ASCII non-engineers automate routine tasks ~ Power Automate Super Introductory Edition ~

This article is a re-edited version of "Using Automation for Non-Engineers ~ PowerAutomate Super Beginners ~" posted on the "cloud.config Tech Blog" provided by FIXER.

table of contents

Introduction I tried automating the routine work I want to automate this time with Power Automate What is Power Automate in the first place? 1. Trigger - Response is sent to Forms 2. Action 1 - Acquisition of Forms response data 3. Action 2 - Post to Slack

Introduction

Hello. Recently, I've been working from home a lot, and I'm kame who keeps missing the timing to move Mr. Rumba, our automation team. This time, I would like to introduce a lightweight automation tool that anyone can easily incorporate into their daily work.

Routine work you want to automate this time

Currently, I run an internal meeting twice a week, and each time before the meeting, I perform the following tasks.

・Create a meeting folder in SharePoint ・Copy the presentation PowerPoint template in the meeting folder ・Communicate the date, time, and location of the meeting to participants via Slack

I have so many things to do… (plainly)…!!

Am I the only one who finds copying and pasting files in SharePoint a mess? It takes 15 minutes at most to do everything. However, it is a troublesome task for me, so it is quite stressful.

I tried automating with Power Automate

So I tried automating it. This time, we will use Microsoft's Power Automate automation tool for automation across multiple systems such as SharePoint and Slack.

What is Power Automate in the first place?

Power Automate is a no-code/low-code automation tool provided by Microsoft. By directing the work flow across various systems to Power Automate, it is possible to automate routine tasks that have been done manually until now. As you build it, you will need to write some code, but simple things can be created with "mouse only". By the way, if you have an Office 365 account, you can use it at no additional cost except for some functions.

actually make

Now, from here, we will explain how to create and input the actual flow. In Power Automate, you create a flow by specifying a trigger (a trigger to start the flow/set only one) and an action (action when the trigger occurs/can set multiple). For example, Power Automate itself has a wide range of connectors, such as "every Monday at 10 o'clock (trigger)", "create a folder in SharePoint (action)", and "send the address of the created folder by email (action)". You can easily create a flow with a high degree of freedom.

This time, we will create a flow that "Notifies Slack (action)" when "Forms is answered (trigger)".

1. Trigger - Response is sent to Forms

The top "When a new response is sent" triggers this flow. As the name suggests, the flow will start when an answer arrives in the Microsoft Forms set below. Select the desired Forms form from the dropdown next to Form ID.

2. Action 1 - Get Forms Response Data

Then get the Forms response data with the Get Response Details action. In this case, response data refers to the email address of the respondent, the date and time of the response, etc., in addition to the content of the Forms response. This time, we are acquiring data to use the Forms response data when sending the next message to Slack. For reference, here's what the form looked like: simple is best.

3. Action 2 - Post to Slack

And finally, post to a specific channel/DM in Slack with the Post message action. The channel name can also be selected from the pulldown. And here we will use the Forms response data we got earlier. Forms responses can be incorporated into the message by clicking and inserting "parameters" indicated by green squares.

I actually tried running the flow

Responding to Forms will post a Slack message to the channel you set up. You don't have to worry about checking for typos over and over again!

last

What did you think? "It's easier than I thought, but I think many people think that with this level of automation, it's still troublesome to learn new things." However, the first step may be a little cumbersome, but when you actually use it, you will find that the small daily routine tasks are taking up more time than you thought.

Personally, I think that Power Automate is mainly about "fine little automation". It is not an engineer, but a tool for clerical workers who do a lot of small and routine work. Once you use it, I think that you will come up with a lot of tasks that you want to automate.

If you think you've been tricked, why don't you start with a simple flow?

kame/FIXER

Joined in October 2020. I like traveling, eating, and solving mysteries.

[Reprinted] Utilization of automation for non-engineers ~ Super introductory edition of PowerAutomate ~