Master of Microsoft Power Platform

Course Contents:

• Power Apps – Build Custom Apps Without Code
• Power Automate – Streamline Workflows Across Apps
• Power BI – Data Visualization and Business Intelligence
• SharePoint – Collaboration and Document Management
• Power Pages – Build Secure External-Facing Websites
• Power Virtual Agents – Create AI-Powered Chatbots

Module 1: Power Apps Course Contents

Introduction to Power Apps

• What is Power Apps?
• Benefits and use cases
• Overview of Power Platform (Power BI, Power Automate, Power Apps, Power Virtual Agents)
• Power Apps types: Canvas Apps, Model-driven Apps, Portal Apps
• Setting up your Power Apps environment
• Power Apps Studio interface walkthrough

Getting Started with Canvas Apps

• Creating your first Canvas app from template and blank
• Understanding screens, controls, and layout
• Working with common controls: buttons, text inputs, labels, galleries, forms
• Data sources and connectors overview
• Connecting Power Apps to SharePoint, Excel, Dataverse, SQL Server, and others
• Managing app variables and collections

Power Apps Formulas and Functions

• Introduction to Power Fx language
• Common functions: Text, Date & Time, Logical, Math, Table, Filter, Search, Sort
• Using If, Switch, and nested conditions
• Working with context variables and global variables
• Delegation concept and limitations

Working with Data in Power Apps

• Understanding Dataverse and its architecture
• Creating and managing Dataverse tables and columns
• Working with relationships and lookups
• Integrating Power Apps with SharePoint lists
• Using CDS (Common Data Service) connectors
• Data validation techniques in forms

Advanced Canvas App Features

• Customizing app themes and styles
• Using media controls: images, audio, video
• Managing app navigation and transitions
• Using timers and animation effects
• Error handling and debugging techniques
• Implementing role-based access control

Model-Driven Apps Basics

• Introduction to Model-driven apps
• Understanding entities, views, and forms
• Business process flows and automation
• Customizing dashboards and charts
• Security roles and permissions

Power Automate Integration

• Overview of Power Automate
• Creating flows to automate tasks from Power Apps
• Triggering flows from Power Apps buttons
• Working with approvals and notifications
• Connecting Power Apps with external APIs via Power Automate

Power Apps Portals Overview

• What are Power Apps portals?
• Creating and customizing portals for external users
• Managing portal security and authentication
• Using Web APIs with portals

Testing, Publishing, and Sharing Apps

• App testing best practices
• Publishing and versioning apps
• Sharing apps with users and managing permissions
• Monitoring app usage and analytics

Free Projects for Practice

1. Employee Leave Request App
2. Expense Tracker
3. Event Registration App
4. Inventory Management System
5. Customer Feedback Portal

Module 2: Power Automate – Streamlining Workflows Across Apps

Learning Objectives:

• Understand flow architecture and build automated business processes
• Connect Microsoft 365 apps like Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, and more
• Replace manual workflows with scheduled, event-driven, or on-demand automation
• Use approvals, dynamic content, and conditional logic to create intelligent flows
• Deploy end-to-end automation solutions integrated with Excel VBA and MS Access

Topics Covered:

Getting Started with Power Automate

• Understanding cloud flows vs. desktop flows
• Accessing Power Automate from Office 365 portal
• Exploring prebuilt templates
• Navigating the Flow designer: triggers, actions, conditions
• Licensing overview: free, standard, premium connectors
• Key use cases and automation examples across departments

Types of Flows and When to Use Them

• Automated flows: trigger from events (e.g., form submitted, email received)
• Scheduled flows: run at specific intervals or times
• Instant flows: trigger manually from Power Apps, mobile, or browser button
• Desktop flows (Power Automate Desktop): automate desktop apps and legacy systems
• Business process flows (overview for structured multi-step approval or CRM logic)

Core Flow Components

• Triggers: detecting events in Outlook, SharePoint, Forms, Excel, etc.
• Actions: send email, update list, post to Teams, create files, update Excel rows
• Variables and dynamic content: creating and using data in steps
• Conditions: branching logic (If-Else, Switch, Parallel branches)
• Loops: apply to each, do until
• Expressions and functions: concat, substring, utcNow(), addDays(), etc.
• Using environment variables and connections for portability

Working with Microsoft 365 Connectors

• Outlook:
  • Auto-send replies or reminders
  • Monitor inbox for keywords
  • Save attachments to OneDrive or SharePoint
• Excel Online (Business):
  • Add rows from Forms
  • Trigger from Excel tables
  • Read data and write back dynamically
  • Create task logs
• SharePoint:
  • Trigger on item created/modified
  • Create folders/files
  • Update metadata or statuses
• Teams:
  • Post messages from a flow
  • Create channels or send notifications
• Microsoft Forms:
  • Trigger flows on form submission
  • Save responses to Excel or SharePoint
  • Send thank-you or conditional follow-up emails
• Planner:
  • Auto-create tasks from emails or form inputs
  • Update status when Excel task is marked complete

Power Automate with Excel and Access

• Automate Excel report distribution via email and Teams
• Move processed files from Excel into Access using bridge flows
• Update Access-linked SharePoint lists through a flow
• Monitor Access backend for changes (via SharePoint/OneDrive sync or connectors)

Document Automation & File Management

• Auto-generate invoices or letters from templates using Word Online (Business)
• Convert files to PDF and email or save
• Rename and organize files by naming convention or date
• Extract text from PDFs or scanned images (AI Builder – optional advanced)

Approval Workflows

• Create approval flows with Outlook or Teams
• Parallel or serial approvals
• Store responses in SharePoint or Excel
• Auto-reminders and escalation handling
• Notify status upon approval/rejection

Power Automate Desktop (Overview)

• When to use desktop automation
• Automating legacy systems or apps with no APIs
• Record mouse clicks and keyboard actions
• Interacting with Windows apps (Excel desktop, File Explorer, SAP, etc.)
• Use cases: form filling, batch printing, desktop-based data scraping

Monitoring and Error Handling

• Flow run history and troubleshooting tools
• Adding error-handling branches
• Retrying failed flows automatically
• Setting up notifications for failed or incomplete flows

Best Practices

• Naming conventions and documentation
• Using child flows and reusable templates
• Environment and connection management
• Securing flow access and data sharing
• Data loss prevention policies

Hands-On Projects:

• Automated Daily Report: Pull data from Excel table, generate a PDF, and email to team
• Leave Approval Workflow: Start from Microsoft Form, route to manager, send confirmation email
• Email-to-Task Automation: Convert flagged Outlook emails into Planner tasks and alert user in Teams
• Sales Lead Tracker: New Form submission → create SharePoint entry + notify sales team on Teams
• Invoice Processor: Save PDF invoices from email, rename, move to SharePoint folder, extract data
• Recurring Flow: Weekly extract of data from Excel → filtered summary sent to managers

Module 3: Power BI for Data Visualization

Learning Objectives:

• Develop advanced, interactive dashboards and reports for business decision-making
• Design scalable and efficient data models supporting complex business logic
• Master DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) for powerful calculations and KPIs
• Implement data refresh, security, and sharing in enterprise environments

Expanded Topics Covered:

Power BI Ecosystem and Architecture:

• Overview of Power BI Desktop, Power BI Service (cloud), Power BI Mobile
• Power BI Gateway: Connecting on-premises data sources securely to Power BI Service
• Licensing models: Free, Pro, Premium, and Embedded options

Data Connectivity and Preparation:

• Connecting to various data sources: Excel, CSV, SQL Server, Azure, SharePoint, APIs
• Using Power Query Editor for ETL tasks:
  • Data cleansing techniques (remove duplicates, replace errors, fill down/up)
  • Transformations (pivot/unpivot, merge, append, split columns)
  • Advanced M language basics for custom transformations
• Creating parameters and templates in Power Query for reusability

Data Modeling and Relationships:

• Understanding data schemas: star schema vs snowflake schema
• Creating and managing relationships between tables (one-to-many, many-to-many)
• Handling role-playing dimensions and inactive relationships
• Calculated tables and columns
• Managing data granularity and filter context

Advanced DAX (Data Analysis Expressions):

• Calculated Columns vs Measures: When and how to use each
• Common DAX functions: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNTROWS, RELATED, LOOKUPVALUE
• Filter context and row context explained with practical examples
• Time Intelligence Functions: TOTALYTD, SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR, DATEADD, PARALLELPERIOD
• Variables in DAX for optimized and readable formulas
• Using CALCULATE to modify filter context
• Creating dynamic measures with SWITCH and IF functions
• Building running totals, moving averages, and custom KPIs
• Error handling in DAX

Visualization Techniques:

• Choosing the right visual: bar, column, line, pie, scatter, tree map, waterfall, funnel
• Custom visuals: importing and managing marketplace visuals
• Using slicers and filters effectively to enhance interactivity
• Drill-down, drill-through, and tooltip pages for detailed insights
• Bookmarks and buttons for storytelling and guided navigation
• Themes and conditional formatting for better design and accessibility
• Using the Decomposition Tree visual for root cause analysis

Report Publishing and Sharing:

• Publishing reports to Power BI Service and creating Workspaces
• Data refresh strategies: scheduled refresh, incremental refresh, and on-demand refresh
• Using dataflows to centralize ETL and data prep in the cloud
• Setting up Row-Level Security (RLS) to restrict data visibility by user role
• Sharing reports and dashboards via links, apps, and embedding in SharePoint/Teams
• Exporting reports to PDF and PowerPoint for offline sharing

Performance Optimization:

• Best practices for data modeling to improve performance
• Using Aggregations and Summarization for large datasets
• Monitoring query performance and optimizing DAX calculations
• Optimizing visuals to reduce load times and improve responsiveness

Power BI Integration:

• Connecting Power BI with Excel and Power Automate for automation
• Embedding Power BI reports in Power Apps and other Microsoft 365 tools
• Introduction to Power BI REST API for advanced integration

Practical Exercises:

• Create a sales and inventory dashboard with dynamic filters and KPIs
• Build custom measures using DAX for profitability analysis
• Design drill-through reports to analyze product performance
• Implement RLS to show regional sales data only to authorized users
• Schedule data refresh for a dashboard connected to a live SQL Server database

Project:
Develop a comprehensive business intelligence dashboard integrating sales, marketing, and customer service data. Use advanced DAX calculations and interactive visuals to deliver insights on revenue trends, customer segmentation, and operational efficiency. Implement security and data refresh best practices for enterprise deployment

Module 4: SharePoint Course Contents

Introduction to SharePoint:

• What is SharePoint?
• Key features and benefits
• SharePoint Online vs On-Premises overview

SharePoint Sites and Structure:

• Understanding SharePoint sites, subsites, and site collections
• Creating and managing sites
• Site templates and usage

Document Libraries and Lists:

• Working with document libraries
• Uploading, editing, and managing documents
• Creating and customizing lists
• Using views and filters

Permissions and Security:

• Understanding SharePoint permissions and groups
• Assigning and managing access
• Sharing documents and sites securely

Web Parts and Pages:

• Creating and customizing SharePoint pages
• Using web parts effectively
• Page layout and design tips

Collaboration Features:

• Co-authoring documents
• Versioning and version history
• Alerts and notifications

Integration and Automation:

• Integrating SharePoint with Microsoft Teams and Outlook
• Introduction to Power Automate with SharePoint
• Basic workflows in SharePoint

Search and Navigation:

• Using SharePoint search efficiently
• Managing site navigation

Administration Basics:

• Site settings overview
• Managing storage and quotas
• Monitoring site usage

Practical Projects:

• Team Collaboration Site setup
• Document Management System
• Project Tracking List

Module 5: Power Pages – Building Secure, Low-Code External Websites

Introduction to Power Pages

• What is Power Pages?
• Difference between Power Pages and Power Apps Portals
• Key use cases (customer portals, partner access, community sites)
• Power Pages vs. SharePoint public sites

Getting Started

• Accessing Power Pages through the Maker Portal
• Creating a new site using templates or from blank
• Overview of the Power Pages Design Studio
• Exploring the Power Pages structure: Pages, Sections, Components

Customizing Pages and Layouts

• Using low-code components: text, images, forms, lists, and buttons
• Creating multi-page navigation and menus
• Responsive design and mobile view optimization
• Styling pages using the built-in Theme Editor

Working with Dataverse

• Connecting to Dataverse tables for form submissions
• Creating and managing Dataverse forms and views
• Managing data securely through table permissions
• Enabling data filtering and conditional visibility

Web Roles and Security

• Understanding Web Roles and Table Permissions
• Managing user authentication (Azure AD B2C, external logins)
• Setting anonymous vs. logged-in access
• Enabling multi-language support

Automation and Integration

• Triggering Power Automate flows from Power Pages forms
• Using custom JavaScript for enhanced behaviors
• Embedding Power BI dashboards or Power Apps within a page

Deployment and Monitoring

• Previewing and publishing websites
• Using the Portal Checker and diagnostics tools
• Managing environments and deployment strategies

Hands-On Projects

• Customer Support Portal – Capture service requests and track status
• Partner Registration Site – Collect partnership inquiries with workflows
• Knowledge Base Website – Display articles with categories and search
• Event Sign-Up Page – Public event registration integrated with Power Automate

Module 6: Power Virtual Agents – Build AI-Powered Chatbots Without Code

Introduction to Power Virtual Agents

• What is PVA and where does it fit in Power Platform
• Use cases: internal helpdesk, HR bot, customer service bot
• Understanding the shift to Microsoft Copilot Studio (brief overview)

Getting Started with PVA

• Accessing the PVA studio
• Creating a new chatbot: name, language, and topic setup
• Exploring the PVA interface and key components

Designing Conversations

• Creating and managing topics (trigger phrases and dialogues)
• Using message nodes, questions, conditions, and redirects
• Entity recognition and slot-filling for structured inputs
• Creating fallback messages and escalation scenarios

Integrating with Power Automate

• Calling Power Automate flows from your bot
• Passing dynamic user inputs to the flow
• Sample use cases: create ticket, send email, retrieve data

Publishing and Channels

• Preview and test bots in the authoring canvas
• Publishing bots to Microsoft Teams, Websites, Facebook, etc.
• Setting up authentication for user-specific responses
• Embedding bots on intranet or SharePoint pages

Enhancing Bot Capabilities

• Using variables to store and recall information
• Implementing conditional branching for dynamic conversations
• Working with adaptive cards in Teams for better UI
• Handoff to human agents (Omnichannel or custom setup)

Analytics and Maintenance

• Bot usage analytics: sessions, abandonment, satisfaction
• Reviewing transcripts to refine trigger phrases
• Versioning and managing changes over time

Hands-On Projects

Appointment Booking Bot – Collect and schedule appointments with automation
IT Helpdesk Bot – Answer common technical queries and open tickets
HR FAQ Bot – Provide HR policy information and leave balance lookups
Sales Inquiry Bot – Qualify leads and send inquiries to sales team