Business Central Workflows with Power Automate integration
Workflows in Business Central can be managed in two ways:
- Native mode
- Via Power Automate
In both modes it is possible to create them, edit them, manage them completely; new features have been added to Power Automate to manage the Business Processes, so I find it very useful to use both products (BC & PA).
In addition to Power Automate, you can use the Workflow functionality within Business Central. Note that although they are two separate workflow systems, any workflow template that you create with Power Automate is added to the list of workflows within Business Central.
You must have a valid account with Business Central and with Power Automate.
Example of how workflows can be managed in the two ways
Example on “Purchase Order Workflow”
Standard Business Central Workflow
With the standard mode
- Create a workflow from a template, modify it \ configure it, activate it
How to do it from Power Automate?
- Remember: you must have a valid account for Power Automate
Purchase Order Approval Workflow in Power Automate
- Create a new Workflow in Power Automate: “Purchase Order Workflow”
You can select a series of ready-made Workflows (other than those created in Business Central) with the functions that interest us, you can recall them, modify them, duplicate them, and make them available to the Community (sharing & publishing).
Check BC connections, Office 365 connections etc., you can launch a Connection test for each connection element
Example of Power Automate Workflow “Purchase Order Request Approval”
You can copy\duplicate a Workflow
After workflow creation, you can manage it directly from Business Central
- In this case you can see the workflow created in Power Automate
…and now you can see your new Power Automate workflow in BC Workflows List
- “Microsoft Flow” is the source for this workflow
You can open it directly from Workflow list
In addition, you can open and manage all existing Power Automate workflows form “See My Flows” button.
OTHER POWER AUTOMATE FEATURE: “BUSINESS PROCESS”
It is possible in Power Automate to create real Business Processes, they can also be managed through APIs, in this way using Common Data Services, it is possible to map \ extend the Business processes.
Business Process (from Blank)
Business Process Wizard
Business Process Flow structure
- Technology: Stages & Steps
Business process flows to standardize processes
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/business-process-flows-overview
Tutorial: Create a business process flow to standardize processes
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/create-business-process-flow
Great post.
Dos this work for the On-Prem version as well?