First, it is essential to understand what cloud flows and business process flows are. Cloud flows are pivotal in creating automated processes and tasks to save time and resources. They are designed to perform actions in response to certain triggers, making them ideal for automating repetitive tasks.
On the other hand, business process flows guide users through stages and steps needed to complete a business process. They help ensure users enter data consistently and follow the same process each time they interact with a customer.
Adding a Cloud Flow Step to a Business Process Flow (BPF)
- To begin, navigate to the Power Apps at https://make.powerapps.com/ and select the appropriate environment.
- Inside the Power Apps Studio, under the ‘Data’ section, select ‘Tables’.
- Choose the table you intend to create the business process flow, then click ‘Business Process Flow’ from the command bar.
- Once on the designer page, fill in the necessary information such as ‘Name’, ‘Description’, and ‘Entity’ (which should be the table you chose earlier).
- After creating the business process flow, add stages and steps as needed. Steps are the actions a user should take within a stage.
- Now, onto adding a cloud flow. Under the ‘Add Step’ dropdown, choose ‘Flow Step’.
- Then, click on ‘+ Add Flow’. This will prompt you to either create a new cloud flow or use an existing one. If you decide to create a new one, the cloud flow designer window will open, allowing you to design the cloud flow.
Cloud Flow Integration
The cloud flow you create or use should align with the business process you are building. If the flow needs to send an email notification once a deal is closed, then the flow configuration should correspond. Once you’re done setting up the flow, remember to save and validate it.
Finishing Up
After setting up the flow, save and close the flow designer. You’ll then be redirected back to the Business Process Flow. The new cloud flow will now be part of the business process steps. Again, remember to save and close the business process flow.
Debugging and Testing
Before deploying, debug and test the process to ensure it functions correctly. Use the Power Platform ‘Test’ feature to guide you through the steps of the BPF visually. At the flow step, click on ‘Run Flow’ to confirm if the flow performs the expected operations.
In conclusion, adding a cloud flow step to a business process flow not only automates but also enhances the business process. This is a key skill that candidates preparing for the Microsoft Power Platform Developer (PL-400) should be proficient in. The ability to integrate cloud flows and business process flows is critical in crafting robust, efficient, and automated business solutions with Microsoft Power Platform.
Practice Test
True/False: In Power Platform, it’s possible to add a cloud flow as a stage in a business process flow.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Business process flows in Power Platform include the flexibility to incorporate cloud flows at any stage, which can help automate and enhance processes.
Multiple Select: What are some of the requirements to include a cloud flow in a business process flow?
- a) The business process flow must have at least one stage.
- b) The cloud flow must have been triggered manually.
- c) The cloud flow should use a trigger that supports business process flows.
- d) The cloud flow must be created on the same environment as the business process flow.
Answer: a, c, d
Explanation: The cloud flow must use a trigger supporting business process flows. Moreover, both the flow and the process flow should be in the same environment. It’s not necessary for the flow to be triggered manually.
True/False: You can use any trigger to start a cloud flow in a business process flow.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Not all triggers are suitable for cloud flows within business process flows. The trigger should specifically support business process flows.
Single Select: Can you directly choose an existing cloud flow from the business process flow designer?
- a) Yes
- b) No
Answer: a
Explanation: In the Power Platform, the users can directly select existing cloud flows within the business process flow designer.
Multiple Select: What are the available options to run a cloud flow step in a business process flow?
- a) On demand
- b) As part of a stage
- c) Automate when a record enters a stage
- d) Automate when a record leaves a stage
Answer: b, c, d
Explanation: The cloud flow step can be run when a stage is entered, when a record moves to a different stage, or simply as part of the flow stage. Running on demand is not an available option.
True/False: You cannot control when a cloud flow step should be executed in a business process flow.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You have control over when a cloud flow step is executed. It can be when a stage starts, ends, or as part of a flow stage.
Single Select: What trigger should be used for creating flows to be used in business process flows?
- a) When a record is selected
- b) When a record is updated
- c) When a Flow step is executed
- d) On-demand trigger
Answer: c
Explanation: The trigger ‘When a Flow step is executed’ is used to support cloud flows in business process flows.
True/False: While adding a cloud flow step, you can select or create an instant cloud flow.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: You can select an existing flow or create a new instant cloud flow that starts with the trigger ‘When a Flow step is executed’.
Multiple Select: What are the possible results of the cloud flow step execution?
- a) Success
- b) Failure
- c) Timeout
- d) Cancel
Answer: a, b, c
Explanation: The flow step execution can result in success, failure, or timeout. There’s no ‘cancel’ option for flow step execution.
True/False: Once added, a cloud flow step can’t be edited in a business process flow.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The cloud flow step, once added, can be edited or configured according to the requirements of the business process flow.
Multiple Select: What built-in environments are available for cloud flows in Power Platform?
- a) Default
- b) Sandbox
- c) Production
- d) Development
Answer: a, b, c
Explanation: Power Platform provides three built-in environments for cloud flows – Default, Sandbox, and Production. Development is not one of them.
True/False: Cloud flows are asynchronous processes that run in the background.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Cloud flows operate as asynchronous processes, meaning they proceed in the background and don’t require immediate attention from the user.
Single Select: Are there any additional costs associated with adding and running cloud flows in a business process flow?
- a) Yes
- b) No
Answer: a
Explanation: Yes, there may be additional costs related to license and capacity requirements for running cloud flows in a business process flow.
True/False: You can’t use dynamic content from previous business process flow stages into the cloud flow step.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can use dynamic content from previous business process flow stages in your cloud flow step, providing enhanced flexibility and connectivity in your workflow.
Single Select: The primary function of a cloud flow within a business process flow is to:
- a) Automate a business process
- b) Create a business process
- c) Approve a business process
- d) Delete a business process
Answer: a
Explanation: The key function of a cloud flow in a business process flow is to automate specific parts or the entirety of that business process.
Interview Questions
How can a cloud flow step be added to a business process flow in Microsoft Power Platform?
Start by navigating to the business process flow where you want to add the cloud flow. Then, in the business process flow designer, select “+ Add” > “Flow step”. You can add an action input or output for the cloud flow and select the entity field to bind with the input or output.
What types of data sources can you pull from to add a cloud flow to a business process flow?
You can pull data from either Power Apps or Dynamics 365 for the purpose of adding a cloud flow step to a business process flow.
What is the main purpose of adding a flow step to a business process flow?
Adding a flow step to business process flow helps in automating certain tasks and actions using the Power Automate capabilities. It allows to include complex actions that are not possible without using cloud flows and can also help to shape the process flow based on the results of the flow.
Can a cloud flow step be used to modify or manipulate the data within the business process flow?
Yes, cloud flows can not only be used to retrieve data but also to modify, update, or otherwise manipulate data within the business process flow.
Can a flow step be sequenced in a business flow?
Yes, a flow step can be placed at any point within a business flow sequence. You just need to drag and drop the flow step where you want it to execute.
Can you add multiple cloud flows to a single business process flow?
Yes, it is possible to add multiple cloud flow steps to a single business process flow.
Can users interact with the flow steps in the business process?
Yes, users can interact with the flow steps, but this depends on the specific actions defined in the flow. The cloud flow can be configured to wait for the user action on an App or continue automatically.
Are there any prerequisites for linking a cloud flow to a business process flow?
Both the business process flow and the cloud flow need to be in an activated state for linking them together.
Can I add cloud flows to existing business process flows?
Yes, cloud flows can be added to existing business process flows using the business process flow designer.
How can you test a flow step in a business process flow?
After adding a flow step to the business flow, you can save and then activate the business process flow. You can then run the business process to test the flow step actions.
Can I undo or delete a flow step from a business process flow?
Yes, a flow step can be removed from a business process flow by selecting it and then clicking the delete button in the designer.
Can external systems be accessed or influenced within a cloud flow step?
Yes, you can use connectors available within Power Automate to access or influence data in external systems during the execution of a cloud flow step.
What type of cloud flows can be added as flow steps to business process flows?
Only the cloud flows created from solutions can be added as a flow step to the business process flow.
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