The Microsoft Power Platform
FAQs
About Microsoft Power Platform
& Architecture
Microsoft Power Platform is a suite of cloud-based services for building low-code apps (Power Apps), automating workflows (Power Automate), analyzing data (Power BI), storing data securely (Dataverse), creating external portals (Power Pages), and embedding AI (Copilot & AI Builder) — all within Microsoft’s secure ecosystem.
Microsoft Power Platform is a suite of cloud-based services that enables organisations to build applications, automate processes, analyse data, and embed AI — all within the secure Microsoft cloud ecosystem.
The Microsoft Power Platform includes:
- Power Apps – Build low-code business applications for web and mobile, using structured data and role-based security.
- Power Automate – Automate workflows, approvals, and system integrations across Microsoft and third-party services.
- Power BI – Create interactive dashboards and reports to turn operational data into actionable insights.
- Dataverse – A secure, scalable data platform that stores structured business data with enterprise-grade governance and access control.
- Power Pages – Build secure external-facing portals and websites connected directly to business data.
- Copilot & AI Builder – Embed AI capabilities such as predictions, document processing, summarisation, and intelligent insights into apps and workflows.
Together, these services provide an integrated platform for modern, secure, and scalable business solutions.
Power Framework PPM is built as a Model-Driven Power App using Microsoft Dataverse as its secure data platform.
This means:
- The application follows a data-first architecture
- The user interface is generated from the data model
- Business logic is enforced using Dataverse rules and automation
- Security is managed using Microsoft’s enterprise-grade RBAC model
- It is deployed in your own Microsoft tenant, not hosted by us.
Learn more about your data security and Power Framework here.
Your data is stored in:
- Your own Microsoft Dataverse instance
- Your chosen Microsoft cloud region
- Your own Microsoft tenant
We do not host, store, or control your data.
Being Microsoft cloud native is important, because the solution:
- Uses the same secure authentication your users already trust (Entra ID / Azure AD)
- Aligns with your existing Microsoft governance model
- Integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and Azure
- Reduces third-party hosting risk
Yes. Dataverse provides:
- Enterprise-grade relational database capabilities
- Support for large datasets
- Advanced query performance
- Structured schema management
- Full lifecycle management (Dev/Test/Prod)
Environments & Deployment
Microsoft’s Power Platform environment is a logical container that isolates and organizes apps, Dataverse databases, automation flows, security roles, and integrations, ensuring secure separation between development, testing, and production stages for controlled and reliable management.
A Microsoft Power Platform environment is a logical container for:
- Apps
- Dataverse database
- Flows
- Security roles
- Integrations
- It ensures isolation between development, testing, and production.
Here at Power Framework, we follow enterprise best practices:
- Development Environment (in our tenant)
Used for build and controlled enhancements. - Pre-Production Environment (in your tenant)
Used for testing, training, and sign-off. - Production Environment (in your tenant)
Live system with live data.
All environments benefit from built-in Microsoft backup and continuity features.
We deploy using:
- A Managed Power Apps Solution
- Power BI report templates
- Optional Azure Managed Application
- Optional SharePoint document library integration
Managed solutions ensure:
- Controlled updates
- Version management
- Upgrade/patch capability
- Core system protection
In most cases: No (with some exceptions). Applications are locked down to:
- Protect system integrity
- Maintain supportability
- Ensure upgrade compatibility
However, customers can:
- Build their own Power BI reports
- Add Power Automate workflows
- Extend integrations
- Build out AI Agents and Copilot features
Security & Identity
Authentication is handled through Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD).
This enables:
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Conditional Access Policies
- B2B Guest Access
Power Framework uses Dataverse RBAC to control:
- Table-level permissions (create, read, update, delete)
- Record-level access (own, business unit, global)
- Field-level security
- Form-level access
- Business unit segmentation
- Security roles such as PMO or Project Manager are configured during implementation.
Yes. Power Framework supports:
- Business Units
- Teams
- Security Groups
This ensures users only see relevant data for their role and department.
Yes. Dataverse auditing supports:
- Login tracking
- Record changes
- Security role changes
- Data modifications
Audit logs can integrate with:
- Microsoft Purview
- Microsoft Sentinel
- Power BI
Compliance & Data Privacy
You own the data, because the solution runs entirely in your Microsoft tenant. You retain full ownership and control all access policies, while Microsoft acts only as a data processor. We access your environment solely when explicitly authorized.
You do. Because the solution runs in your tenant:
- You retain full ownership
- You control all access policies
- Microsoft acts as a data processor
- We only access the environment when authorised
Read all about our fully accredited no-nonsense approach to compliance and data privacy on our security page.
Power Framework’s deployment model supports:
- GDPR compliance
- HIPAA (where applicable)
- Data residency requirements
- Data sovereignty requirements
- DLP enforcement
- Retention policies
- There is no third-party SaaS data hosting risk
Operations & Support
Support for the solution is provided collaboratively: Microsoft handles the Power Platform infrastructure, the Power Framework Helpdesk manages application support, and we deliver 2nd/3rd-line support, while your internal team provides 1st-line assistance.
Support is provided through:
- Microsoft (for the Power Platform infrastructure)
- Power Framework Helpdesk (for the application)
- We operate as 2nd/3rd line support, with your internal team providing 1st line support.
Updates are delivered as:
- Patches
- Version upgrades
- Controlled enhancements
- All updates are managed through structured ALM processes across environments.
In the event backup and disaster recovery are required, Microsoft provides:
- 99.9% SLA
- Geo-redundant storage
- Automated failover
- Dataverse backups (automatic and manual restore)
- Customers can implement additional DR strategies via Azure if required.
Integration in the Microsoft
Power Platform
Microsoft Power Platform is designed as an integration-first platform.
It includes:
- 1,000+ prebuilt connectors
- Native integration with Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure
- Secure API-based connectivity
- Event-driven automation via Power Automate
- Enterprise-grade governance and DLP controls
Because Power Framework PPM is built on Power Apps and Dataverse, it inherits this full integration ecosystem.
A connector is a prebuilt integration component that allows Microsoft Power Platform to communicate securely with another system.
Connectors allow you to:
- Read data
- Write data
- Trigger workflows
- Synchronise systems
- Automate cross-system processes
Examples include:
- SharePoint
- Microsoft Teams
- Planner
- Project Online
- Dynamics 365
- Azure DevOps
- Jira
- SAP
- Salesforce
Microsoft provides over 1,000 standard and premium connectors, covering:
- Microsoft services
- Enterprise SaaS platforms
- Finance systems
- CRM platforms
- IT service management tools
- HR systems
- Custom APIs
This significantly reduces the need for custom integration development.
Yes.
If your system:
- Has an API
- Supports OData
- Supports REST or SOAP services
- Exposes a database endpoint
It can typically be integrated using:
- Power Automate connectors
- Custom connectors
- Azure Functions
- Azure API Management
Power Framework PPM is architected to support these integration approaches.
If no prebuilt connector exists, we can:
- Build a custom connector
- Use Azure Functions as a secure middleware layer
- Use Azure Logic Apps
- Integrate via SQL, web services, or event-based messaging
This ensures flexibility without compromising governance.
Yes.
Integration operates within:
- Your Microsoft tenant
- Your Entra ID identity model
- Your Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies
- Your environment-level security controls
Administrators can:
- Restrict which connectors can be used
- Control data movement between business and non-business connectors
- Monitor usage in the Microsoft Power Platform Admin Center
Because Power Framework runs in your tenant, integration security remains fully under your control.
Yes.
Power Automate enables:
- Event-triggered flows (e.g., when a project is created)
- Scheduled synchronisations
- Background batch processing
- Approval workflows
- Exception handling and notifications
For more advanced scenarios, Azure services can support:
- High-volume processing
- Data modelling snapshots
- Cost transaction imports
p>Yes.
Examples include:
- Automatic creation of a Team when a project is approved
- Creation of project-specific channels
- Linking document libraries
- Notifications to project stakeholders
This keeps collaboration aligned with structured portfolio governance.
Not usually.
Microsoft Power Platform offers:
- Low-code configuration for standard connectors
- Minimal coding for custom connectors
- Pro-code extensibility when required
This reduces cost, accelerates deployment, and improves maintainability.
Using Microsoft Power Platform integration provides:
- Unified security model
- Single governance framework
- Reduced architectural complexity
- Lower infrastructure overhead
- Seamless alignment with Microsoft ecosystem
- No additional third-party hosting risk
It ensures integration is embedded within your business platform rather than bolted on externally.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Microsoft
Power Platform
AI at work is redefining how organizations operate. And with that, Microsoft’s Power Platform excels at AI because of Dataverse’s structured data, built-in Copilot and AI Builder, Power Automate automation, Azure OpenAI integration, and secure Microsoft cloud governance — embedding AI directly into business processes without data leaving your tenant.
Microsoft Power Platform is uniquely positioned for AI because it combines:
- A structured enterprise data layer (Dataverse)
- Built-in AI services (Copilot & AI Builder)
- Workflow automation (Power Automate)
- Secure Microsoft cloud infrastructure
- Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 and Azure AI
Unlike standalone AI tools, Microsoft Power Platform embeds AI directly inside business processes, securely and at scale.
Microsoft Power Platform includes:
- Copilot – AI-powered assistance embedded within apps
- AI Builder – Prebuilt and custom AI models (prediction, classification, document processing)
- Azure AI integration – Access to advanced AI services including OpenAI models
- Power Automate AI actions – Automated AI-driven workflows
These capabilities allow organisations to introduce AI without building complex infrastructure from scratch.
AI is only as good as the data behind it.
Dataverse provides:
- Structured, relational data
- Clean, governed datasets
- Role-based security controls
- Auditability and compliance
- High-performance querying
Because Power Framework PPM uses Dataverse as its foundation, AI models can operate on trusted, enterprise-grade data rather than siloed spreadsheets or disconnected systems.
Yes. That is one of Microsoft Power Platform’s greatest strengths.
AI can be embedded into:
- Project demand intake scoring
- Risk prediction and classification
- Benefits realisation forecasting
- Portfolio scenario modelling
- Automated document analysis
- Intelligent status summarisation
- Resource capacity forecasting
Because AI runs within the same secure tenant as the application, insights are contextual and immediately actionable.
Yes. AI operates within:
- Your Microsoft tenant
- Your existing Entra ID identity model
- Your DLP policies
- Your compliance framework
This means AI respects:
- Role-based access control
- Data residency requirements
- Industry compliance standards
Unlike external AI tools, your data does not leave your controlled environment.
Yes.
Microsoft Power Platform can integrate with:
- Azure OpenAI Service
- Custom Azure Machine Learning models
- External AI services via secure connectors
This allows organisations to scale from low-code AI use cases to advanced enterprise AI strategies.
Not necessarily.
Microsoft Power Platform supports:
- Low-code AI Builder models
- Prompt-based Copilot interactions
- Prebuilt AI templates
- Pro-code extensibility when required
This enables both business users and professional developers to collaborate on AI innovation.
AI in Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is especially useful because, within context, it can:
- Detect portfolio risks early
- Predict delivery delays
- Identify cost anomalies
- Automatically summarise board reports
- Analyse historic project performance
- Suggest prioritisation decisions
Because Power Framework PPM is built on Microsoft Power Platform’s data-first architecture, AI can operate across the entire portfolio dataset in a governed, scalable way.
Standalone AI tools often:
- Require data extraction
- Duplicate security controls
- Create shadow IT risks
- Sit outside core business processes
Microsoft Power Platform:
- Embeds AI inside the system of record
- Uses existing Microsoft governance
- Leverages structured enterprise data
- Scales across the organisation
- Avoids third-party data hosting risk
Ready to unlock your technology's full potential?
Power Framework harnesses the market-leading capabilities of the Microsoft cloud to fuel collaboration, automation, and business intelligence. Let’s get started.