Power Platform — The App Matrix
As the Power Platform continues to grow and we see a rise in demand of all types of apps, we can sometimes begin to wonder which app or apps do we really need?
Example
- Will a Canvas App suffice to help internal staff raise an incident OR
- Would a Dynamics 365 Model-Driven App such as Customer Service, with all the built-in functionality around case management be better? AND
- How will our external customers access their data?
To help us answer all these questions let’s first start by looking at each of the different types of Power Platform apps.
Welcome to the Matrix… the App Matrix 😊
First Things First: What are Power Apps?
Power Apps is a suite of apps, services, connectors and a data platform that provides a rapid application development environment to build custom apps for your business needs. Using Power Apps, you can quickly build custom business apps that connect to your business data stored either in the underlying data platform (Microsoft Dataverse) or in various online and on-premise data sources (SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, SQL Server, and so on).
Canvas Apps
The clue is in the name! Imagine a Canvas App as being a ‘blank canvas’ on which we can drag and drop components such as images and objects etc.
Since we start with a blank canvas, we’re able to have full control over the UI/UX of the application, allowing us to choose the colours, button sizes, design and layout etc. allowing you as the Power App maker to unleash your inner Picasso :)
It is worth noting that currently there are over 300 connectors available, to make integration easy, such as between SharePoint and Dynamics 365.
Key Points for Canvas Apps
- Ideal for when you require full control over the UI/UX design
- Ideal for simple business processes where the app needs to meet a single goal such a holiday requests or event registration
- Ideal for when the data doesn’t all have to be stored in a single place e.g. the data doesn’t all have to be in the Dataverse or may currently be held elsewhere already
- Ideal for mobile/tablet apps which require simple buttons and easy navigation
Model-Driven Apps
Model-Driven Apps unlike canvas apps are driven by the data model (Dataverse) in a data first approach. Model-Driven Apps are therefore focused around the data model (tables, columns, relationships) which are built on Dataverse. This type of app is more suited to complex business processes which involve multiple steps and guidance for the user, this may include the design of a complex business processes, workflows, and end to end solutions.
Key Points for Model-Driven Apps
- Model-Driven Apps leverage out-of-the-box forms and design so you have less control over the UI than you would with Canvas Apps
- In Model-Driven Apps the data is all stored in Dataverse
- Ideal for more complex business processes. e.g. opportunity management, case management etc.
Dynamics 365 (Model-Driven Apps)
Dynamics 365 Model-Driven Apps are essentially Model-Driven Apps which leverage Microsoft IP. They look and feel exactly like a regular Model-Driven App and are configured in the same way, with everything being built on top of Dataverse and surfaced via columns on forms etc.
The Dynamics 365 Sales App for example, already contains pre-built business processes around lead and opportunity management whilst the Dynamics 365 Customer Service application contains functionality around knowledge base and SLA management. As you can see these apps already contain core functionality which can be used directly out-of-the-box or extended via further configuration if required.
Key Points for Dynamics 365 (Model-Driven Apps)
- Ideal for when you wish to utilise existing Microsoft IP instead of building similar from scratch, such as a Case Management solution or a Field Service WO scheduling solution
- These apps contain restricted entities within Dataverse that cannot be accessed without the correct license and cannot be accessed by simply having a Model-Driven App with a Power App licence
- All Model-Driven App data is stored in Dataverse
Power Apps Portals
Power Apps Portals allow for external facing access to your solution (Dataverse) so that your customers, partners, or any other contacts are able to interact with your data via a web portal connected to Dynamics 365 or Power Apps.
Key Points for Power Apps Portals
- External facing and allows for external users to interact with your data
- Allows for unauthenticated (anonymous) users who may wish to view/browse your web portal
- Connects to Dataverse
OK, so which app(s) do I need?
The below diagram shows a simple flow in helping to determine which type of app(s) you may need. Note: this is a not an absolute, exhaustive criteria for determining the app you need but more of a general guideline in helping which app(s) could be best fit for purpose.
The Red Pill OR the Blue Pill?
Whilst there are differences between apps as mentioned above, it is worth highlighting that multiple apps are commonly used together to deliver a full end-to-end process. For example:
- A Canvas App to be used by remote workers to update and upload data whilst they are away from the office with the data being stored in the Dataverse
- Model-Driven Apps are then used by the back-office teams to further processes the data that was submitted via the Canvas App
- A Power Apps Portal allows external customers to login to their portal to access and submit data e.g. view their cases or to create a new case which is then again processed by teams using Model-Driven Apps
Everything mentioned above is underpinned by Dataverse and the Power Platform. This allows for the seamless interaction between the different types of applications when delivering small to large enterprise solutions.
So, with the different types of Power Platform applications available, maybe it’s not a question of the red pill OR the blue pill…sometimes it’s both 😊
One thing that is certain, is that the Capgemini Microsoft Apps and Cloud Engineering team deliver both types of apps and are looking for talented people to join the team. Here are our open roles for your browsing.
