What are the advantages of using Power Apps?

[HamidBee]

Hi All,

I'm new to Power Apps. I work for an organization that to my knowledge hasn't started using Power Apps. A small number of us have recently began using Power BI. Someone recently mentioned Power Apps to me and how it's really taking off. I'd like to ask members of this community:

1) What exactly is Power Apps? How is it different from Power BI? I read something about Websites and Apps? How are these websites different from ordinary websites and apps that people can make on other platforms?

2) Do you think Power Apps would be a much needed asset for any department working on big data?

3) I noticed that Power Apps visuals can be used in Power BI are people here utilising it?

Thank you,

[Ramole]

Hi @HamidBee

Here is some of the advantage's using PowerApps
Explore the top seven benefits of Microsoft Power Apps below.
Speed of app creation. Power Apps accelerates app creation. .
Low-code and no-code.
Microsoft and other third-party service integrations. .
Business process automation. .
Low cost of app ownership. 
AI capabilities. 
Cross-platform access and ease of deployment.
Power Apps enables companies to build and quickly deploy apps to their designated catalog from the main platform. Users can share and access any app developed within Power Apps from a tablet, web interface or mobile device. This eliminates unnecessary complexity seen with traditional app development.
And many more .

[PaulD1 · Accepted solution]

My views below. Note that I have gone from being something of an advocate for Power Apps to now being quite critical of its evolution in terms of reliability, feature-set and licensing so please keep those biases in mind.

>>1) What exactly is Power Apps? How is it different from Power BI? I read something about Websites and Apps? 

Power Apps is used to create small CRUD (create, read, update, delete) type applications that can run either in a browser or in an 'App Player' that can be downloaded from Play Store and the Apple Store (there is a player for Windows but it has long been abandoned and shouldn't be used).

They also have hundreds of 'connectors' for other services, such as email and the Office Users list, so you can do things like check who is the manager for a user, send an email, book a meeting in a calendar, etc. In my experience many of the connectors are not on a par with the equivalent API calls though, in terms of exposing the full, current set of capabilities.

2) Do you think Power Apps would be a much needed asset for any department working on big data?

No, they are not for data analysis or data presentation.

3) I noticed that Power Apps visuals can be used in Power BI are people here utilising it?

You can place a Power App inside Power BI as a visual, so if you need someone to be able to write a record, send an automated email, etc. based on what they see in the Power BI screen, you can do that. The Power App can be aware of the dataset in Power BI, so you could be viewing a record in a Power BI report and hit a button to update some underlying data or fire off an email with the details to the relevant person.

How are these websites different from ordinary websites and apps that people can make on other platforms?

It is generally easier to get started with Power Apps - the language is simpler (though more limited) and the design tools run in the web browser so there is nothing to install/configure on the development PC. The flip-side of the simplified language/set-up is that there is less code-reuse/encapsulation and maintenance and debugging can be challenging to say the least.

The infrastructure is part of Microsoft365 so there are no servers/services to configure or update but you cannot run them anywhere else and you cannot opt out of patches/updates, so it is not a good idea to use them for critical purposes (in case an update breaks them or changes behaviour or if you don't want to be tied to MS indefinitely).

You get some base capabilities included as part of most Micorosoft365 offerings but for serious Apps you will need 'premium connectors' which require additional licensing which is generally on a per-user basis (there are now some slightly more flexible licensing options). I find the strategy here odd to say the least - for example if I want to use my Microsoft Power App with my Microsoft SQL Server I have to pay an extra fee (for each app and each user) for MS to allow me to connect the two together.

[HamidBee]

Hi @PaulD1,

Thank you for your very detailed answer. You've provided me with a much clearer understanding on Power Apps. I tried to read material online but there was just a few things I was uncertain about which you've cleared up for me. Once again, thanks.

[johndynammics]

Power Apps is a Microsoft platform for creating custom business applications without writing code. It allows users to create apps quickly and easily using a drag-and-drop interface, and can be used to create apps for a variety of devices including mobile devices, tablets, and desktop computers. Power Apps is designed to help businesses improve their efficiency by automating manual processes, and can be integrated with other Microsoft products such as SharePoint and Dynamics 365.

Power BI, on the other hand, is a business intelligence platform that allows users to analyze and visualize data. It can be used to create interactive reports and dashboards that help businesses gain insights from their data. Power BI can also be integrated with other Microsoft products such as Excel and SharePoint.

As for the question about websites and apps, Power Apps can be used to create both web apps and mobile apps, whereas Power BI is primarily used for creating web-based reports and dashboards. The websites and apps created using Power Apps are different from ordinary websites and apps in that they are customized to meet the specific needs of a business, and can be integrated with other Microsoft products to provide a seamless experience for users. Additionally, Power Apps allows for a high degree of customization and can be used to create complex apps with advanced functionality.

Power Apps can be a valuable asset for any department working on big data, as it allows users to quickly and easily create custom business applications to help automate manual processes and streamline workflows. By using Power Apps to build custom applications, departments can better manage and utilize their big data, as well as improve their efficiency and productivity.

For example, a department working on big data may use Power Apps to create an app that automates the data collection process, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors. Alternatively, they could use Power Apps to create an app that allows users to quickly and easily access and analyze large amounts of data, providing real-time insights that can be used to inform business decisions.

Ultimately, whether or not Power Apps is a much-needed asset for a department working on big data depends on the specific needs and goals of that department. However, given its ability to help automate processes, improve efficiency, and streamline workflows, Power Apps is certainly worth considering as a tool for managing and utilizing big data.