. The below image will clarify this morefunctionalities of Focused View

Execute actions for both individual and multiple records by utilizing the command bar:

This feature allows users to execute actions on single as well as multiple records.

To select records in the focused view, the user needs to click the “Select Multiple Records” button as shown in the below image

functionalities of Focused View

By clicking on the above button, the user will able to select one or more records together as shown below:

functionalities of Focused View

Now, the user can perform various actions on the selected records by clicking on three dots available on the command bar as shown in the image below:

functionalities of Focused View

From basic tasks such as editing and deleting records to more advanced actions like assigning ownership or sharing records, the command bar equips users with the tools they need to effectively manage their data.

Remember user preferences when utilizing the focused view control:

In the ever-evolving landscape of user experience, tailoring interfaces to individual preferences has become increasingly essential. Remembering user preferences when utilizing focused view control is a cornerstone of providing a personalized and efficient user experience.

In the latest update, CRM can remember the user preferences when using the focused view control. Even if the user logs off from the CRM environment and logs back in, his preferences will remain remembered in the focused view control. Preferences may include options such as default filters, sorting criteria, displayed columns, and other interface preferences.

Utilize an administrative option to enable and default the focus view for respective entities:

This feature allows administrators to control and configure which entities within the system can utilize the focused view functionality. For some entities, such as Lead, Contact, Opportunity, and Account the focused view is already provided.

To provide access to any other OOB or custom entities administrator can follow the below steps.

1) log in to the CRM environment from administrative credentials.
2) Navigate to Advanced Settings >> Customizations

functionalities of Focused View

3) Select the Customize the System option.

functionalities of Focused View

4) Select Entity Option.

functionalities of Focused View

5) Now, select an entity to which you want to give access to a focused view. Here I am selecting a Case entity for an example.

functionalities of Focused View

6) Select Control tab >> Click on Add Control

functionalities of Focused View

7) Select Focused View control >> Add.

functionalities of Focused View

8) Then select all the options i.e. Web, Phone, and Tablet as shown in the below image for the Focused View control.

functionalities of Focused View

9) Save and publish customization.

This way administrator can give access to the Focused View to the specific entity and make it the default view as well.

Conclusion:

In this blog, we observed different functionalities and advantages of a Focused View over a Read-Only view and how we can configure it for different entities in Dynamics CRM.

Power Automate Desktop RPA - workflow automation

  In Power Automate Desktop RPA, workflow automation is just the beginning In today’s fast-paced digital world, “time is money” rings more a...