Skip to Content

Case Study

Application Lifecycle Management with Power Platform ALM
Technologies Supported: Power Apps Power Automate

Managing app updates by hand left this healthcare organization exposed to unnecessary risk. IncWorx implemented Power Platform Application Lifecycle Management for their physician intake form, automating deployment and closing the door on manual error.

The Challenge

A Need to Eliminate Risks Associated with Manual Management of Apps

Our customer, a national leader in value-based primary care, was running a physician intake application built with PowerApps. The application contained over 30 screens and had become complex enough to require a development and production environment for developing and testing new functionality.

The primary challenge was the fact that we were developing enhancements in their development environment and then manually implementing the same functionality in the production environment when they were ready to go live. Each deployment resulted in several hours of unnecessary work and the potential of introducing bugs into production due to human error.

Additionally, several areas needed to be optimized, which required some code refactoring and data call fixes.

We identified 3 key areas we wanted to focus on:

  • Poor data call efficiency
  • Development management
  • Reducing deployment time

The Solution

Implement Power Platform Application Lifecycle Management

Fortunately, Microsoft has developed a set of Power Platform Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) functionality. With these in mind, we went to work mapping out an implementation plan that would address our 3 areas of focus.

We started our implementation of an Application Lifecycle Management scenario by configuring and standardizing development, staging and production Power Platform environments utilizing out of the box Power Platform tools. Having 3 environments will allow for proper development, testing and deployment.

Next, we refactored the code and updated data calls in edit and view screens to one use a single data call vs. several calls for each control on the page. To achieve this, we created a solution in the environment with environmental variables used for data connections to the SharePoint backend.

This approach allowed us to migrate the PowerApps and Power Automate flow from development to staging to production using the Power Platform solution import and export functions.

“I’ve been doing business with IncWorx for 10+ years. Whether project-based or on-going support, they have done an excellent job at a very reasonable rate. They are responsive, have the right lever of expertise, and easy to work with.”

-Yuri

The Results

Automated Deployment Saves Time and Removes The Opportunity for Errors

In the end, we used 100% out-of-the-box Power Platform Application Lifecycle Management features to build a seamless process for moving between environments.

With the new solution and environmental variables, data calls are faster. The improvement in speed makes the application more user-friendly for users and employees who are completing the physician intake process.

Deployment from development to production now takes minutes instead of hours and the opportunity for human errors has been eliminated saving additional troubleshooting time over the course of a year.

When the use of a new technology first starts, it is easy to take shortcuts and implement things the “easy way”. Taking a step back t implement the right features will not only resolve issues in short term but provide a path for future growth.

Working with a team of Power Platform consultants experienced in Power Platform ALM provides years of knowledge and experience without first-time learning.

This experience provided our customer with an optimized Power Platform environment that meets their current needs and provides growth opportunities for the future.

The Microsoft technology stack provides the infrastructure and software necessary to maintain and grow your business. Combining Azure, SQL Server databases and SQL Server Integration Services packages provided this customer with a secure and robust data processing platform that will ensure the growth of their business for years to come. Do not delay your opportunity to get more from your data with ETL development.

Let's Build a Data Platform That Works for You

Manual deployment is where errors creep in. Automate your Power Platform lifecycle and give your team back the time it was losing.

Let's Get Started