Microsoft Power Automate & AI: Business Automation

This is what you will be able to build using the Process Automation Coach and the attached Training Case document.

Design your automation here → https://www.goodspending.com/the-process-automation-hub

You only need to fill out the online form for any sourcing requirement, real or imaginary.

Then you will use the AI Sourcing Strategy Tool to obtain your strategy document. Follow the link in Resources.

This is yet another practical realisation of the course promise - an AI-heavy Power App to facilitate operational meetings.  I start the lecture with the solution overview and cost/benefit analysis, but you can always skip to 6:20 to witness the real-life demo.

You will review the defintion of vibe coding, its enablers, and the notion of "nano-SaaS" in the context of vibe coding.

This lecture will explain how Power Automate enables dynamic prompts, as opposed to the traditional static ones you're used to, when working with GPTs.

Please act as follows:

1. Briefly describe the workflow you want to automate (trigger, actions, dependencies, outputs). You can use a template to enter your requirements.

2. Flow described - the tool reviews and optimizes it from the Lean perspective

3. You approve the optimized flow concept → the tool generates a complete automation-ready process description.

4. Coach Mode proceeds exactly as designed (stepwise, with debugging and audit trail checks)

5. You build a new flow step by step as per this tool's careful guidance. 

We will review the building blocks of Power Automate in a logical, practical manner.

Supplier Satisfaction Survey Automation is a practical example of how a real procurement workflow can be turned into a structured, auditable Power Automate solution.

The flow automatically distributes a supplier feedback survey, tracks responses in SharePoint, validates completeness, and records results for analysis and follow-up.

It demonstrates how low-code automation can replace manual emailing, spreadsheets, and chasing suppliers, while improving response quality, visibility, and governance.

We added a process overview, in case you would want to build this flow.

You may wish to enhance the Supplier Satisfaction Survey flow by adding a multiple-answer option and automatic answer scoring in SharePoint. You need to update the flow description then, or guide the GPT during the flow-building process.

Document Approval Automation demonstrates how to standardise and fully track a document-driven approval process using Power Automate.

The flow registers, e.g., a payment certificate, routes it for approval, captures the decision, and records the outcome in SharePoint.

It replaces ad-hoc emails and manual follow-ups with a single, auditable approval trail.

This case focuses on turning a routine but sensitive finance process into a controlled workflow — without adding unnecessary complexity.

You may optimise the Document Approval Workflow by fetching dynamic email addresses from the SharePoint list instead of hardcoding them. This is a typical improvement for any workflow.

RFx Communications Assistant automates the handling of supplier questions during an RFx process.

The flow captures incoming RFx-related emails, structures questions in SharePoint, supports controlled response drafting, and sends approved answers back to suppliers.

It replaces inbox chaos, manual tracking, and inconsistent replies with a single, traceable communication workflow.

This case demonstrates how Power Automate can support procurement governance, not just efficiency.