When specialist departments digitalise their own processes
Microsoft Power Apps is the low-code development platform of the Microsoft Power Platform - a tool that companies can use to develop customised business apps without the need for in-depth programming knowledge. Specialist departments use it to digitalise processes that are too specific for standard software and too complex for IT development projects: Inspection forms for field service, authorisation workflows for human resources, quality checklists for production or stock records in the warehouse - developed in days instead of months, usable on any device.
Power Apps is part of the Microsoft Power Platform and is deeply integrated into Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, Azure and over 1,000 other data sources. Apps are based on the same data that is already in ERP, CRM or SharePoint - without redundant data storage, without manual synchronisation and without media disruptions between systems.
Power Apps distinguishes between three basic types. Canvas apps offer maximum design freedom: layout, navigation and interface are freely designed, and data can be flexibly linked to any source. Model-driven apps are based on Microsoft Dataverse and are suitable for data-intensive processes with complex business logic - structured, role-based and designed for enterprise scenarios. Power Pages enable external web portals via which partners, customers or suppliers can access defined data and processes.
Copilot is firmly integrated into Power Apps: Developers describe an app in natural language and Copilot generates the basic structure, fields and data connections. Existing apps are customised and expanded by voice input. End users also benefit: They ask questions in natural language, navigate through data and receive summaries directly in the app, without knowledge of the database structure.
Power Apps is not a pure citizen development platform. The low-code front end enables specialist departments to develop their own solutions quickly. The per-code extensibility via Azure Functions, Custom Connectors, PCF components and JavaScript enables professional developers to create complex enterprise solutions on the same platform. collana develops Power Apps for both scenarios: from fast departmental apps to complete enterprise applications based on Dataverse.
Power Apps replaces paper lists, Excel forms and email chains in the field with structured, mobile apps. Service technicians record orders, signatures and photos directly in the field. Sales staff document customer visits and synchronise data in real time with Dynamics 365. Inspectors fill out checklists on the tablet - offline when there is no connection, and synchronise automatically the next time they access the network.
Holiday requests, order approvals, investment enquiries and travel expense reports, which today are coordinated by email or in Excel, become structured, traceable workflows in Power Apps. Applicants see the status of their requests in real time. Approvers receive push notifications. All steps are documented and audit-proof. Integration with Power Automate ensures that approvals automatically trigger follow-up processes.
Relevant for: All industries, especially Wholesale & Foreign Trade, Healthcare, NPOs & associations, Authorities & public sector
In production, the food sector and regulated industries, Power Apps replace paper-based quality inspections with digital checklists with mandatory fields, photo documentation and automatic forwarding in the event of deviations. Inspection results flow directly into Dynamics 365 Supply Chain or into dedicated Dataverse tables. Traceability and proof of compliance are generated automatically.
Relevant for: Food industry, process industry, Production & Manufacturing, Healthcare
Power Apps is the native extension platform for Dynamics 365. Processes that cannot be mapped in the standard ERP are realised as Power Apps: individual input forms, industry-specific dashboards, mobile warehouse management apps or customer portal solutions that access Dynamics data. collana develops Power Apps extensions for Business Central, Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain - customised to the respective company requirements.
Relevant for: All Dynamics 365 customers, in particular Production & Manufacturing, Wholesale & Foreign Trade, Food industry
Employee onboarding, training records, IT enquiries, room reservations and internal resource management are typical processes that are now carried out in Excel or by email and are structured, transparent and automated with Power Apps. Integration with Microsoft 365 and Teams makes these apps a natural part of everyday working life.
Relevant for: All industries, especially NPOs & associations, Authorities & public sector, Healthcare, Telecommunications & IT
Power Pages are used to create external web portals that customers can use to check order status, make service requests or upload documents - all based on data that is already stored in Dynamics 365 or Dataverse. Supplier portals for quality documentation, partner portals for joint project work or customer portals for self-service processes are typical Power Pages scenarios.
Not because they have more developers. But because their specialist departments can get to grips with it themselves. Introducing Microsoft Power Apps gives the company a tool to digitise processes that are too specific for standard software and have been waiting too long for IT resources. The following companies have taken this step with collana and show what is possible.
In most companies today, there are dozens of processes that run in Excel spreadsheets, email chains or on paper. They work somehow - until the volume increases, someone forgets to forward an email or an Excel file is corrupted. These are not peripheral problems. They are structural digitalisation gaps that cost working time and produce errors every day.
Power Apps closes these gaps without triggering major IT projects. The first step is to identify the most urgent process: Which manual process costs the most time? Where do the most errors occur? Where is transparency lacking? The answer leads to the first Power Apps use case - developed in a structured workshop and productive in just a few weeks.
For companies already using Dynamics 365 or Microsoft 365, Power Apps is the most direct way to add customised applications to the existing infrastructure. Data that is already in the ERP can be used in mobile apps. Processes that were previously coordinated manually between systems are automated. And departments that previously had to wait for IT resources can develop simpler apps independently.
Power Apps is simple enough for business departments - and complex enough that it needs an experienced partner when it comes to enterprise architecture, dataverse modelling, ERP integration and scalable governance. collana develops Power Apps on both levels: fast departmental apps that are created in days and complete enterprise applications that are integrated into the Dynamics 365 world.
collana is a six-time certified Microsoft Solutions Partner and fulfils the requirements in several areas of expertise: Business Applications, Data & AI, Digital & App Innovation, Infrastructure, Security and Modern Work. These certifications are not an end in themselves. They prove that we not only know the Microsoft platform, but that we have mastered it at enterprise level and are continuously developing it further.
What distinguishes collana from a pure low-code service provider is its understanding of the processes behind the apps. A good power app does not start with the tool, but with a precise analysis of the process that it is supposed to digitalise. What data is recorded where? Which authorisation logic applies? Which follow-up processes are triggered? collana brings this understanding of processes from years of work in ERP and digitalisation projects.
collana not only supports companies right up to the first app. The aim is a long-term partnership: from the initial use case identification to app development and rollout through to company-wide power platform governance. More than 1,000 customers in Germany, Switzerland and other European markets rely on this collaboration.
Not every company knows immediately which process is the right first power apps use case. The collana digitalisation check quickly provides clarity: Where is the greatest manual effort required? Which processes are ready for Power Apps? And what is a realistic implementation sequence?
Microsoft Power Apps is a low-code development platform that enables companies to develop customised business apps without in-depth programming knowledge. Apps connect to data sources such as Dynamics 365, SharePoint, SQL databases or Excel and run on any device - browser, iOS, Android, Windows. Typical use cases include mobile field service apps, digital approval processes, quality checklists, ERP extensions and internal administration tools.
Power Apps creates the user interface: interactive apps that employees use to enter, display and edit data. Power Automate automates the processes behind it: Sending notifications, transferring data between systems, forwarding approvals, triggering actions. The two work closely together: A Power App enters an application, Power Automate automatically forwards it for approval and then updates the ERP. In practice, Power Apps and Power Automate are almost always used together.
Canvas apps offer maximum design freedom: layout, navigation and design are freely defined and data can be linked to any source. They are suitable for customised interfaces and specific processes. Model-driven apps are based on Microsoft Dataverse and are automatically structured around the underlying data models. They are suitable for more complex, data-intensive processes with business rules, forms and views and scale better for company-wide rollouts.
Power Apps is available in various licence models. For companies with Microsoft 365 or Dynamics 365 licences, basic Power Apps functions are often already included. The Power Apps Premium Plan (formerly Per User Plan) offers full access to all features including Dataverse and Premium Connectors for a monthly price per user. There is also a pay-as-you-go plan where only active usage is billed. The actual costs depend on the licence model, the number of users and the connectors used. collana advises on licence optimisation.
Yes, Power Apps has over 1,000 ready-made connectors, including SAP, Salesforce, Google Sheets, Oracle, ServiceNow and many more. Custom connectors can be used to integrate your own REST APIs and database connections. Power Apps is therefore not a purely Microsoft-internal platform, but a universal integration layer that is based on existing system landscapes.
Power Apps is explicitly designed for companies of all sizes and is particularly effective in SMEs, where the proportion of manual, Excel-based or paper-based processes is often particularly high. No dedicated development team required, no lengthy project preparation - an initial use case can be productively implemented in just a few weeks. For companies that already use Dynamics 365 or Microsoft 365, Power Apps is the most direct route to customised extensions.
This depends on the complexity and integration requirements. A simple canvas app for a clearly defined process - for example a digital checklist or a field service form - is created in a few days to two weeks. A model-driven business application with a Dataverse data model, approval workflows and ERP integration takes correspondingly longer. The right start is usually a concrete use case analysis before the development effort is estimated.