
Automate the Everyday: 5 Time-Saving Microsoft Power Automate Flows for Your Workday
π· Introduction to Microsoft Power Automate
Microsoft Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) is a cloud-based automation platform that helps you streamline repetitive tasks across Microsoft 365 and beyond. Whether you’re working with Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, or third-party apps like Twitter or Trello, Power Automate lets you build βflowsβ that connect services and automate actions β all without writing code.
In this tutorial, weβll explore five real-world business scenarios that show how Power Automate can save time, reduce errors, and boost productivity.
β Scenario 1: Extract Data from SharePoint Files and Update Microsoft Lists
Use Case: Automatically process uploaded documents and update a central tracker.
Steps:
- Trigger: SharePoint β When a file is created in a folder
- Action 1: AI Builder β Extract key data (e.g., invoice number, date, amount)
- Action 2: Microsoft Lists β Add a new item with extracted data
- Optional: Send a Teams notification to confirm the update
β Scenario 2: Auto-Approve Leave Requests Submitted via Microsoft Forms
Use Case: Streamline HR approvals for small teams.
Steps:
- Trigger: Microsoft Forms β When a new response is submitted
- Action 1: Get response details
- Action 2: Condition β If leave duration < 3 days, auto-approve
- Action 3: Outlook β Send approval email to employee
- Else: Notify manager for manual review
β Scenario 3: Send Teams Notifications When a Planner Task Is Overdue
Use Case: Keep your team accountable and on schedule.
Steps:
- Trigger: Scheduled flow β Run daily
- Action 1: Get all tasks from Microsoft Planner
- Action 2: Filter tasks where due date < today and status β completed
- Action 3: Microsoft Teams β Post a message tagging the task owner
β Scenario 4: Archive Outlook Email Attachments to OneDrive
Use Case: Automatically back up important attachments.
Steps:
- Trigger: Outlook β When a new email arrives with attachments
- Condition: If subject contains βInvoiceβ or βContractβ
- Action: OneDrive β Save attachments to a specific folder
- Optional: Send a confirmation email to yourself
β Scenario 5: Create a Daily Digest Email from Flagged Outlook Emails
Use Case: Summarize your most important emails in one place.
Steps:
- Trigger: Scheduled flow β Run every morning at 8 AM
- Action 1: Search Outlook for flagged emails from the past 24 hours
- Action 2: Compile subject lines and send a summary email to yourself
- Optional: Include links to open each email directly
