Power Automate — standard workflows
Use this stage when the work should run as a repeatable process: 'when X happens, do Y'. Many valuable awarding-organisation automations do not need AI at all.
Typical products and features
- Power Automate cloud flows
- Microsoft Forms
- SharePoint Lists
- Outlook
- Teams
- Planner
- Approvals
- OneDrive
Best-fit users
- Operations teams
- Customer support
- Quality assurance
- Product administration
- Centre approval teams
- Compliance coordinators
Extra cost risk: Usually low when standard connectors are enough
Watch-outs
- Prefer standard workflows where they solve the problem; they are often cheaper and easier to test than AI-based automation.
- Moving from Microsoft 365 connectors to external or premium systems can change licensing requirements.
- Flows need named owners, documentation, monitoring and continuity planning.
- Include flows in offboarding so they do not become orphaned when makers leave.
Example use cases (11)
Centre query intake
Forms submission creates a List item and Teams alert
Where: Power Automate
Qualification review tracker
New document upload creates Planner tasks
Where: Power Automate
Conflict declaration reminders
Staff receive scheduled reminders and managers see completion
Where: Power Automate
EQA action tracking
Overdue EQA actions trigger Teams notifications
Where: Power Automate
Complaint acknowledgement
Email receipt creates a case record and acknowledgement
Where: Power Automate
Centre approval checklist
Checklist item changes trigger reviewer notifications
Where: Power Automate
Document upload notification
New centre document alerts the right team
Where: Power Automate
Policy review reminder
Scheduled reminders for policy owners
Where: Power Automate
Meeting action reminders
Actions from a List trigger reminder emails
Where: Power Automate
Governance evidence tracker
Evidence request status updates stakeholders
Where: Power Automate
Archive stale project spaces for Copilot readiness
IT uses a non-AI workflow to ask site owners whether old qualification project sites should be archived, retained or cleaned up before wider Copilot rollout.
Where: SharePoint / Power Automate / Teams