Construction Efficiency with Microsoft Power Platform

How can the Microsoft Power Platform make work more efficient and enjoyable in the construction industry?

Colleagues scribbling on paper forms at the construction site, only to later input this data into the ERP system. Financial personnel dedicating hours to compile a single report. These are just a couple of instances of time-intensive processes and activities that, often unbeknownst to many, eat into your productivity.

Imagine how much simpler it would be if these tasks were digitised with convenient apps and automated workflows. You might think that app development is time-consuming and costly. But what if creating these digital tools quickly and without breaking the bank was possible?

Microsoft Power Platform: customised solutions for construction

The Microsoft Power Platform enables our specialists to create applications, workflows, and dashboards rapidly and effortlessly by leveraging data from various Microsoft applications and other software programs. As a low-code development platform, the Power Platform requires minimal coding to construct a wide range of practical applications.

It integrates data from Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft 365, and numerous other sources through Power BI, Power Apps, and Power Automate into a cohesive ecosystem.

Essential Power Tools for Construction: Your At-a-Glance Guide

What does the Microsoft Power Platform consist of? Let’s dive into a concise breakdown of each part and see how they can transform your business processes:

• Power Apps: Using Power Apps, you can build convenient applications for tasks like digital leave registration, material requests at construction sites, booking flexible office spaces, or processing expense claims. When these apps are connected to your ERP software, data can be effortlessly enriched and made accessible, bypassing the need for colleagues to log into the ERP system directly.  Want to know more about Power Apps? Read it in this blog. 
• Power Automate: Power Automate streamlines repetitive and mundane yet critical routine tasks. Consider the daily routine of receiving an Excel file by email, which you must then download and upload to a designated SharePoint site—a task that involves several steps. Power Automate can completely automate this process, freeing your colleagues to focus on more meaningful work. This not only boosts employee satisfaction but also positively impacts customer experiences.
• Power BI: A visual often conveys information more effectively than extensive text. Visualising data allows you to quickly create and share custom dashboards with your colleagues, equipping your team with the insights necessary for informed, data-driven decision-making. For instance, you might create a dashboard displaying supplier metrics. Such procurement reports can offer immediate clarity on quantities, discounts, and the flow of goods. Moreover, these dashboards can predict stock shortages, ensuring timely purchasing and avoiding costly delays. Want to know more about the possibilities of Power BI for the construction industry? Then check out this blog, where we discuss three useful reports.
• Power Virtual Agents:  Power Virtual Agents empower you to construct intelligent chatbots with minimal coding. Embed these chatbots into your website to address common inquiries about your services or incorporate them into a Teams channel to assist colleagues with queries regarding their employment terms. Utilising chatbots for routine questions frees up your team to tackle more complex issues, enhancing customer and colleague support.
• Power Pages:  Power Pages, the newest member of the Power Platform family, evolved from the portal capabilities within Power Apps. This tool lets you rapidly—and with minimal coding—create secure business websites. These sites can be populated with data from your ERP or CRM systems. An example of a use case could be setting up a dedicated website to inform residents about an infrastructure project in their area. You can provide a timeline, employ a chatbot to respond to common queries about the project or include a feature for residents to report any disturbances.

Don’t delay in harnessing the capabilities of the Microsoft Power Platform for your construction needs.

Are you interested in exploring the capabilities of the Microsoft Power Platform for your construction company? Our whitepaper, “Working Smarter in Construction” details how to use the Power Platform to streamline your business processes.

Don’t hesitate—begin your journey towards a resilient digital workplace today and explore the potential of the Microsoft Power Platform for the construction industry.

DOWNLOAD WHITEPAPER