Transforming Sales Approvals with Power Platform

Challange:

The customer was using a legacy InfoPath-based solution to manage customer onboarding and sales approval workflows across 10 countries in the APAC region. With InfoPath approaching its end-of-life in 2026 and the workflows becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and customize with changing business needs, the customer needed a replacement solution that introduced no new licensing costs.

The challenge was further compounded by the complexity of their operations:

1. Workflow Diversity: The application supported six distinct workflows, each requiring a unique approval matrix., for each of the 10 countries.
2. Dynamic Approval Processes: 
   -> Some workflows required approval requests to be sent to all approvers simultaneously (parallel approvals).
   -> Others required sequential routing of approvals, where one approval triggered the next request.
   -> These rules had to be configurable without extensive development effort.
3. Approver Availability Management:
   -> Changes in approver availability due to leaves, travel, or retirement often caused bottlenecks in the process.
   -> The business team had to manually track and update the approval matrix to account for these changes. This was time-consuming and prone to human error.

The goal was to develop a modern, efficient, and flexible solution that allowed sales teams to operate seamlessly, reduced approval delays, and empowered the business team to make quick adjustments without IT support.

Our Solution

We delivered a modernized application using Power Platform—leveraging Canvas apps, SharePoint, and Power Automate—ensuring zero additional licensing costs.

1. Dynamic and Configurable Workflows:
   -> Designed a Canvas app that supported sales teams on mobile, tablet, and desktop devices, making it easy to initiate approval requests on the go
   -> Approval App sends Cards to MS Teams and emails, which allows approvers to view and act on requests from anywhere
   -> Configured a flexible approval mechanism using Power Automate, enabling both parallel and sequential approvals based on workflow requirements.
   -> Approval matrices were stored in SharePoint, allowing business teams to update configurations independently, without relying on developers.
2. Automated Approver Replacement System:
   -> Introduced a proactive mechanism for handling approver availability. Business users could input upcoming absences (e.g., leaves or retirements) and designate replacements in a SharePoint list.
   -> A Power Automate flow running nightly at midnight checked the list and updated the approval matrix automatically for the specified dates.
   The system allowed for both forward-looking and reversible changes. For example:
   -> When notified that an approver would be on leave next week, the business team could enter two records in advance—one to switch the approver before the leave and another to revert the change after the leave ends. The system handled these changes automatically.
3. Seamless Integration with Microsoft Approvals:
   -> Approvals were triggered via Microsoft Approvals, delivering requests through both Microsoft Teams and email.
   -> Customized the data presented in approval requests, including categorizing request documents and supporting files.
   -> This provided approvers with a comprehensive overview directly within the Approval Card, eliminating the need to search for additional information from requestors, thereby speeding up decision-making.
   -> Reminders were automated for pending approvals to minimize delays.

Business Outcomes

• Future-Proof Solution: Replaced the legacy InfoPath system with a scalable, modern Power Platform application, aligning with Microsoft’s roadmap.
• Cost Efficiency: Leveraged existing Microsoft 365 licenses, avoiding new licensing expenses.
• Operational Efficiency:
  -> Automated approval updates eliminated the need for manual interventions, reducing delays caused by unavailable approvers.
  -> Complex workflows were managed dynamically, catering to both parallel and sequential approval processes.
• Empowered Business Teams:
  -> SharePoint configurations enabled the business team to make quick adjustments without relying on IT, saving time and resources.
• Enhanced User Experience: The responsive app allowed sales teams to initiate and track approvals from any device, improving their productivity.

Summary

By modernizing the customer’s approval system, we transformed their operations into an agile, efficient process capable of handling complex, multi-country workflows with ease. Our solution demonstrates the power of leveraging Microsoft 365 tools to address business challenges without increasing costs, providing a robust foundation for growth and flexibility.