Technical Analyst at Miral
Real User
Top 20
Good document reading, and is scalable, but has complex reporting
Pros and Cons
  • "I believe document reading has been beneficial when dealing with Microsoft."
  • "The technical support has room for improvement."

What is our primary use case?

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.

What is most valuable?

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

What needs improvement?

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.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for six years.

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

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.

How are customer service and support?

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.

What about the implementation team?

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.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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.

What other advice do I have?

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.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Digital Manager (CDO/CIO) at AD Retail
Real User
Easy to set up and good for backend processes but is still an immature product
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup isn't too difficult."
  • "We need a more powerful desktop option."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the product for credit card operation customer complaints.

What is most valuable?

The solution is great for some of our backend processes, for example, accounting and financial processes, and also for IT batch processes. 

The solution is very easy to set up.

The initial setup isn't too difficult. 

What needs improvement?

I heard from my team that it's quite immature. If you compare it against Automation Anywhere and Blue Prism, it seems there is less experience in the product. The desktop version of the on-premise solution seems as if it's not as mature as Automation Anywhere.

We need a more powerful desktop option.

For how long have I used the solution?

We started using the product this year. We've used it for about four months at this point. We're using it for three processes. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't used the solution for too long. We are at the beginning of automation. We are not ready to escalate just yet. However, we do plan to increase usage in the future. 

How are customer service and technical support?

We've contacted local support in the past. At the time, it was just a simple question, as we have developed a simple process. We've just had small questions and issues.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Currently, we are also using Automation Anywhere. 

How was the initial setup?

The product is easy to set up. Actually, we're a very large Microsoft customer. All of our solutions are mostly Microsoft. All of the security fields are already solved by Power Automate, which makes it easy to implement and to set up. It's not a problem at all.

Each process took us about two months to set up. Since we define them, it's quite easy. The operational processes are very easy to maintain and to operate. There are no issues with that. It's a simple three-step process, it's not a complex task.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We are looking for automation and are looking at options such as UiPath and Blue Prism.

We are looking for some solution for logistics.

What other advice do I have?

We are a customer and an end-user. 

We are using the solution on our desktops, however, I don't know which exact version we are using. 

I'd advise other users that it is very simple to implement Power Automate, however, new users have to be careful with how they expand it and develop complex processes. That said, we don't have experience with processes more complex than a one or three-step process.

I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Department Manager at SME Digital Transformation Department at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Good tech support
Pros and Cons
  • "So far, the tech support has provided me with good enough support and knowledge."
  • "How long it takes to deploy will depend on how confident you are with your development. The development itself is not easy."

What is our primary use case?

Repetitive interactions between legacy systems and Excel managed by human resource. By collecting small tasks, there would be tons of time/effort we can replace with RPA. However, my challenge was major RPA solutions are not so much cheap to be applied to these small tasks. I believe Power Automate would be sufficient and cheap enough as Microsoft announced it will be free for Win 10 users (with basic functionalities).

How has it helped my organization?

It is still a persona trial phase so not much change has been brought. However, I have convinced Power Automate Desktop can be enough for many use cases where much investments are difficult.

What is most valuable?

Interaction with Microsoft Excel is good and will be more better in the future.

What needs improvement?

More detailed explanatory manuals are desired. As new features are introduced every month, I would like to know what is new and what is changed recently.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for a couple of months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I'm not sure whether the desktop version is stable. It is relatively new. It was launched in May. I haven't really tried it. But the trial version I'm using has been stable so far. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I haven't tried to scale it, so I'm not quite sure. 

How are customer service and technical support?

So far, the tech support has provided me with good enough support and knowledge. 

How was the initial setup?

Power Automate has two versions. The initial setup of the trial version is really easy. All you have to do is just activate the environment and you can start working on it. However, for desktop version, you need to install the software. It should be as easy to download and install as the Office 365 environment. 

How long it takes to deploy will depend on how confident you are with your development. The development itself is not easy. 

What about the implementation team?

I live in Japan and there are not very many consultants available for the latest Power Automate yet as Microsoft is investing quite a lot and new versions are released every month.

What was our ROI?

Should be high, as unattended RPA capabilities are available at almost free as I can utilize it under o365 license. No extra costs to start small and you can pay extra if you need premium services.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I would recommend Power Automate. Those will small use cases can use a free license. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Blue Prism and Pega. However, Pega was a bit difficult to use for citizen developers. It requires some support from consultants or engineers, so it's a bit of an investment. They're small and if we introduced consultants or engineers, then it wouldn't pay off. So for that use-cases, yeah, users lost interest. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Process Specialist - Operational Excellence at a government with 51-200 employees
Real User
User friendly, low coding functionality, and responsive support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Microsoft Power Automate are user-friendliness and low coding functionality."
  • "When you try to create a flow or work on the flow in Microsoft Power Automate you cannot undo changes. There are no options to edit or, undo an action. This feature would be useful. The editing option within the flow can be enhanced."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Microsoft Power Automate for automating approval.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Microsoft Power Automate are user-friendliness and low coding functionality.

What needs improvement?

When you try to create a flow or work on the flow in Microsoft Power Automate you cannot undo changes. There are no options to edit or, undo an action. This feature would be useful. The editing option within the flow can be enhanced.

In a future release, they could extend the flow run limits. When the flow is running it will be terminated.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Power Automate for approximately three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Power Automate is reliable.

I rate the stability of Microsoft Power Automate a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have five developers and IT managers that are using the solution.

The solution is scalable.

I rate the scalability of Microsoft Power Automate a nine out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

We opened a few tickets with support from Microsoft Power Automate. The support is responsive.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have not used a solution similar to Microsoft Power Automate.

What about the implementation team?

We did the implementation of the solution in-house.

What other advice do I have?

The solution is managed by the global tenant. We have three people who manage it.

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Microsoft Power Automate a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Meindert Van Der Galiën - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Technology Software Developer at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 10Leaderboard
Runs efficiently and fast, and is extremely easy to use and extensible
Pros and Cons
  • "Its ease of use is most valuable. A lot of the bulk functionality is done either through standalone or custom connectors and standard API processes."
  • "There are two versions of the automation suite. You've got your cloud functionality, and you have got your on-premises functionality for legacy systems. There are a lot of functionalities between the two systems that don't cross-correlate with each other. A lot of the functionality in the cloud system is not there on the production side in the on-prem system. If they could implement some of the similar functionalities and streamline them for integration, it would be a lot easier. There should be seamless integration between the two systems."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it for automating legacy systems as well as email verifications. I haven't touched on the APIs yet, but the use case is for user accessibility to and from data sources.

How has it helped my organization?

The solution is still in the development phase. It is not in the production run at the moment. Therefore, at the moment, there is not a significant visible improvement.

In terms of deployment, it is a mix of hybrid cloud and on-premises. Microsoft is the cloud provider. It is a single environment deployed over multiple branches in each province of the country. Currently, the version that we are using is the latest Microsoft release.

What is most valuable?

Its ease of use is most valuable. A lot of the bulk functionality is done either through standalone or custom connectors and standard API processes. 

What needs improvement?

There are two versions of the automation suite. You've got your cloud functionality, and you have got your on-premises functionality for legacy systems. There are a lot of functionalities between the two systems that don't cross-correlate with each other. A lot of the functionality in the cloud system is not there on the production side in the on-prem system. If they could implement some of the similar functionalities and streamline them for integration, it would be a lot easier. There should be seamless integration between the two systems.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for three months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is highly stable with good performance.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is extremely scalable. It integrates with a lot of existing systems, both Microsoft-related and non-Microsoft-related, and it is extremely extensible. The additional support validation and software integrations that are available are limitless.

How are customer service and support?

Our experience of the technical support on the solution has been minimal because there have not been a lot of technical issues with the implementation. The turnaround time for any type of technical query is usually a day to two days, but before that time period is up, they either have a solution or a guaranteed workaround.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Automation Anywhere. We switched because of the ease of use. The functionality of Automation Anywhere is for a very specialized use case scenario. They focus on a lot of areas, but Power Automate has a lot of simpler solutions and easier approaches. For example, we have a solution in place that has three or four RPA scripts for a single process. With the Power Automate solution, we have a single script running for maybe five sub-processes. It is a lot more streamlined and consistent.

How was the initial setup?

At the moment, it is still in development and is a matter of integration. It does require a bit more technical know-how, but it is mainly done from the environment perspective and from an administrative point of view. 

From a development point of view, the crossover is pretty much the same for going, for instance, from Blue Prism to UiPath, or UiPath to Automation Anywhere. There's a transition period level of difficulty. So, from a development point of view, it's fairly the same, but from a technical point of view, Microsoft does require a bit more technical know-how to get the environment set up.

With some of the integration conversions we've done from one platform to the other, from a development standpoint, it has taken us close to a month in the development environments, and this is interrupted. If we had an uninterrupted conversion, I would estimate a maximum of a week. We just need to get it converted and implemented.

What about the implementation team?

We've been doing everything in-house with direct help from a Microsoft representative. We have a single person to take care of it. It doesn't require a massive deployment team.

What was our ROI?

So far, based on the development calculators that we've been running, it's running far smoother and far more efficiently and faster. So, the estimated return on investment over the past three months that we've been calculating has been looking far higher than the Automation Anywhere solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

At the moment, from our experience with the two, Power Automate is a lot more expensive solution than Automation Anywhere, but it is also a far more reliable solution. 

With the price increases and with the current pandemic situation going on worldwide, a lot of the prices have fluctuated, but the packages and the all-encompassing features you get with the Microsoft package far outweigh the benefits from the Automation Anywhere side. Each package on the Automation Anywhere side is cheaper, but we need to continuously purchase subsequent packages to continue with our automation to the extent that we require. So, the Power Automate solution is a bit more pricey, but it does offer us a far better range of capabilities.

There are different development plans that you can use. Additional licenses might be required for additional features, such as your Azure Logic or your Dataverse capacity. There is a limited capacity package that you can purchase, and then you have to have an additional license for added capacity.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise paying critical attention to the environment that you're setting up. User access roles, either through Active Directory or through the database control method, should be the key focus. After that, you need to assign roles and licenses as necessary. From there on, you need to integrate the system. 

The Microsoft documentation portal for both cloud and on-premises is going to be the easiest to follow. All the solutions are there. For technical assistance from the Microsoft side, contact details are available on the documentation portal for any type of query.

I would rate it a solid eight out of ten. For me to give it a ten, there should be seamless integration between both the cloud and the on-premises solutions. There should be the exact same or similar functionality between the two to make the entire automation process a bit more streamlined.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
German Campos - PeerSpot reviewer
Pre-Sales Manager (Peruvian Branch) at Global hitss
Real User
Top 5
The solution is easy to understand and helps with automation but needs to improve the pricing
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Power Automate is an easy-to-understand solution."
  • "The tool should improve its price."

How has it helped my organization?

The solution has helped our company with automation. 

What is most valuable?

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

What needs improvement?

The tool should improve its price. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for three months. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

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

How are customer service and support?

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

How was the initial setup?

Microsoft Power Automate's setup is easy. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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CEO at BigxData
Real User
Easy to use, cost-effective solution to automate internal processes
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is relatively easy to use and cost-effective."
  • "The UI of the solution is not so good."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution to automate internal processes like leave applications.

What is most valuable?

The solution is relatively easy to use and cost-effective. It is also easy to learn and understand. It is part of Microsoft 365, so it's free. Additionally, it is easy to integrate Microsoft Teams with the solution.

What needs improvement?

The UI of the solution is not so good. Power BI's reporting functionality should be improved. 

The next release should include more functionalities and better reporting.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the stability an eight or nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate the scalability a seven or eight out of ten. Around 50 people in the organization use the solution, including five to seven administrators, 30 to 40 engineers, and nine to ten sales and marketing staff.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously we used Google Suite in collaboration with many other solutions. We needed it for process automation and for creating electronic signatures. It required us to subscribe to multiple solutions. However, we wanted only one or two platforms. So, we switched to Microsoft.

What about the implementation team?

The solution is not so difficult to deploy. The deployment takes up to two hours. I could deploy the solution myself. One engineer is enough for the maintenance of the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is free with Microsoft 365.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Microsoft Power Automate to those who use Microsoft 365. We search the instruction manual, FAQs, and other online documents when we face issues with the solution. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Abhimanyu Thite - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at Globant
Real User
Top 20
Easy to connect and authenticate but the desktop version needs improvment
Pros and Cons
  • "I like that Power Automate gives us a connector to be able to connect different data sources or different software."
  • "When you are doing desktop automation, they do not have a clear structure to create the code."

What is most valuable?

I like that Power Automate gives us a connector to be able to connect different data sources or different software. 

It is very easy to connect, authenticate, and automate our daily routine tasks.

What needs improvement?

There are many things that need to improve, but not with the cloud side, it's desktop automation.

When you are doing desktop automation, they do not have a clear structure to create the code. This means that we have a poor chance of creating the project.

When creating sub-flows, there are no separate parameters. Instead, they are all combined together on the main page.

I would like to see improvements made to the Power Automate Desktop.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been exploring this product for one month.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, I worked with Blue Prism and UiPath.

In my opinion, Blue Prism is far better than Power Automate, and UiPath is better than the desktop version.

Power Automate has the power to connect with different cloud sources, which is something that Blue Prism and UiPath do not have.

You can also create reusable code with Blue Prism and UiPath.

How was the initial setup?

We are using the cloud version. There is nothing to install on our machine.

What other advice do I have?

If you need to automate more on the cloud side, I would recommend Power Automate. If it's a third-party application they are trying to automate, I would try Blue Prism or UiPath.

I would rate Microsoft Power Automate a six out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Power Automate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Power Automate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.