Microsoft Power Automate Reviews

Microsoft Power Automate is deployed in the Azure cloud. Microsoft has a version of Power Automate Desktop to develop desktop flows and that's also saved in the cloud. We use Microsoft Power Automate on the project site. We have done a few projects on the site and the solution is used for video processing automation.

The most advantageous aspect of the solution is its cloud capabilities. With an E3 license, we can access Microsoft Power Automate at a reduced cost. If we are only using the application, we need the Microsoft Power Automate attended mode add-on. Other than that, the solution is free, since all customers are using a Microsoft-based license for their communication and an E3 license for the add-ons.

When it comes to cloud computing, there are many limitations when dealing with large amounts of data. For example, if we are managing more than 10,000 or 1 million records, the API layer has some redundancies. These limitations take a lot of time to process. For example, if we have 10,000 records, our cloud workflow will take more than three hours to complete. Clearly, there is room for improvement in the workflow process.

I have been using the solution for two years.

The solution is highly stable due to its use of Azure cloud services, boasting a 99.9 percent stability rate.

The solution is scalable; we can introduce multiple bots and a multiple-bot architecture is available. Therefore, scalability is possible with Microsoft Power Automate. We need to develop our own architecture to handle the multiple bots, share records, and share the workload with the bots.

We created a few tickets with Microsoft technical support regarding a time issue. We then created a workflow that initiated cloud workflow and handed it over to the Microsoft Power Automate desktop, which took some time. The flow worked, but after an hour and a half, it automatically disconnected due to either a lack of available sessions or an error. We created a ticket and Microsoft resolved it quickly, taking only one day. The issue was caused by the group policy, which had enabled a session timeout of between 30 minutes and an hour, resulting in the issue.

Positive

The initial setup is quite straightforward. We can create a production environment and a development box. We can then move our solution to the UID environment and then to production. The deployment process takes two to three days.

The solution is $150 per month for the unattended add-on, and the normal Power Automate comes with an E3 license.

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

The solution is more cost-effective. We were initially going to convert the customer's automation because they already use the Microsoft Platform.

Microsoft Power Automate has plenty of examples and templates. It is easy for new users to start development. I recommend the solution.

Our company uses the solution to process insurance claims and related activity. We have around 80 developers and three administrators. Depending on clients' needs, we might scale in the future. 

The solution is really easy to use compared to other tools. 

The western license is fantastic.

The solution integrates more easily and with more tools than Automation Anywhere. 

There are frequent version updates and that impacts different algorithms so we have to adjust our code. 

The solution should include connectors and DevOps capabilities with its standard package. 

I have been using the solution for three years. 

The stability is good so is rated a nine out of ten. 

The scalability is good with no doubts. 

We have been developing on Microsoft's data products from beta release onwards. They bought and merged an automation company into their product so we know the different methods. We diagnose things and that feedback ends up inserted within very big containers. 

Technical support is good but their response times are slow. 

The setup is straightforward. 

We implement the solution in-house. 

Our typical use cases can be handled by two or three developers and take about six to eight weeks to implement. 

First, we create the DDS. Then, we create software flows, standards, and login processes. We add efforts, exceptions, vendors, record reviews, and testing. Finally, we perform UAT and production. 

The pricing is reasonable and the western license is fantastic. 

They have a premium service that includes connectors and the SQL server sanitizer team. If they change this service to be standard, then pricing will be even better. 

We also use Automation Anywhere but there is some maintenance involved. 

The solution integrates with other tools better than Automation Anywhere. 

The solution is a good product. It integrates well with apps, virtual agents, and other tools. It has all the capabilities of Microsoft and Windows. 

I rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

I was in an insurance company prior to joining this new company, and I developed complex robots for claims processing and policy insurance. I also worked on several other processes such as interacting with APIs and downloading SharePoint reports. It was difficult to download the SharePoint report, but I did an integration in SharePoint to download the data and upload it into the local database system. So, I have created complex robots with WinAutomation.

WinAutomation is very handy to use, and it has the power to interact with multiple systems, such as SAP, Oracle, or .NET systems. It's very useful for API integration. We can also interact with the data by using wildcards and other patterns. So, there are plenty of things that are good.

There should be a comprehensive or enterprise level of application to provide the cognitive AI, and there should be orchestration so that I can control all the robots on one station. The other tools are currently providing these features. So, hyper-automation integration should be done, and it should have cognitive AI.

One drawback of WinAutomation is that it doesn't work properly on the Internet Explorer or Edge browser. On the older version of Internet Explorer or Edge, it sometimes doesn't give proper selectors while selecting the fields. I had a lot of difficulty in that area, and I want them to improve that in WinAutomation.

They should have a comprehensive platform to help the community. They should have blogs. They had a community before, but they discontinued that. Microsoft has developed a community for any support required for its product. WinAutomation should also have that.

I've been using this solution since 2015, so it has been about eight years.

It's stable. It's very good. We had been running this product for seven years, and we had developed around 300 and more processes within one organization. So, there was stability. 

Initially, in 2016 or 2017, when WinAutomation was not yet acquired by Microsoft, we were having some technical issues for which I sought support from their technical team. Later on, we didn't require any support from them. We used to handle any technical problems with it from our side. I'd rate their support an eight out of ten. They were good.

Positive

It was very good. It has been very handy, and it didn't take much time for the setup. It was very easy to set up various things.

The deployment duration completely depends on the process. It depends on how long a process is. When we were developing robots in production, it didn't take much time for us to deploy them. It was very easy for us.

We had around four people at the time, and the number kept increasing. We were providing comprehensive services, so we were managing the development and engineering jobs all together at once.

Comparatively, WinAutomation is cheaper than the other automation tools. When we purchased the license, it was around $50 or $60 per user most probably per month.

I'd definitely recommend using WinAutomation. It's very affordable, and it's durable. It gives the long-term usage scope in the organization.

Overall, I'd rate WinAutomation a seven out of ten. They have to work hard on this one. Right now, there is no competition for WinAutomation in the market. They should work on the product more.

I use Microsoft Power Automate as part of my job as an RPA developer. The solution is part of everyone's Office 365 account at our organization. 

The solution is used as a primary tool for providing RPA solutions. We've created an automated desktop flow for the whole process. It includes three platforms.

We use the solution as an extension of Power Apps. We create files and SharePoint using flow by converting HTML code into PDF.

The authentication provided by Microsoft is very robust.

We have automated a process for our HR team that handles a lot of immigration-related activities. Rather than this individual having to ask others for information, we created a solution running different flows that centralized the whole system.

Another impactful project was where we used power apps to create office visitation. This solution helped manage the allowable workforce limitation placed by the government during the pandemic. We created an application where users submitted a request which prompted the validation of vaccinations and determine parking availability and sitting capacity. The headcount is provided to the departments that are impacted, such as the canteen, or bus monitors.

By creating in-house solutions, we had a high impact on the organization. Using an out-of-the-box solution would have been very expensive.

Microsoft Power Automate is easy to use. There are lots of libraries and connectors to browse from.

The users are very happy with the processes that we have automated completely end to end.

The solution is difficult to customize. I would like to see more flexibility when it comes to using different kinds of activities, particularly the kind of interaction they can have with Excel. This is also limited to the number of activities, making extension not possible.

Other areas of improvement include Microsoft Power Automate's ability to work on power desktops. It would be helpful if we could access external activities. 

I have been using Microsoft Power Automate for one year.

The solution is scalable. You can create a flow, and it can be shared across different environments. 

Technical support could improve. I am not sure that they exist. I would like to be provided with more awareness regarding the tech support that is available from the platform.

There is ample documentation available for the solution and all the different components.

Positive

Prior to adding Microsoft Power Automate, we used UI robotic process automation. We now use both solutions in parallel. Power Automate is used for office-related apps and UI is used for all other platforms.

Microsoft Power Automate is part of our Office 365 package, there are no additional licensing costs.

I would recommend other large-scale enterprises to look into Microsoft Power Automate as a solution for their organization.

I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Our clients utilize Power Automate for data collection and management in various ways. One primary use is integrating Customer Engagement (CE) with finance, operations, or other business systems. Additionally, we employ Power Automate to facilitate additional processes, such as automating workflows.

Firstly, enhancing Power Automate to work synchronously instead of asynchronously would eliminate the need for additional coding, saving time in project implementation. Secondly, addressing the limitations on the number of processes in Power Automate tracking would enhance its usability and flexibility for various scenarios. Incorporating a more intuitive user interface or experience would be beneficial for overall solution implementation. While PowerApps can provide this to some extent, it faces limitations, particularly with large datasets. Overcoming these challenges through enhancements or optimization would be valuable for implementing enterprise-class solutions effectively.

We have been using Microsoft Power Automate for 2 years.

I rate the platform's stability an eight out of ten.

Certain limitations apply to product scalability in enterprise environments or critical systems. We work with medium-sized businesses.

The deployment time depends on specific project requirements. Complicated configurations take three to four months to complete, while certain simple projects can be completed within two weeks.

I rate the process an eight out of ten.

When we purchase the Microsoft Dynamics license, the Power Automate license is often free, albeit with some limitations, such as a certain number of transactions per user. Given the substantial allocation provided, this arrangement typically suffices for most users. However, if premium features are desired or the project demands exceed the allocated resources, additional charges may apply accordingly.

I rate the pricing a six out of ten.

One of the automations we've implemented with Power Automate that significantly saves time involves discount application on quotations. When a discount is applied at the quotation level, we utilize it to automatically apply line-level discounts to the respective lines, distributing them equally.

The feature most useful for integrating different applications is its ability to create flows. Specifically, we use flows to integrate with finance and operations.

The cloud-based nature of Power Automate has greatly benefited our workflows. It operates exclusively on the cloud, eliminating the need for on-premises deployment. It enables low-code development, eliminating the need to create plugins. It saves a significant amount of time, reduces efforts, and enhances reliability in our automation processes.

I rate it an eight out of ten.

The solution has helped our company with automation. 

Microsoft Power Automate is an easy-to-understand solution. 

The tool should improve its price. 

I have been using the solution for three months. 

I rate the product's scalability an eight out of ten. 

We haven't activated technical support since it's expensive. 

Microsoft Power Automate's setup is easy. 

I rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

The primary use cases we are focusing on are applying automation to processes and integrating systems with API uploads. We have developed a module to handle private information related to the applications and API uploads to ensure the process is feasible without any challenges.

I believe document reading has been beneficial when dealing with Microsoft. 

There have been some challenges. We have struggled to take advantage of the power of the program due to the complexity of the reports we want to send to Microsoft. This includes client complaints, large discrepancies, and delays from data centers to solve the issues. As a result, we have faced both advantages and disadvantages. After some time, I believe Microsoft may have made changes to the backend that we are not aware of. This could cause issues, and the client has experienced instability in the current process. To address this, we need to make sure that any changes to the backend are documented and communicated clearly to avoid any potential issues.

The technical support has room for improvement.

I have been using the solution for six years.

I give the scalability of the solution a seven out of ten. The licensing is not bad but scaling requires additional work on the solution.

The solution is intended more for small and medium-sized organizations, not for large more complex companies.

We have 5,000 people using the solution.

The technical support attempts to address any queries, but their knowledge is limited. They try to come up with solutions for new problems and document them if they yield results so that if someone else has the same issue, they can get the same solution. However, they are technically struggling. To resolve the issues, Microsoft created a system where their internal technical team works with a mediator who understands the problem but may not understand the technical details. This mediator then takes the ticket up to the technical team analyzes the issue and provides a resolution. This system has saved them time in responding to and resolving the issue.

The initial setup is great. We're currently building with the connectors. However, automating the process may require additional hardware, which can take time to implement. We have to apply the policy and see how their applications access information. To accommodate the additional hardware, our plan has to be adjusted, but if we don't involve any alternatives, we can deploy more easily. 

The automation portion if required is a different department but for the basic setup, we only require two to four people.

The license is 20 million rupees per month. The cost is okay but we are paying per month. Microsoft is providing a license that is automatic which is very helpful. But we know that of the solution, we don't have any annual subscriptions. We pay monthly, otherwise, we choose another solution.

Microsoft is providing an automatic license with a cost of $20 million per month, which is reasonable. However, we don't have any annual subscription options, so we must pay monthly or choose another solution.

I give the solution a seven out of ten.

Microsoft is predicting that improvements will come in the future which will be better than what's currently available in the market. Even if they can build simple and medium processes, they still need to add certain elements and acquire certain licenses in order to run the machine from one place to another. We need to let go of the keys, such as a community rotation which we are automating. I don't believe updates should be pushed for those who are happy with the version they are using because that version is capable and we have fixes for any issues that may come up. Microsoft is now focused on automating development processes. It is important that Microsoft give the community rotation back to users, as we are all users. Regardless of size, we need to be aware of the upgrades that are being made.

We don't believe additional personnel is required for maintenance. We currently have adequate processes in place and automation. In total, there are fifty processes running, two for every system. Therefore, we do not anticipate needing to increase personnel for maintenance purposes.

The other departments have implemented the AP60 and are currently working on it. In my department, we are using Power Automate which is working but I need to check what progress the other departments have made and if they are facing any challenges to determine if it is easier to build with AP60 or with Power Automate.

There are many alternative solutions to Power Automate that also are cloud-based that I believe offer an annual subscription but I am not sure.

I would suggest starting with simple or medium processes, rather than complex ones. Begin with a pilot project to determine if it is profitable or not. We should also try to find a way to automate the process, as it could otherwise become stuck. Additionally, it is important to consider any issues that could arise with the elements that are currently working; the same elements may fail tomorrow. Ultimately, if we can handle these issues in the development phase, the solution will function great.

To me, what's most useful in WinAutomation by Softomotive is that it's quite intuitive, especially because most of the capabilities of the older WinAutomation remain. You also don't need to do or know hard coding, and this is another useful feature of the solution.

I also like that WinAutomation by Softomotive integrates very well with Microsoft products, especially Microsoft Office, and this is great news because most companies use Microsoft Office. Having a very good integration with the Microsoft Office suite covers a lot of bases, and is one of the advantages of WinAutomation by Softomotive.

What needs improvement in WinAutomation by Softomotive is its stability. Stability is quite important to me. Another area for improvement in the solution is robot scheduling because it's not 100% accurate, in particular, it's 90% accurate. The monitoring of the robot could also be improved because it's not very straightforward, and you have to look in a few places or at least two places which means that monitoring is not a one-glance process.

I've been using WinAutomation by Softomotive for one and a half years.

WinAutomation by Softomotive is not a very stable product. It used to be a desktop application and was installed locally. It's a desktop application, but it's a cloud application at the same time, so the main problem is the integration with cloud services, the updates, and the refresh rate, plus its compatibility with other Microsoft applications. This means that WinAutomation by Softomotive requires frequent updates, and this is not bad. It's okay, but the point is that it's not very stable in the short run. The WinAutomation by Softomotive team usually addresses this issue, so if my company has a problem today, for example, within a few days, that issue will be solved, but in the short run, the solution is not very stable.

WinAutomation by Softomotive is a scalable product.

I didn't use the technical support for WinAutomation by Softomotive much. At the very beginning, I used it because of the licensing requirement when I transferred my account from WinAutomation by Softomotive to Power Automate. Currently, the documentation is pretty good, so I didn't use the technical support even through chat, phone, or email correspondence, so I'm unable to evaluate support for the solution.

In terms of the installation of WinAutomation by Softomotive, it wasn't as straightforward, specifically for the license administration because you have to be enrolled on the portal. I'm referring to the new version of WinAutomation which is now Power Automate, but the original WinAutomation by Softomotive only took ten minutes to install. The Power Automate version, on the other hand, wasn't impossible to install, but it wasn't straightforward.

I could say that my organization has ROI from WinAutomation by Softomotive.

My company switched to a monthly payment for the WinAutomation by Softomotive license. I don't have the exact figure, but it roughly amounts to 500 Euros a year which isn't bad.

I use WinAutomation by Softomotive, but the solution was bought by Microsoft, so it's now a part of Power Automate.

In my company, about twenty people use WinAutomation by Softomotive daily. I belong to a small company.

My advice to people looking into implementing WinAutomation by Softomotive is that it's a good solution, and I would recommend it for small-scale operations, for example, to automate back office operations. I would not recommend it for large-scale or for critical operations because it returns quite a lot of errors, not only automation errors, but also errors when liaising with other applications, so in some cases, those applications may not run properly, resulting in errors. From my point of view, I will not recommend WinAutomation by Softomotive for critical operations, unless it's stabilized in the future, and at the moment, the "transformation" of WinAutomation into Power Automate is still ongoing.

My rating for WinAutomation by Softomotive is nine out of ten.