Discovery Guide

for Retail & DistributionMicrosoft PowerApps

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PowerAppsEasily build the business apps you need and extend or customise the apps you already use.

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Did you know that Excel is the most used

ERP system in the world? And there is a good

reason for it. Within Excel you can easily

maintain data and create lists or reports with

lightning speed. The disadvantage is that

it can lead to data silos, with information

appearing in multiple versions in different

formats. Data held in Excel is not easy to

exchange plus those easy to produce charts

lack the ability to drill down and generate

insights. Data security is another issue.

Secondly, with data held in silos, manual

intervention is required to move from one

stage of the process to the next. Wouldn’t it

be good if there was a way automate specific

processes in your company for which there

is currently no standard software available,

without creating new data silos? This is

where business apps can offer a solution.

Business apps are often thought of as being

complex to build, time consuming and

not easy to use. For these reasons, many

companies opt for customised applications

instead. However, layering expensive and

inflexible code on top of your standard

solution is exactly the the opposite of what

you want!

Microsoft PowerApps shows that things can

be done differently. With PowerApps you can

automate specific tasks and processes with a

simple app. Quick to build, visually attractive,

user-friendly, secure and developed

without the need for complex code or large

investments. Too good to be true? In this

guide we show you how it works!

Why Microsoft PowerApps

One of Microsoft’s key objectives

is to enable digital transformation

through the use of technology with

which is easy to do and enable

companies to remain future-proof

and agile.

Part of that digital transition is

ensuring that employees understand

and are empowered to use company

data to work better and smarter.

PowerApps supports and encourages

this.

PowerApps

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Applications are nothing more than handy

tools to help you get things done. Whether

you work on your mobile, desktop or tablet,

PowerApps connect the applications and

data that you already use, enabling you to

automate a specific task or solve a recurring

problem.

With PowerApps, you can create a user-

friendly app which automates business

processes and thereby supports your

employees to perform their daily work in

less time and with less effort.

Essentially, PowerApps can enrich and

extend the existing functionality of your

systems enabling you to get the most out of

your entire IT infrastructure. PowerApps

work like the cement between the

bricks of your different applications.

They close the gaps between the

various applications and use and

connect data from your entire

organisation.

PowerApps:what are they?

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With PowerApps you gain even more control over your end-to-end business processes.

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PowerApps are created using a simple,

visual drag-and-drop editor whilst the logic

and data processing work broadly the same

familiar way as Excel. Even without prior

experience with app development, you can

get started yourself with sample data and

templates.

PowerApps works with data from your

Dynamics 365 applications such as Sales,

Field Service and Marketing, but also

data from Office 365, SharePoint, Excel,

Mailchimp, Dropbox and so on. PowerApps

also integrates with Microsoft Flow, so that

you can generate workflows from an app,

activate them and respond to them at the

right time.

Should you opt for Canvas apps or Model-

driven apps?

There are two approaches to creating a

PowerApp, either from the User’s perspec-

tive, known as “Canvas Apps” or from the

business data and rules perspective known

as Model-driven.

• Canvas apps are created with the end-user

in mind. You start with a blank “canvas”

and click and drag the parts together that

your end-user needs. You start from the

place where the information is located,

from SharePoint or a Power BI Dashboard,

for example.

• Model-driven apps start with the Common

Data Service, based on which you then

build

the app with forms,

business rules or processes. A user-friendly

and responsive interface is generated

automatically.

How does the Microsoft Power Platform work?

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The development of an app almost

always involves data from multiple

sources. Sometimes you bring data

together in the app, but usually, it is

easier to build and the app will work

better if you bring data together in

one place in advance.

This is what the Common Data Service

for Apps does: it integrates data from

different sources so that it can be

used in PowerApps, Flow and PowerBI,

together with data that is already

available within your Dynamics 365

applications.

Common Data Service for Apps

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Dynamics 365

Common Data Service

Azure

Dataconnectors

Flow

Office 365 Mobile Apps Web Apps

Power BIPowerApps

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PowerApps integrates with Microsoft Flow, enabling you to generate workflows from the app, and activate and respond to them at the right time.

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Practical applications ofPowerApps

Are you curious about how PowerApps can work in your

organisation? The best way to get up to speed is to do a pilot app

to see how it’s done, using someone like HSO’s PowerApps team

and their fixed price offerings “App-in-day” or “App-in-a-Week”.

The following pages give you some ideas and practical examples

of how other companies are already using PowerApps to

transform their business.

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Type of business:

Pharmaceutical wholesale.

The challenge:

The Challenge: This company distributes

products to retailers and its own stores that

are subject to strict laws and regulations. To

comply with all regulations, the company

must be able to provide the correct

information for each product to sales staff

on the shop floor, in the pharmacy and to

the consumer. This includes information

such as ingredients, instructions for use,

information about side effects, batch

information and so on.

Previously this information was collected

in a customised local system, but the

information was difficult to find, control and

share.

The solution:

Based on the category of the product

taken from the ERP system, the PowerApp

determines which attributes and therefore

information is required for each product.

The information is then added and recorded

in R&D. In this way, the ERP system is

continuously enriched. This information is

then displayed on the company’s website. A

number of trusted suppliers can also enrich

the data of their products with information

in the system itself..

A PowerApp forProduct Information Management

A

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B

Type of business:

Agricultural Retailer

The challenge:

For retailers, but also for distribution

companies and manufacturers who work

with partners and suppliers, access to

supplier stocks is key to competitiveness.

The company wanted up-to-date

information on their suppliers stock levels

but did not want to hold this third-party

data in their own ERP system.

The solution:

A PowerApp that makes the data of the

partners and suppliers visible in Dynamics

365, without the data actually being located

in the system. Using this third-party data

enabled the organisation to better plan

purchasing and own deliveries, for example.

This app is also excellent for providing

insight into store stocks from, for example,

franchises, without the stores being

connected to Dynamics 365.

A PowerApp forinsight into the supply chain

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Type of business:

National retailer

The challenge:

This company struggled with the fact that

the prices of goods are often only known

after delivery to the stores. That meant that

prices had to be manually adjusted and

approved on a regular basis once delivery

had been received.

A time-consuming and error-prone process.

The company did consider customising its

existing system, but this option came up too

expensive in practice and the various steps

required in the process were to difficult to

visualise.

The solution:

A PowerApp that automatically completes

all the necessary steps for a price correction

in a user-friendly layout that guides store

employees step-by-step through the

process.

Based on the selections of a certain period

and product, the old price is adjusted to the

new one and this is immediately validated

and stored. Important control mechanisms

have been built in to prevent error.

C A PowerApp forimplementing price corrections

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D

Type of business:

Furniture manufacturer and retailer

The challenge:

To improve its products and customer

service, this company wanted to collect

as much feedback from its customers as

possible. A dedicated after-sales team

contacts customers after delivery and

invoicing to collect and compile detailed

feedback.

But how do you ensure that your calling

team has easy insight into customer data,

such as ordered and delivered product

and payment data, whilst at the same time

being able to quickly and easily process

customer input?

The solution:

A PowerApp that is embedded in Dynamics

356 for Finance and Operations. Using the

app, the after-sales team can find all the

required information in one place and are

able to make targeted contact.

The required data comes from F&O in the

first instance, and the data produced, or

customer feedback, is ultimately stored in

SharePoint. In the app, employees only see

the information they need in an efficient

and user-friendly format.

A PowerApp forCustomer reviews

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No matter how tempting it seems, you will not

re-write your business as PowerApp. You will

however find plenty of examples which could

benefit from PowerApps. You could start from

scratch and learn by doing. However, the best

way to get up to speed is to engage with HSO’s

PowerApp team to do a pilot to see how it’s

done. Learn to walk before you run, and you’ll

be up to speed in next to no time.

Contact us:

info-uk@hso.com

+44 (0)161 300 6060 PowerApps next steps

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1st Floor, Enterprise Point | Altrincham Road | Manchester | M22 9AF | T +44 (0)161 600 3030 | info-uk@hso.com

HSO has been a Microsoft Solution Integrator since 1989. As a fully mature and successful IT company, HSO currently employs 700 people and maintains a globalpresence with locations in Europe, North America and Asia. HSO supports local and international companies in retail, wholesale, industry, and technical and professional

services, bringing real added value to their businesses through digital technology. This support is built on a foundation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM & ERP), Microsoft365, and Data & AI. HSO delivers the necessary services to implement, optimise and manage these leading cloud solutions, globally, 24/7. HSO is also a member of

the Microsoft Dynamics Inner Circle and is the proud bearer of the title ‘Most Customer-Oriented Microsoft Partner’. You can find more information about HSO on http://www.hso.com/ or viaTwitter @HSO_Tweets.

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