TIDBITS on the Microsoft Power Platform

One Why | Model Driven Apps | Configurable Role Based Entitlement Security | Who gets to access What

1) Business Unit Hierarchy | The ability to divide the data into isolated silos with bridges of controlled access aligned to the defined.(Security + Performance)

2) Out of the Box Entities | The configuration of entity permissions when the entity is doing backend functionality for the system and not something such as Account, Contact....

3) Management Hierarchy | The ability to give permissions to a manager based on the permissions and data and functions that their child team member has access to.

4) Field Level Security | The ability to mask, encrypt and control who can see a specific field within an entity

5) Entity Security | The ability to control who can Create, Update, Read, Delete, Append, Append to and Share specific out of the box entities or custom entities by Organization, Business Unit, Business Unit Hierarchy or User Ownership. 

6) Flow Context | The ability to control what permissions a flow runs under, either Contextual User or a Defined User such as a system account.

AND there is more so when considering "Building Your Own", consider if you want to recreate the concept of Role Based Entitlement 

  

Five benefits of working remote

Five benefits of working remote

1) You can keep a cat on your desk. Make a place  for them to sleep so they don't sleep on your keyboard. 

2) You can create your own breaks, just like someone coming to your desk and asking a question. A mental shift for a few minutes. This can be a quick walk, taking out the trash, washing a few dishes. changing the laundry (points with the spouses), taking the dog for a quick walk, checking on the garden and dead heading a few flowers. etc. 

3) You can setup a quick place that might be different from your home "desk". A card table can create an entirely different working experience. 

4) You can Change chairs. If you were walking or standing all day I would mention changing shoes at lunch. It is the same concept. It shifts your alignment and changes the muscles you use. We don't get this chance in the office. 

5) If you are in a meeting that makes it easy to stand (no visual presentation), stand during the meeting. Pace, no one is watching and the blood flow can add to the conversation.

What is a Power App?

For those who are familiar with the world of Microsoft Dynamics 365 WELL

Sales is a Power App (Model)

Customer Service is a Power App (Model)

Field Service is a Power App (Model)

Connected Field Service is a Power App (Model)

Marketing is a Power App (Model)

Talent is a Power App (Model)

Portal is a Power App (Portal)

I have also been writing a few little apps or using a few little Canvas apps 

1) A Training Resources App (Canvas) running in Teams that allows a member of a team to quickly enter a Description, a URL and a Why it Matters, that they want to share.

2) A Scavenger Hunt Networking App (Canvas) that allows the user to post networking meetings and indicate a "find" in the person they are networking with. This is also running in teams and was created by the incredible Joy Kirkwood. 

3) An app to capture vacation/out of office that stores it's information on a shared Sharepoint calendar, but it runs in teams so it is easy to update. 

and there are thousands more ! Fun Times 

In this world of many choices, some times some choices are slightly better than others. Needless to say releases continue to be released.

In this world of many choices, some times some choices are slightly better than others. Needless to say releases continue to be released. 

Take for instance the difference between an Excel Workbook and a Power App. 

More than likely Excel will meet some of the needs. There have certainly been many companies that have used Excel to solve many problems, because it was the tool available. The same applies to cutting down a tree. You can cut down a tree with an Axe or a Saw, but if you have to cut trees every day then you might want a chainsaw. 

Learning to use that chainsaw might be harder than learning to use a saw, but it is worth it. 

Power Apps give more and there are different levels of learning and different levels of delivery. 

A "Canvas" Power App, potentially a lower learning curve, but a great fit for the person who might just use Excel to solve a problem. A Canvas App can even be an App using data in Excel.  

A "Model" Power  App, higher learning curve, but meets the needs that can take months and months of green field development. What custom developer wants to build Role Based Entitlement and Complex security? 

A "Portal" Power App, a model app PLUS portal offering both the complexity meeting needs that model delivers and the SEXY user interface that users crave. 

The key in the world of the Power Platform and the key to any technology is to understand what comes with the offering and what it was designed for and where the gaps are that the developers continue to refine. 

The Power Platform might be new to you, but it is not new. The offering includes a variety of maturity layers and is no longer just a sparkle. It is the new agile, it is the platform to deliver empowerment and solutions at the speed that is needed for today.

 

Branding

I have long been known as the CRMLady in the communities and industry since 2005, but over the last couple of years, as my skills have continued to build, I have been debating how to shed the old "CRM" terminology. I have shed it from my conversations and from my postings and have had many an Enterprise debate on the concept, for we have long ago gone past only relationship management in our tools. 

We now have predictive analysis and interactive technologies and remote assist and engagements far beyond a database of linked information. 

It is not that "Relationship" management is not important. It is just important today as it was 40 years ago when people either used Index cards, or Mainframe databases, but there is so much more.

I finally have come to the conclusion that my new branding will be #TechLadyinEnterprise. This allows me to continue to embrace the entire Microsoft Stack of awesome while also continuing with the heartbeat of awesome in my Power Platform journey. 

Patterns, Patterns and more Patterns

What happens when you work on many projects using the same platform? You start to see the patterns and you can anticipate many of the questions. We still keep an open mind, we still continue to learn, but learning on a base of experience and knowledge is a little different. 

We can't underestimate the incredible gift that experience brings to a project and we want to make sure that in these crazy times we don't loose this perspective.

We can train, we can certify, we can share, but first hand experience is hard to explain and is hard to teach.

 

1 TB Drive for < 100 Dollars, Wow

Well it took 10 years longer than we all anticipated, BUT you can now purchase a 1 Terabyte Solid State Drive for less than 100 dollars.