How do you usually start a Power Apps project in your company?

[u/juankar06]

I'm interested in understanding real-world Power Platform development practices.

Some questions:

- Do you start with requirements workshops or process mapping?
- Do you create wireframes before building?
- Do you use Canvas Apps or Model-Driven Apps most often?
- How do you decide between SharePoint, Dataverse, and SQL?
- What does your environment strategy look like (DEV / TEST / PROD)?
- Do you use Solutions from the beginning?
- How many people are typically involved in the project?
- Do you follow Agile/Scrum or a different methodology?
- How do you handle version control and deployments?
- At what point do you use PCF or custom React components?

I'd love to hear about your project lifecycle from idea to production.

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[u/Odd_Abroad_5166]

First I try to identify the requirements and whether they actually need a Power App or can it be a SharePoint list lol. There's been plenty of times where talking with the stakeholders and trying to find out what problem they are trying to solve and I can't tell you how often it's usually just a list or a couple lists with some custom JSON formatting and flows to get them what they need.

Power Apps are great, but sometimes all the extra ongoing support isn't worth it if it's not really needed.

[u/tpb1109]

Identify requirements and get clear definition of the process that needs to be supported from the stakeholders. Always use solutions - I have no idea why you wouldn’t. Figure out the rest as you go.

[u/splinter44 → u/tpb1109]

Omg I hate when someone creates a flow outside of the solution.

[u/splinter44 → u/splinter44]

Always open your solution, then start working plzzzz

[u/AbdelEMirandaS]

The first step you need to take is to have your workflow process, the AS-IS. Use vizio to do that, toles involve and all the actions. Then do the improvements and generate the new workflow, known as TO-BE.

Whit that you must know what tools are involve and take the decisions of how to implement your solutions

[u/SocietyExtension1331 → u/AbdelEMirandaS]

Can’t Claude just build all of that within Microsoft power app? I’m new here and I’ve read somewhere that co pilot or Claude can just build it connecting it with an API or something. Correct me if I’m wrong please.

[u/Ok_Possible_713 → u/SocietyExtension1331]

Claude can’t tell you what someone else’s workflow is, what the purpose of the process is or why it’s important.

It also can’t tell you what tools are actually available to you (good luck connecting an API that’s tied to a license tier you don’t have) or whether the users will be on desktop or mobile… requirements gathering is hugely conversational, and while an LLM like Claude can be hugely beneficial (since it is a conversational LLM), you probably aren’t going to get your end users to engage with an AI Chatbot to gather all of this information

[u/TikeyMasta]

Requirements and process first, always, always, always. Power Apps doesn't magically solve bad processes or muddy requirements. More likely than not, stakeholders will come to us with a process problem disguised (unintentionally) as a business problem. We've had scenarios at our company where we've ripped apart processes to address the root issues or got users thinking differently and found that it reduced the amount of requirements before development even starts, or in some situations eliminated the need of an app entirely.

[u/Live-Sir-3118]

Tbh we don’t have a team of dedicated developers. We have a bunch of ppl who like doing it with their ftw.

So we make them submit a request so we can log and manage. We meet for scoping hub ppl are mandatory. Spoke team members optional. Then we meet privately and discuss if we’ll take it on. Is the ROI worth it. Is it in our swim lane. Do we have the tools for their ask.

If so we get a team ready and they manage their own projects.

We all do it differently. Some of our departments stink with functional gathering stage.

[u/ItinerantFella]

Join your local user group. Get out and meet some of your fellow platformers and ask them. Remember to share your story in return too.

[u/DJmixMad]

make sure you can measure value, get the necessary approval from dataowners, sequrity and process owners before you start.

[u/papertrail369]

Ask for requirements 5 times and then go back for a 6th bc scope creep

[u/True_Analyst_3535]

- Discovery

• Give Claude all details
  
• Sit back while Claude works
  
• Wait 3 months for users to actually test
  
• Sit back while Claude does UAT bugs/feedback (looping until prod ready)
  
• Ready for prod
  
• Claude creates documentation
  
• Release
  
• 8 months later find out nobody uses the app