The Problem: Manual Processes Waste Time and Money
Sound familiar? Excel spreadsheets being emailed back and forth. Approval workflows that take days. Data manually copied from one system to another.
Most Swiss SMEs lose hours daily on repetitive tasks that could have been automated long ago. The problem: Custom software development is expensive and takes months.
This is exactly where Microsoft Power Platform comes in.
What is Microsoft Power Platform?
Power Platform is Microsoft's low-code development platform – a collection of tools that let you create business applications without programming.
Low-code means:
- Visual development via drag & drop
- Pre-built components and connectors
- No or minimal coding skills required
- Fast results in hours instead of months
The 4 Components of Power Platform
Power Platform consists of four main products that work seamlessly together:
Power Apps
Build custom business apps for web and mobile – without code. Perfect for forms, inventory systems or customer portals.
Power Automate
Automate recurring tasks and workflows. From email notifications to complex approval processes.
Power BI
Transform your data into interactive dashboards and reports. Visualize revenue, KPIs and trends in real-time.
Power Pages
Create secure, external websites for customers, partners or applicants – with database connectivity and forms.
Practical Use Cases for SMEs
How do Swiss companies actually use Power Platform? Here are some typical scenarios:
1. Digital Forms and Approvals
Before: Leave requests submitted via email, manually forwarded and tracked in Excel.
After: A Power App allows employees to submit requests, managers get automatic notifications, and approved entries are automatically logged in SharePoint.
2. Customer Onboarding Automation
Before: New customers manually entered into CRM, accounting and project management tools.
After: A Power Automate flow automatically creates all entries upon contract signing and sends the welcome email.
3. Field Service Technicians
Before: Technicians fill out paper forms that get typed up later at the office.
After: A mobile Power App enables on-site data entry – including photos and signatures. Data is instantly in the system.
4. Real-Time Dashboards for Management
Before: Monthly reports manually compiled from various sources.
After: Power BI displays revenue, projects and KPIs live – accessible anytime on laptop or smartphone.
Advantages Over Traditional Development
Power Platform
- Weeks instead of months development time
- Changes possible in minutes
- Business users can make adjustments
- Microsoft 365 integration included
- Monthly license costs, no upfront investment
- Updates and maintenance by Microsoft
Traditional Development
- Months to years development time
- Changes require developers
- IT department as bottleneck
- Integrations must be built
- High upfront investment
- Hosting and maintenance self-managed
What Does Power Platform Cost?
Microsoft offers various licensing models. Here's an overview of the main options:
| Product | License Type | Approx. Price/Month |
|---|---|---|
| Power Apps | Premium (per user) | CHF 20–40 |
| Power Automate | Premium (per user) | CHF 15–40 |
| Power BI Pro | Pro (per user) | CHF 10–15 |
| Microsoft 365 | Business Premium | incl. basic features |
Good to know: Many basic features are already included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium. For advanced features and more connectors, you'll need Premium licenses.
When is Power Platform Worth It?
Power Platform is ideal when:
- You already use Microsoft 365
- You have recurring, manual processes
- You need quick results (not in 6 months)
- Your IT department lacks capacity for custom software
- You want to empower business units to build their own solutions
Limitations of Power Platform
Low-code isn't suitable for everything. Complex calculations, highly specialized industry solutions or performance-critical applications still require traditional development.
Getting Started: First Steps
- Identify a process: Which manual process costs you the most time?
- Start small: Begin with a simple workflow or form.
- Use trial version: Microsoft offers free trials of all Power Platform products.
- Training: Microsoft Learn offers free courses for beginners.
- Get expert help: For more complex projects, partnering with a specialist pays off.
Conclusion: Low-Code as Competitive Advantage
Microsoft Power Platform democratizes software development. SMEs can now build solutions that previously required external developers.
The combination of fast development, deep Microsoft integration and manageable costs makes Power Platform particularly attractive for Swiss SMEs.
The key to success: Start with a concrete use case and scale from there.
Power Platform for Your Business?
I help you identify the right processes and implement custom solutions with Power Platform.
Free Initial Consultation