We recently had a need to perform an online form submission and we wanted to schedule it to be submitted every day. 

So, being all things Power Platform, we immediately thought this was a perfect opportunity to use an UI Flow. UI Flow is Microsoft’s user-friendly tool to automate user input on websites or even desktop applications. The steps to get up and running were simple: we installed the UI Flow application, a web browser extension, hit the record button and performed the steps to accomplish our task.  

As we wanted the task to be done outside office hours, we followed Microsoft’s instructions and set up a cloud hosted virtual machine that allows the flow to run unattended. The UI Flow runs from Power Automate (Microsoft’s sophisticated workflow engine).  In order to save cloud hosting costs, this flow was configured to turn on the virtual machine at a scheduled time, perform the automated task, and then turn off the machine afterwards. 

The turning on and off of the machines made it strike home to me that there is something for everyone in the Power Platform – there is a subset of connectors such as the Azure Automation for the technical staff and sets of tools for the less technically minded that can be used for performing actions triggered off emails coming into your inbox. 

If you would like more of an introduction, get in touch and we will be pleased to help. 

If you have any specific questions, feel free to comment below. 


Paul Le Herissier

Written By: Paul Le Herissier

Paul is a team leader and experienced developer who wants to use his broad skill set to create value for your business. In the last 2 years he has specialised in Powerapps Portals which builds on top of his existing Dynamics 365, software development, systems integration and database skills.

Similar Stories


Insights

Fast guide: Mastering the Connections Table in Dataverse & Dynamics 365

When paired with the Dataverse and Dynamics 365 platform, Connections can be used to unlock the power of data relationships. Here, we reveal the many benefits of using Connections in... Read More

Insights

ChatGPT & Dynamics: How businesses can use this new power duo to improve customer service

Once the stuff of sci-fi films and the subject of much speculation, artificial intelligence is emerging in our work and personal lives at a rapidly-increasing rate. We’re talking chatbots, e-payments,... Read More

Insights

A day in the life of…our Microsoft Dynamics 365 developer, Zach

We’re fortunate to have some of the best software and business solutions talent in our team. In this Q&A blog series, we’re giving you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of who our... Read More