Power Up Your Productivity with Microsoft Power Automate
In today’s fast-paced academic environment, finding ways to streamline your work and save time is essential. That’s where Microsoft Power Automate can make a real difference! Available to UTM staff and faculty, this powerful web-based tool automates repetitive tasks and simplifies complex workflows, helping you stay focused on what really matters.
What is Power Automate?
Power Automate, part of the Microsoft 365 suite, allows you to create automated workflows between different apps and services. It’s designed to handle tasks like sending notifications, collecting data, scheduling reminders, and more—all without requiring any coding skills. Whether you’re connecting Microsoft Office tools like Outlook and Excel or integrating with SharePoint and OneDrive, Power Automate can streamline your day-to-day work with just a few clicks.
How Can It Benefit UTM Staff and Faculty?
Power Automate offers specific benefits that help increase productivity and efficiency, allowing you to focus more on strategic tasks rather than routine administrative work. Here are some real-life examples of how UTM staff and faculty are using Power Automate to simplify their daily tasks:
Automated Meeting Scheduling: Faculty members who frequently need to schedule office hours or research meetings can create a flow that automatically updates their calendars based on student or colleague requests. This eliminates back-and-forth emails and ensures everyone stays on the same page.
Streamlined Student Assignment Submission: Using Power Automate, instructors can set up automated notifications to remind students of upcoming assignment deadlines and receive alerts when assignments are submitted in Microsoft Teams or OneDrive.
Efficient Data Collection and Reporting: For staff working with research data or administrative forms, Power Automate can automatically collect data from various sources (e.g., Microsoft Forms or Excel) and compile it into a single report, saving hours of manual data entry.
Simplified Purchase Order Approval Process: Administrative staff can automate purchase order requests by creating approval workflows that route documents through the necessary approvers and notify requesters once completed. This reduces delays and keeps the process moving smoothly.
Key Areas for Automation with Power Automate
Our analysis identifies six key task types that can be significantly optimized using Power Automate:
Approvals
Coordination
Mail Merge
Data Migration/Archiving
Form Submission and Intake
Notifications, Reminders, and Reports
Key Features of Power Automate
Ready-Made Templates: Choose from a library of pre-built templates to jumpstart your automation without starting from scratch.
Seamless Integration: Connect various Microsoft and third-party applications, making it easy to design workflows that span multiple platforms.
Secure and Compliant: Power Automate is built with enterprise-grade security and compliance features, ensuring your data is handled responsibly.
Get Started Today!
Ready to see how Power Automate can streamline your work and increase productivity? Submit a support ticket to get started or visit our KB for more details.
Empower Yourself and Your Team with Automation
Microsoft Power Automate empowers UTM staff and faculty to work smarter, not harder. Whether you’re looking to streamline approvals, automate notifications, or reduce manual data entry, Power Automate is your solution to boost efficiency and stay focused on what matters most—your research, teaching, and strategic goals.
Let us help you harness the power of automation to take your productivity to the next level!
