October 01, 2022 09:30 AM

Tips & best practices to develop apps on Microsoft Power Apps

Microsoft Power Apps presents several options for users to connect and interact with content via the Microsoft 365 suite. To offer a superior end-user experience and create efficient & cost-effective ways to interact with enterprise content, it is advisable for content managers to employ certain best practices while building on Power Apps.

Power Apps allows users to develop mobile apps through its web-based designer with zero lines of code. Business users can build apps with ease in the Power Apps design portal and extract maximum advantage of certain hardware capabilities present in mobile devices, tablets and computers - such as cameras, GPS and touch functions.

5 best practices to adopt on Microsoft Power Apps

Understand the needs and behaviors of end users

Begin by identifying the business challenges the app seeks to solve, before determining the overall interactions that the end user expects. It is important to set clear expectations about what the app accomplishes, the audience and the desired outcomes.

Understand the features and limitations of Power Apps

While Power Apps offers a wide range of functionality like, for example, connecting multiple data sources such as SQL databases, SharePoint lists and other online data repositories, in order to create, read, update and delete data, it does not support third-party components or the reuse of custom controls.

Develop Power Apps in adherence to SDLC standards

SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) includes several processes that ensure optimum app design and development, which should ideally include the following:

  • Analysis of business requirements for the app
  • Planning, testing and deployment
  • Power Apps architecture, design and development

Determine licensing requirements ahead of design & implementation

Most Microsoft 365 plans include a subscription to Power Apps, although connecting to advanced data sources such as an on-premises SQL database, Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics requires the user to purchase Power Apps' premium plans.

Monitor the Power Apps roadmap

Developers and content managers must visit the Microsoft 365 roadmap to stay up to date with new features and functionalities introduced by Microsoft to enhance Power Apps. These new capabilities offer organizations more opportunities to address challenges within the platform.

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