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Microsoft flow development

What is Microsoft flow? Common Microsoft Flow questions

By Rashmi Kaushik / October 30, 2019

October 31, 2023
What is Microsoft flow? Common Microsoft Flow questions

Microsoft Flow is a software platform designed to help businesses improve sales and productivity. Microsoft Flow is equipped with tools that enable workers to streamline business operations while increasing the quality of services provided. It is built on a cloud-based platform that allows numerous staff members to access live data and feeds from anywhere and at any time.

The automation features on Microsoft Flow also ensures that mundane and monotonous business tasks are executed without fail. The errors due to fatigue, boredom, or any other human weaknesses are eliminated.

Microsoft Flow accomplishes this by repeatedly performing encoded commands without failure or error, thereby ensuring uniformity in the results. To complete a task.

It does not require human supervision past the programming stage. Such a job is referred to as ‘Flow’. A Flow is created when the user inputs a command or set of commands for the automation software to execute once certain specified conditions are met. The specified events that signal the app to execute the programmed command are called a ‘trigger'.

Once the Flow is created, results can be accessed and managed on a variety of devices, both desktop and mobile, and a variety of operating system platforms. It also integrates well with other Microsoft applications such as PowerApps, Power Bi, Dynamics and Office 365.

Depending on the preset Flow, Microsoft Flow can automate simple tasks such as data inputs and notifications. It can also automate very complex workflows that contain numerous steps, stages, and triggers.

It’s the ability to integrate with other Microsoft services and software increases the variety of elements that could be used as a trigger.

For most businesses, Flow is commonly used to trigger notifications. Triggering notifications is an effective move to monitor sales leads, track business transactions, and follow the development of workflows.

When integrated with Dynamics 365, Microsoft Flow may be used to send email or SMS alerts to business partners and customers once a particular market analytic is reported. It is also useful in making market research and data mining.

Flows can be created that tell the software to search social media platforms and copy posts that are related to a specific topic or product. it can then copy the results of such search and upload to Dropbox, SharePoint, or OneDrive for ease of access and storage.

Bots or Flow bots are other terms used to describe Microsoft Flow codes. A Flow not can also be used in closed company networks and team workspace.

Flowbots can be used to monitor and report bugs in work applications for all users in the workspace. Reports can be sent automatically to the support team or logged for later.

It can also integrate with other non-Microsoft platforms and services such as Box, DocuSign, Google Drive, Twitter, Salesforce, and SQL Server. Integration with such platforms cab only is achieved through connectors.

A Microsoft flow Http connector is an API proxy that is designed to make compatibility between third party applications and Microsoft Flow possible. A connector API ensures that both platforms connect correctly. It also allows connection to other cloud-based services such as PowerApps and Azure Logic Apps.

Types of Microsoft Flow

Generally, Microsoft Flow can be divided into two: manual flows and automatic flows. The classification flows usually based on how they are triggered.

Manual flows are triggered by the command of a user, such as with the press of a button. Manual flows are also known as Button flows. Automatic flows are triggered without the express command of a user, usually based on the fulfilment of individual requirements.

Automatic flows can also be divided into two: Automated and Scheduled.

Automated flows are triggered when preset events happen or when predefined conditions are satisfied.

Scheduled flows, as the name implies, are triggered by a preconfigured timeline. Once the preset time is reached, the flow bot executes its programmed task.

Also, read: Introduction to Microsoft Power Automate – Working with Flow

Microsoft Flow Examples

Data Collection

This feature is essential to market analysts and campaign managers looking for information. Microsoft Flow integration using connectors give the Flow bots access to social media and the wealth of available customer data.

You can track product reviews or customer reactions on social media to upload to SharePoint. The not can also be programmed to update this file regularly.

Push Notifications

Notifications are quite crucial for management and sales jobs that require you to multitask and monitor different events. Microsoft can be programmed to send email or SMS alerts when a specific event occurs.

Push notifications team members, business partners, or customers. Integration with a CRM will provide it with relevant contacts to alert.

Forms Approval

Continually scanning mundane forms that are awaiting your approval can turn into a very odious task, especially when other essential tasks vie for attention.

Microsoft Flow bots can be used to automate the approval of numerous requests and forms. This will speed up the work rate of your employees and increase your productivity.

Integrations

With HTTP connectors, Microsoft Flow can integrate with numerous services and platforms. This provides additional functionality, centralized database, and interoperability.

For example, an integration with CRM will allow Microsoft Flow to access your customer contact data to automate pish notifications.

Integration with Twitter will enable tracking of online product review and customer reaction, while integration with SharePoint will enable documents to be automatically copied and stored on SharePoint.

Self-Timers

One simple flow is to set the flow not to alert you after a set period or at a specific event. Such even maybe a particular customer's call, percentage completion on a task, or user login.

Common Microsoft Flow Questions

Q.1) What device can run Microsoft Flow?

A) Microsoft Flow is accessible with desktop and mobile devices. Mobile devices use a mobile app, and desktops use a browser; both need an email address.

Q.2) Which browsers are compatible with Microsoft Flow?

A) Microsoft Flow is compatible with all modern browsers, and on mobile devices using the mobile app.

Q.3) Is any email address compatible with Microsoft Flow?

A) Microsoft Flow will accept any email address except those that end with .gov and .mil.

Q.4) What are templates?

A) Templates are preset flows that are suitable for frequent or popular tasks. You can use templates by modifying all the relevant settings.

Q.5) Is there are a limit to the number of flows?

A) At the start, Microsoft Flow comes with 50 flows. You can add to this by requesting more.

Q.6) Can flows be turned off or removed?

A) Yes. There is a switch option to stop or allow flows to execute runs.

Q.7) Can I share flows?

A) Yes. You can permit other users in your group to manually run flows or add them as ‘owners’ to also allow editing.

Also, read: Microsoft Power Automate with Robotic Process Automation capabilities in UI flows.

What you should be getting developers for.

Connectors are critical to Microsoft Flow. With all its usefulness, Microsoft Flow gets a whole new level once it can integrate with other third-party services and platforms. While using Microsoft is very easy, building API proxy connectors are not. At this point you need a developer for:

Building the Right Connectors

There are so many useful apps that you're most likely already using, and not all of them would be from Microsoft. Having the right connectors will help you seamlessly integrate Flow into the connection and increase its functionality.

Complex Process Automation

While general process automation does not require a developer, if you are a novice, you may like to have someone over your shoulder. Building longer flows may require a bit of supervision.

Custom Connectors

Microsoft Flow usually comes equipped with some standard connectors. If you find the connector you need is unavailable the, you need to call a developer.

Asynchronous Connectors

Asynchronous connectors are required when you need to run complex and longer flows on an integrated platform. Asynchronous connectors are difficult to troubleshoot and complex to build.

Renaming Connectors

Once a connector is built, it can't be renamed. If you need to rename a connector, then you have to rebuild from scratch.

[sc name="Microsoft Flow"] [apss_share]

Microsoft Flow is a software platform designed to help businesses improve sales and productivity. Microsoft Flow is equipped with tools that enable workers to streamline business operations while increasing the quality of services provided. It is built on a cloud-based platform that allows numerous staff members to access live data and feeds from anywhere and at any time.

The automation features on Microsoft Flow also ensures that mundane and monotonous business tasks are executed without fail. The errors due to fatigue, boredom, or any other human weaknesses are eliminated.

Microsoft Flow accomplishes this by repeatedly performing encoded commands without failure or error, thereby ensuring uniformity in the results. To complete a task.

It does not require human supervision past the programming stage. Such a job is referred to as ‘Flow’. A Flow is created when the user inputs a command or set of commands for the automation software to execute once certain specified conditions are met. The specified events that signal the app to execute the programmed command are called a ‘trigger’.

Once the Flow is created, results can be accessed and managed on a variety of devices, both desktop and mobile, and a variety of operating system platforms. It also integrates well with other Microsoft applications such as PowerApps, Power Bi, Dynamics and Office 365.

Depending on the preset Flow, Microsoft Flow can automate simple tasks such as data inputs and notifications. It can also automate very complex workflows that contain numerous steps, stages, and triggers.

It’s the ability to integrate with other Microsoft services and software increases the variety of elements that could be used as a trigger.

For most businesses, Flow is commonly used to trigger notifications. Triggering notifications is an effective move to monitor sales leads, track business transactions, and follow the development of workflows.

When integrated with Dynamics 365, Microsoft Flow may be used to send email or SMS alerts to business partners and customers once a particular market analytic is reported. It is also useful in making market research and data mining.

Flows can be created that tell the software to search social media platforms and copy posts that are related to a specific topic or product. it can then copy the results of such search and upload to Dropbox, SharePoint, or OneDrive for ease of access and storage.

Bots or Flow bots are other terms used to describe Microsoft Flow codes. A Flow not can also be used in closed company networks and team workspace.

Flowbots can be used to monitor and report bugs in work applications for all users in the workspace. Reports can be sent automatically to the support team or logged for later.

It can also integrate with other non-Microsoft platforms and services such as Box, DocuSign, Google Drive, Twitter, Salesforce, and SQL Server. Integration with such platforms cab only is achieved through connectors.

A Microsoft flow Http connector is an API proxy that is designed to make compatibility between third party applications and Microsoft Flow possible. A connector API ensures that both platforms connect correctly. It also allows connection to other cloud-based services such as PowerApps and Azure Logic Apps.

Types of Microsoft Flow

Generally, Microsoft Flow can be divided into two: manual flows and automatic flows. The classification flows usually based on how they are triggered.

Manual flows are triggered by the command of a user, such as with the press of a button. Manual flows are also known as Button flows. Automatic flows are triggered without the express command of a user, usually based on the fulfilment of individual requirements.

Automatic flows can also be divided into two: Automated and Scheduled.

Automated flows are triggered when preset events happen or when predefined conditions are satisfied.

Scheduled flows, as the name implies, are triggered by a preconfigured timeline. Once the preset time is reached, the flow bot executes its programmed task.

Also, read: Introduction to Microsoft Power Automate – Working with Flow

Microsoft Flow Examples

Data Collection

This feature is essential to market analysts and campaign managers looking for information. Microsoft Flow integration using connectors give the Flow bots access to social media and the wealth of available customer data.

You can track product reviews or customer reactions on social media to upload to SharePoint. The not can also be programmed to update this file regularly.

Push Notifications

Notifications are quite crucial for management and sales jobs that require you to multitask and monitor different events. Microsoft can be programmed to send email or SMS alerts when a specific event occurs.

Push notifications team members, business partners, or customers. Integration with a CRM will provide it with relevant contacts to alert.

Forms Approval

Continually scanning mundane forms that are awaiting your approval can turn into a very odious task, especially when other essential tasks vie for attention.

Microsoft Flow bots can be used to automate the approval of numerous requests and forms. This will speed up the work rate of your employees and increase your productivity.

Integrations

With HTTP connectors, Microsoft Flow can integrate with numerous services and platforms. This provides additional functionality, centralized database, and interoperability.

For example, an integration with CRM will allow Microsoft Flow to access your customer contact data to automate pish notifications.

Integration with Twitter will enable tracking of online product review and customer reaction, while integration with SharePoint will enable documents to be automatically copied and stored on SharePoint.

Self-Timers

One simple flow is to set the flow not to alert you after a set period or at a specific event. Such even maybe a particular customer’s call, percentage completion on a task, or user login.

Common Microsoft Flow Questions

Q.1) What device can run Microsoft Flow?

A) Microsoft Flow is accessible with desktop and mobile devices. Mobile devices use a mobile app, and desktops use a browser; both need an email address.

Q.2) Which browsers are compatible with Microsoft Flow?

A) Microsoft Flow is compatible with all modern browsers, and on mobile devices using the mobile app.

Q.3) Is any email address compatible with Microsoft Flow?

A) Microsoft Flow will accept any email address except those that end with .gov and .mil.

Q.4) What are templates?

A) Templates are preset flows that are suitable for frequent or popular tasks. You can use templates by modifying all the relevant settings.

Q.5) Is there are a limit to the number of flows?

A) At the start, Microsoft Flow comes with 50 flows. You can add to this by requesting more.

Q.6) Can flows be turned off or removed?

A) Yes. There is a switch option to stop or allow flows to execute runs.

Q.7) Can I share flows?

A) Yes. You can permit other users in your group to manually run flows or add them as ‘owners’ to also allow editing.

Also, read: Microsoft Power Automate with Robotic Process Automation capabilities in UI flows.

What you should be getting developers for.

Connectors are critical to Microsoft Flow. With all its usefulness, Microsoft Flow gets a whole new level once it can integrate with other third-party services and platforms. While using Microsoft is very easy, building API proxy connectors are not. At this point you need a developer for:

Building the Right Connectors

There are so many useful apps that you’re most likely already using, and not all of them would be from Microsoft. Having the right connectors will help you seamlessly integrate Flow into the connection and increase its functionality.

Complex Process Automation

While general process automation does not require a developer, if you are a novice, you may like to have someone over your shoulder. Building longer flows may require a bit of supervision.

Custom Connectors

Microsoft Flow usually comes equipped with some standard connectors. If you find the connector you need is unavailable the, you need to call a developer.

Asynchronous Connectors

Asynchronous connectors are required when you need to run complex and longer flows on an integrated platform. Asynchronous connectors are difficult to troubleshoot and complex to build.

Renaming Connectors

Once a connector is built, it can’t be renamed. If you need to rename a connector, then you have to rebuild from scratch.

Microsoft Flow Consulting Services

Contact Us to know more about Microsoft Flow and how it can help you automate your day to day tasks or quickly build connected apps across heterogeneous services.

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