How Automation is Freeing Teams from Tedious Tasks

Businesses never seem to slow down. Finding ways to streamline processes and boost efficiency is essential. So, we wanted to help…

Microsoft Power Automate is a cloud-based platform that’s doing just that. Imagine an invisible assistant that handles the mundane admin, allowing you to spend more time on high-impact work. That’s Power Automate in action.

Let’s look at what Power Automate is and how it can highlight specific solutions that can transform daily tasks.

 

Power Automate

Microsoft Power Automate is a cloud-based platform that helps teams eliminate repetitive tasks and focus on what matters most.

With Power Automate, you can set up workflows that connect different apps and services to handle routine work – like data entry, sending reminders, or approving requests, without needing any coding skills.

It’s like having an extra set of hands that manages the admin, whether sorting new hires in HR, keeping track of leads in sales, or responding to support tickets.

By taking care of these everyday tasks, Power Automate makes work smoother and faster, freeing everyone up for bigger, more impactful projects.

 

HR’s New Best Friend for Onboarding New Employees

The Problem

For HR, every new hire comes with a pile of forms, emails, and checklists. Keeping track of onboarding tasks, such as sending welcome messages, setting up workspaces, and organising orientation sessions, can be overwhelming.

The Solution with Power Automate

Picture this: as soon as a new employee is added to the HR system, Power Automate springs into action.

It instantly sends a personalised welcome email, notifies IT to prepare a workstation, schedules orientation sessions, and even generates a checklist of tasks for HR to track. With no extra effort from HR, all onboarding tasks are taken care of seamlessly.

This allows HR to focus on making new employees feel welcome rather than managing a mountain of paperwork. There is a point of set-up when doing this, but that’s the hardest aspect, as is cleaning up the process over time.

 

Marketing’s Secret to Faster Content Approvals

The Problem

For marketing teams, getting content approved or getting needed designs made often involves navigating lengthy email threads, tracking down feedback, and meeting short deadlines or notice, which can delay a lot of content availability and delivery.

We have put this into practice recently. As our team grows, so do our requests, and we now see this as an area for improvement. So, we have created a Power Automate flow to make this easier for us and the rest of our company.

The Solution with Power Automate

Power Automate can simplify this task with a custom workflow.

We have created a form that is a simple and easy way to request artwork or approval quickly. When this form is filled out, it enters our flow, which means it gets added to our Planner board; it comes with information such as who wants it, a deadline, and any comments or descriptions that they have for it. This then triggers a Teams message that goes to our Marketing group chat, which alerts us to give ownership from our team to each request.

This automation cuts out the endless “Did you see my email?” chases, forgotten asks and late deliveries, speeding up approvals and giving our marketing more time for creative work.

 

Sales is Free from Lead-Chasing

The Problem

Sales teams often have to juggle multiple leads at once, and without an organised follow-up process, some leads inevitably slip through the cracks.

The Solution with Power Automate

Imagine a lead filling out a form on the website. Within moments, Power Automate captures the lead’s information and stores it in the CRM. Based on criteria like industry or location, the lead is automatically assigned to a specific sales rep, who receives a Teams notification and a reminder in Outlook.

Follow-up tasks are scheduled in advance, ensuring that every lead is nurtured from the start.

With this automated approach, sales teams no longer have to worry about lost opportunities, allowing them to focus on building relationships with potential clients.

 

Customer Service and the Automated Incident Reporter

The Problem

Customer service teams are often flooded with support requests. This can lead to delays as tickets are manually assigned and followed up on.

The Solution with Power Automate

Power Automate can tackle this task head-on. When a customer submits a request, it automatically creates a support ticket, assigns it to the relevant team members. It sends status updates to both the customer and the support rep. For unresolved issues, Power Automate can even escalate the case after a set period.

With this system, customer service can stay on top of requests and respond faster, resulting in a smoother process and happier customers.

 

Finance Simplifies Expense Approvals

The Problem

Managing expense claims can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially if it involves sifting through emails, seeking approvals, and updating records.

The Solution with Power Automate

Power Automate streamlines this process, ensuring every claim moves quickly through the system. Employees submit claims via a simple SharePoint form, which automatically routes the claim to the appropriate manager for approval. If approved, finance will get notified and the payment is processed. If rejected, the claim is returned to the employee for clarification.

This automation not only speeds up approvals but also reduces the chance of errors, freeing up finance teams to focus on strategic work.

 

Operations Keep Projects on Track

The Problem

Operations teams coordinate between various departments to keep projects on schedule, but manual updates and inconsistent communication can lead to frustrating bottlenecks.

The Solution with Power Automate

Power Automate keeps everyone on the same page. As projects reach milestones, the workflow automatically updates the shared project timeline in tools like Planner or SharePoint, sends reminders to relevant team members, and tracks metrics in real time. These updates are shared through Teams or email, therefore all stakeholders are aware of project progress.

With this setup, operations teams can focus on the bigger picture, knowing that Power Automate is handling the routine updates and reminders.

 

IT’s Ticketing Made Easy

The Problem

IT departments deal with a high volume of requests daily, from password resets to software installations, making it challenging to stay on top of every ticket.

The Solution with Power Automate

When a ticket is submitted, Power Automate automatically categorises and assigns it to the correct IT personnel. Requesters receive updates at every stage. For software provisioning, approvals are added to the workflow, allowing IT to fulfil requests quickly and efficiently.

This allows IT to provide faster service without the administrative burden, leading to improved support for the entire organisation.

 

Power Automate as the Ultimate Workflow Ally

Power Automate is like having an extra set of hands across the organisation, freeing teams from tedious, repetitive tasks. By automating workflows, Power Automate allows departments from HR to IT to operate more efficiently. Giving teams the freedom to focus on work that matters most.

From welcoming new hires to ensuring no lead goes cold, Power Automate lets teams transform the way they work. It’s time to stop being bogged down by admin and start automating, so you and your team can focus on growth and innovation.