Microsoft Power Automate is a service that helps create automated workflows between multiple apps and services. It allows users to establish approvals, which are a way to manage decisions from key stakeholders in an organization. This article will delve into how to create approvals and monitor the approval process using Power Automate and Microsoft Teams.
How to Create Approvals in Power Automate
Follow these steps to create approvals:
- Start with creating a new flow from a blank template: Navigate to ‘My flows’ in Power Automate, then click on ‘+ New’ and select ‘Instant- from blank’ option. Provide a name to your flow and select “Manually trigger a flow” as your trigger.
- Add an approval action: Click on ‘New Step’ and look for ‘Start and wait for an approval’ and then select it.
- Configure your approval: Here, specify details such as approval type, title, assigned to (approver’s email address), details, item link, and item link description.
Monitoring the Approval Process
After creating the approval, the next step is to monitor the approval process. For this, Teams can be leveraged to receive notifications and make approvals directly.
- Send a message to Teams notifying about the approval request: You need to add another action once the approval step is created. Search for ‘Teams’ and select ‘Post a message’ action. Fill in all the necessary details such as Team, Channel, and Message.
- Utilize the Approvals app in Teams: Microsoft Teams has an integrated Approvals app. This app provides an overview of all approval requests, allowing users to manage, share, and act on them directly from Teams.
Example
Let’s consider an example where a flow is created to manage approval of a purchase order.
The ‘Start and wait for an approval’ action is configured as follows:
- Approval type: Everyone must approve
- Title: Purchase Order Approval
- Assigned to: JohnDoe@example.com
- Details: Order details
- Item link: Link to the purchase order document
- Item link description: Link to the document needing approval
The ‘Post a message’ to Teams action is configured as follows:
- Team: Purchase Team
- Channel: Purchase Approval Channel
- Message: New purchase order requiring your approval.
With this configuration, any new purchase order will trigger this flow. John Doe will receive an approval request that he can either approve or reject. At the same, a message will be posted in the specified Teams channel notifying the team of the new approval request.
Conclusion
Power Automate provides robust capabilities to automate the approval process in a business. When integrated with Teams, the process becomes more efficient as approvals can be managed and monitored centrally. This enhances productivity and ensures that crucial business decisions are made quickly and efficiently. As a Power Platform App Maker, understanding how to leverage these tools in your applications can significantly enhance their value. Remember always to use the correct actions and triggers as per the business requirements when configuring your flows.
Further Reading
To grapple further understandings on this topic, readers are advised to visit the official Microsoft Power Platform documentation to explore more details about using Power Automate and Teams for creating and managing approvals.
Practice Test
True or False: You can create approvals in Power Automate.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power Automate does allow users to design and implement approval workflows which makes the approval process more streamlined and organized.
True or False: You can monitor the approval process in Teams.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Teams allows you to track and manage the approval processes that have been set up in Power Automate.
Which action could be performed using Power Automate?
- A. Create approvals
- B. Amend approvals
- C. Monitor the approval process
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Power Automate can be used to create and amend approvals, as well as to monitor the approval process.
Which of these is not a feature of Power Automate?
- A. Automated workflow creation
- B. Approval process creation
- C. Integrated video conferencing
- D. Task automation
Answer: C. Integrated video conferencing
Explanation: While Power Automate does offer automation capabilities including workflow and approval process creation, it does not offer video conferencing features.
True or False: Teams can be integrated with Power Automate to streamline approval processes.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Teams can indeed be integrated with Power Automate to streamline approval processes and improve overall operational efficiency.
What is the purpose of using Power Automate and Teams together?
- A. To automate repetitive tasks
- B. To create and manage approvals
- C. To monitor approval processes
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: The combination of Power Automate and Teams allows for the automation of repetitive tasks, creation and management of approvals, and monitoring approval processes.
True or False: Power Automate can only run on Microsoft platforms.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Power Automate is a cloud-based service so it can be run on any platform that has an internet connection.
Which of these can you not do with Power Automate?
- A. Create customized workflows
- B. Automate repetitive tasks
- C. Voice chat with teams
- D. Create and manage approvals
Answer: C. Voice chat with teams
Explanation: While Power Automate has many functional capabilities, it does not have voice chat features.
True or False: The approval process within Power Automate requires coding knowledge.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Power Automate is user-friendly and does not require users to have coding knowledge to create and manage approvals.
Can you create conditional approvals in Power Automate?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: A. Yes
Explanation: Power Automate allows you to create and configure conditional approvals based on certain criteria or conditions.
True or False: Teams can display Power Automate approval notifications.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Teams can indeed display Power Automate approval notifications, making it easier to keep track of approval processes.
What happens if an approval request is rejected in Power Automate?
- A. The workflow is terminated
- B. The workflow is paused
- C. A new approval request is sent
- D. None of the above
Answer: A. The workflow is terminated
Explanation: If an approval request is rejected in Power Automate, the workflow is terminated.
True or False: Multiple approvers can be set for an approval process in Power Automate.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power Automate allows for multiple approvers to be set for an approval process, adding an extra layer of validation if required.
Can you track the status of approvals in Power Automate?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: A. Yes
Explanation: Power Automate allows you to track the status of approvals, providing transparency and visibility into the approval process.
True or False: You can use Power Automate to automate document approval in Teams.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power Automate can be utilized to automate document approvals within Teams, making document management more efficient.
Interview Questions
What is Power Automate in the context of Microsoft Power Platform?
Power Automate is a service provided by Microsoft which helps in creating automated workflows between your favorite apps and services to synchronize files, get notifications, collect data, and more.
How does Power Automate contribute to the creation of approvals and monitoring process in Teams?
Power Automate can be used to create an approval process directly from Teams. You can create an automated flow that sends an approval request to a manager or team lead when a task is created in Teams. The flow can monitor the approval process and update the status in Teams based on the response.
What are the main steps to create an approval process using Power Automate?
The main steps involve creating a trigger, defining the approval action, adding the approver’s information, detailing the request, and defining actions based on the outcomes – approved, rejected.
How can we monitor the approval process in Power Automate?
The approval process can be monitored via the Approvals center in Power Automate or through Teams. You can see the progress, comments, and outcome of all approval requests that you’ve sent or received.
Can multiple people be involved in the approval process through Power Automate?
Yes, Power Automate allows multiple people to participate in an approval process through its “Start and wait for an approval” action, where you can specify one or more approvers.
What endpoints do we use to integrate Power Automate with Teams?
We use the Microsoft Teams connector in Power Automate to create flows for Teams. The connector offers operations such as send a message, create a channel, etc.
How can you prepare an approval request to be sent to multiple recipients in Power Automate?
You can prepare an approval request for multiple recipients by specifying their email addresses separated by semicolons in the Assigned To field on the Start and Wait for an approval card.
Can you create an automated flow to monitor the approval requests?
Yes, with Power Automate, you can create an automated flow to track the progress, comments, and responses of the approval processes. You can also send regular updates to the stakeholders through integration with Teams.
What actions can be performed through the ‘Approvals’ tab in Teams?
Through the ‘Approvals’ tab in Teams, users can create new approval requests, view and respond to received requests, and track the history and status of all their requests.
Is it possible to use conditionals when setting up approvals in Power Automate?
Yes, it is possible. Using conditionals allows different actions to occur based on whether the approval request was approved or rejected. This may involve using the ‘Condition’ control and the ‘Outcome’ variable from the approval action.
What happens if an approval request is not responded to in Power Automate?
If an approval request is not responded to, the flow will remain in a running state until it’s responded to or until the run duration limit is met.
How can you add more details to an approval request in Power Automate?
You can add more details to an approval request in Power Automate by using the ‘Details’ field in the ‘Start and wait for an approval’ card. You can include links, user mentions, and more.
Can comments be added to the approval requests in Power Automate?
Yes, comments can be added both by the person who initiates the approval request and by the persons who responds to it. The comments can help provide extra context to the request or the decision.
Are the actions and outcomes of the approvals stored anywhere in Power Automate?
Yes, the approvals center in Power Automate stores the details of all approval requests, including the status, progress, responses, and any comments made.
How can a user reply to an approval request in Teams?
An approval request can be responded to directly from the chat in Teams, or from the ‘Approvals’ tab where the user can view, manage, and respond to all their approval requests.
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