Tell us about what you do at Ardent

At Ardent, I am responsible for designing and developing the windows, web, and mobile app solutions for one particular client we work with on an ongoing basis. I am also responsible for troubleshooting, debugging, and upgrading the existing software for a number of other clients. I usually work alongside the project manager and other developers to develop project activities, schedules, and regular project progress reports.

What does your typical day look like?

My day starts with my essential item of the day, a cup of tea. Then, once I have reviewed some critical emails, I usually catch up on any communications from the previous day. In the next 10-15 minutes we have a stand-up meeting where everyone says what they’ve achieved, what they’re struggling or blocked with (if anything), and what they’re going to be doing that day.

After the stand-up, if needed, I spend some time with the team working out any issues they may have and then move on for a solid hour of coding which involves problem-solving, development, troubleshooting production issues etc. To close out my day, I try to finish my open items, code reviews and the project deliveries, if any.

How did you find the office environment when you first started?

Things have changed a lot since I joined Ardent. Ardent has invested in many programs to benchmark itself against industry best practices. Some of the noticeable programs include the ‘Buddy up scheme’ where every new joiner is partnered with a buddy from the beginning so they are supported from day one, regular training and world recognised certifications in order for the employees to serve clients with confidence, software audits to check its quality, progress, or adherence to plans, standards and regulation.

What do you most value about the Ardent culture?

When I joined here as a junior software developer, I was surprised to learn how much communication and teamwork were required – not just within your own team but also the indirect teams. This collaboration is demonstrated highly within the culture of Ardent. I know I can contact any person within the company, and they would be willing to help with any query I may have.

One of the things I love in Ardent is having the ability and freedom to investigate new emerging technologies to find the best fit for the given requirement. These investigations give me the chance to upskill and gain experience to better my decisions in the future.

What’s something you are most proud of achieving since you have been at Ardent?

Over the past few years we have developed and successfully launched many android and iOS apps which is something I am proud of. It’s exciting to see customers using something we only initially imagined in our minds. Making an impact in the industry and in customers’ lives is motivating and to be proud of.

What are you most looking forward to?

“Every day brings something new to learn and improve.” Since joining Ardent, I have worked on several projects ranging from windows, and web applications to building cross-platform mobile apps. I am consistently looking forward to improving the performance and stability of these apps to ensure a great customer experience.

What led you to a career in tech?

The highly important factor which led me to have a career in tech is: “A big part of your career will involve helping people”. Whether you’re working on tech support to solve everyday challenges or developing solutions behind the scenes, a big part of your career will involve making other people’s lives simpler with your specialized knowledge. Tech is truly a rewarding career, where you leave every day with the satisfaction that you did some good, either in the lives of your colleagues or in some corner of the world.

How did you find your way to Ardent?

When I was ready to take on a new challenge and join a bigger team, I found Ardent which offers great work culture and value system. I found that the job description fitted well with my skills and qualifications and saw the opportunity to grow my abilities and expand prospects for career advancement. With a good level of experience and skills behind me, I was optimistic about adding immense value to the position Ardent offered me.

Who are you when you’re not at Ardent?

I am a person who always loves cooking. Cooking is something I find enjoyable, as the food is the one that brings people together. Inviting a few relatives and friends over to enjoy an evening together around food can be truly satisfying. I am also a big foodie and a traveller, who can go on a road trip or travel far distances just to try a specific dish or trendy food and enjoy travelling.

We asked some of the team what it is like working with Deepa

Deepa is one of the best colleagues in the organization. She is always smiling and carries a positive approach wherever she goes. She is hardworking and is always ready to help anyone. She shows her excellence not only in work but also in the team-building events and games in which we all take part in. She is named the “Jenga Queen” of Ardent. – Anirudha Deshmukh, HR Manager

Deepa is a smart and working individual, he has excellent presentation skills which are helpful in project demos and training. She is a quick learner and has invested her time in learning a number of technologies. Overall she is an excellent development and a pleasure to work with. She always takes part in team-building activities from quizzes to festival days and we get to see her incredible Rangoli skills over the festival. – Laxman Amrale, Head of Data Engineering

Find out more about careers at Ardent or explore our other ‘Meet the team’ stories:

Meet the team: Noor Khan – Senior Marketing Executive

Meet the team: Vikas Bare – Associate Technical Account Manager

The post Meet the team: Deepa Mhatre – Senior Software Developer appeared first on Ardent.

Here, we look at what it takes to become part of the APN and ultimately what it means for our clients and any prospective clients that want to get to know Ardent.

What is an Amazon Partner Network?

The Amazon Partner Network is a network of organisations that have demonstrated skills and expertise in AWS technologies. There are three tiers for the APN and they are as follows:

• Select Tier – The first tier is for organisations that have individuals that are trained and certified with AWS technologies and deliver customer service.
• Advanced Tier – The advanced tier is for an organisation with a team of trained and certified technical professionals that have a proven track record of excellent customer service.
• Premier Tier – The highest tier of the three is for the organisations with the most experience that demonstrate leadership in their market. These organisations have expert skills, several partner program validations and have fulfilled multiple projects with a large scale of customers.

Amazon Partner Network requirements

To become part of the Amazon Partner Network, an organisation must fulfil the set requirements by Amazon. The requirements vary for each type of tier that an organisation wants to achieve. We will focus on the Select Tier, as that is the tier Ardent has secured, building a long term relationship with AWS. These are the current requirements for the Select Tier:

• Have 4 accredited individuals in the organisation. Two in technical and two business professionals.
• Two AWS Foundational Certified Individuals
• Two AWS Technical Certified Individuals
• Three launched opportunities
• Pay an annual fee of $2,500 a year

AWS expertise for our clients

Ardent’s highly skilled data and software engineers have been utilising the full range of powerful technologies from AWS. We have worked on a wide variety of projects to deliver excellence to our clients. Here are some of our client success stories highlighting our work with AWS to help customers face challenges and grow their organisations.

Providing insights for businesses to thrive with a 10TB Survey Data Lake  

Saving the bugs, saving the world by digitising bug detection with Cognito AI

Optimising big data queries for a multinational broadcasting company

Ardents AWS services

Whether you have preferred AWS technologies or want our data and software engineers to make the recommendation, we can accommodate that. Our rich experience and in-depth technical expertise in AWS has empowered us to bring innovation to our clients. We work primarily within these three main categories with leading AWS technologies.

AWS Data Solutions

Our engineers have excellent expertise in schema design, data optimisation, handling large scale data lakes with leading technologies such as Redshift, Athena, Lamba, EC2 and more to deliver data solutions which are secure, scalable tailored to your data and organisation.

Explore our data engineering services

AWS Application Solution

We build robust applications employing a range of AWS technologies that are future-proof and scalable.

Explore our software development service

AWS Operational Monitoring and Support

Ardent can provide around-the-clock operational monitoring and support whether that is for your apps or your database to ensure you are consistently operational.

Explore our managed services

If you are looking to employ innovative, world-leading technologies on offer by AWS for your next software or data project, get in touch to find out how we can help.

The post Ardent, a certified AWS partner – what does that mean for you appeared first on Ardent.

There are a wide variety of market research organisations including agencies, client-facing insight teams, suppliers to the industry and much more. They all face unique challenges that may cause a hindrance, however, the market research industry challenges highlighted in this article are common for organisations across the industry. Find out if these challenges are relevant to your organisation and how technology can help you overcome them.

Rapidly changing landscape

Opinions are constantly evolving and changing and new products and services are released, therefore market research companies need to adapt quickly to the rapidly changing landscape. The end client cannot afford to wait for weeks or months to get insights in today’s instant access environment. For businesses to remain competitive they need to adapt and change their strategies in line with the opinions, feedback and reactions and market research companies need to deliver those quickly.

With the right software market researchers can quickly identify trends, reactions and responses. The software can scour the various websites and social channels as the reactions start coming in for a quick turnaround time on analysis in reporting.

At Ardent, we have collated near-real-time social media data for a market research client in a data lake which looks at the trending topics, brand presence and marketing reach. Read the full success story here.

Need for automation

A lot of market research companies have still not adopted process automation which can provide many benefits including improving efficiency, boosting productivity, higher employee satisfaction and saving time and resources.

Although the use of multiple apps to automate processes may save you some time, a comprehensive software platform solution can help fulfil your needs. Every market research company will have a unique way of carrying out their processes, therefore customised software platform could help significantly reduce costs and enhance productivity.

Ardent built an information security platform for a global market research company with automated processes. Read the full story here.

Making big data manageable

Organisations across industries are drowning in big data, including those in market research. Making big data manageable is no easy feat which is why you will require expert assistance in managing your market research data. More than likely, as a market research company you will be collecting data from a variety of sources, processing, storing and gaining meaningful insights from these huge volumes of data is challenging.

Data engineering experts can help you effectively manage your big data to gain powerful insights to deliver to your end customers. At Ardent, our engineers have helped a leading broadcasting company easily search the huge mass of data they collect. Read the full story here.

Robust data security

Data security is essential for all market research companies, however, especially for those that are dealing with confidential consumer data. With hefty fines for negligence in line with regulations such as GDPR, companies simply can not afford to ignore data security. Following industry best practices can help you mitigate these risks, for example, Ardent is an ISO accredited company therefore, we follow through with data practices in order to keep our data and our client’s data safe.

Investing in technology that is built with security at its core can help you avoid data leaks and improve your data security. At Ardent, we implement multi-level data security measures to ensure all application data and any data that is being processed is safe.

Staying ahead of the competition

The market research industry is one of the most competitive, so companies need to look at ways to stay ahead of the competition. In order to stand out from the crowded market, market research companies should look to invest in platforms and technologies which can provide a quick turnaround time, that operate across devices and systems to collate data and have automated features to the reduced workload on your team.

At Ardent, we have delivered a fully integrated mobile app and web solution for a market research company to automate its footfall collection process. Read the full story here.

Investing in the right technologies

Software and data solutions built with your unique needs in mind can help you take your market research company to the next level. Technology can empower you to provide quick turnaround on analysis and insights, automate processes, enable you to effectively manage big data, ensure data security practices, and stay ahead of the competition.

Ardent Market Research solutions

We have delivered a wide variety of both software and data solutions to a range of market research organisations fit for their unique needs. We build secure, scalable and agile software and data solutions customised to your specific needs and requirements. Get in touch to find out more or explore our software development and data engineering services.

The post Market research industry challenges and how technology can help appeared first on Ardent.

Here we look at how a managed software development company can bring your vision to life and the benefits on offer.

Avoid the lengthy recruitment process

Recruiting the right talent can be a lengthy and costly process especially when there is a skills shortage. According to a poll carried out by CodinGame with over 14,000 respondents, nearly half of employers are struggling to fill roles due to the high demand for developers. Therefore, it’s predicted that employers will find recruiting skilled developers one of the biggest challenges in 2022. When it comes to building software, you may find that working with a software managed service partner is the ideal approach for you.

Reduce costs

According to Deloitte, 70% of the company choose to outsource their software development project to reduce costs. Having a managed service company provides either project or ongoing software development and can save businesses cost both short and long term. Other key driving factors for outsourcing include flexibility, speed to market, access to tools and processes and agility.

Access expert skills

Working with a third-party provider, you can be selective with the skills you need access to. Additionally, when working with a managed services provider you can expect to work with experienced engineers with expert skills. If you are looking to build a new piece of software and need a particular, in-demand skill set then working with a managed services company may be the ideal solution.

Read our client success story on how we worked together with a client as a managed software service providers and evolved their software product.

Access to the latest technologies

In line with access to expert skills, you can access the most latest, innovative technologies. A technology services provider such as Ardent that provide software development services should be working with the latest technologies. At Ardent, as part of our engineering teams, our software developers engage in ongoing training and development working to expand their skillsets and evolve with the fast-paced evolution of technologies.

Read our client success story on digitising object detection using innovative technologies.  

Industry knowledge

Working with a managed software provider you may be able to benefit from the industry knowledge they have built working with a variety of other clients. At Ardent, our developers are happy to make recommendations and suggestions on a number of factors such as design, approach to development, the technologies and platforms and much more to help the client get the best possible outcome.

Peace of mind

One of the most significant benefits of working with an experienced managed software services company is having peace of mind knowing your software is developed by experienced, expert developers. This can save you time and cost both in the interim and long term. However, it is crucial that you carry out due diligence and sure you are choosing the right software provider for the project to succeed.

As highlighted, there are many benefits to hiring a managed service company for software development. If you are looking to take the next step with a new software development project or need help with an existing project, the Ardent team of software developers can come on board with expertise and experience to bring your vision to life.

Find out more about managed software development teams or explore our software services.

The post Bring your vision to life with a managed software development company appeared first on Ardent.

Did you know that we are a two times Microsoft Gold Partner? We have achieved a Gold Certified partnership with Microsoft in Application Development and Application Integration. It sounds impressive, but it is so much more than that.

What is a Microsoft gold partner?

A Microsoft Gold Partner is accreditation or status that organisations acquire once they fulfil the requirements and criteria set by Microsoft. The gold is the most prestigious of the partnerships, with there be three levels, regular partner, silver partner and gold partner.

What does it mean to be a Microsoft gold partner?

A gold Microsoft partner certified is an organisation that has shown consistent commitment to delivering excellence with Microsoft technologies. At Ardent, we continuously invest in a wide range of leading Microsoft technologies to bring innovation to the forefront of our client’s organisations. At Ardent, we ensure our engineers are committed to ongoing training and development to expand their skillset and expertise.

More on our technology partners.

Who can be a Microsoft gold partner?

Any company that provides Microsoft related products and services can be a partner as long as they meet the set criteria. These companies are usually technology companies ranging from those like Ardent providing software and data solutions to IT Training Centres.

What do you have to do to be a certified Microsoft gold partner?

To be able to acquire the Microsoft gold competency, you have to fulfil the criteria for the particular competency you want to be certified for. We will look at the requirements for both Application Development and Application Integration.

To become gold certified Microsoft partner in Application Development and Application Integration, a company must fulfil the following requirement:

• Four individuals from the organisation must pass one of the required certifications and be Microsoft certified. The certifications include MCDS: App Builder, Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate, Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365: Finance and Operations Apps Developer Associate, and Microsoft 365 Certified: Developer Associate.
• Validate required exams and skills each year
• Provide five customer references that validate and verify an exceptional level of delivery of solutions or services
• Pay the fee for the gold partnership
• Earn the partner points required (120)
• Pass in licensing overview assessment
• Pass in sales and marketing assessment
• Be a member of the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN)

As it’s quite clear, it’s not an easy feat to gain the gold Microsoft partnership, therefore, when you’re looking for a partner in software development it will help you differentiate between organisations and drive the elimination process.

Ardent and Microsoft over the years

Ardent’s data and software engineers have worked with a wide range of Microsoft technologies, ranging from leaders in the market such as Azure, SQL Server and .net to newcomers such as Power Apps, Power BI, Power Automate, and Microsoft Dynamics to name a few. We leverage Microsoft technologies every day to deliver innovative, robust application development, seamless cloud migration and more.

Ardent – Certified Microsoft Partner

At Ardent, we are proud to have achieved the gold level certification in Application Development and Application Integration. We want to continue to deliver excellence with Microsoft so we are investing further in other partnerships with Microsoft including Cloud Partnership which focuses on helping clients modernise their infrastructure and migrate applications and data to the cloud.

Our engineers are dedicated to delivering innovative solutions with world-leading Microsoft technologies. If you are looking for a credible partner for your next software project, then get in touch today to see how we can help.

The post Securing Microsoft Gold Partner status and what it entails appeared first on Ardent.

At Ardent, our mobile app developers have worked on a vast variety of mobile app technologies to build innovative, secure and cutting edge mobile apps to meet the needs of our clients. Therefore, we understand how important it is to get the technology right. Our engineers recommend you carry out research and get advice from experts as choosing the framework will have long term impact in terms of the costs, the time required and the functionality of the app. Here we will explore both cross-platform and native app development frameworks in terms of the benefits they offer and the limitations they have.

Cross-platform mobile app development framework

Cross-platform mobile apps have a single base code that is used across different platforms such as Android and iOS to build the app. Cross-platform apps have become increasingly popular as they allow businesses to save both time and costs during the development process. However, as the code is used across all platforms the apps may not perform and function at the optimal level as their Native counterpart. This type of framework can be game-changing for businesses that are looking for a speedy go-to-market, especially startups.

The pros and cons of cross-platform mobile apps

• There are a number of pros to consider for cross-platforms and they are:
• Reduced development time
• Save costs due to the less time and resources required to build the app
• Speed up go to market
• Only one base code required enabling code reusability
• Hassle-free integration  

On the other hand, there are a few cons to consider and they are:

• Limited functionality due to the same code being used across platforms
• May perform slower due to the abstraction layer
• UX (User experience) may be affected as you can not tailor it to each platform
• Lack of flexibility in customisation

When you should consider a cross-platform app

It may be the case that a cross-platform framework may be a better fit for your app in certain situations and they are:

• If you are looking for a speedy development process
• If you are looking to target users on key OS (Operating system) such as Android and iOS
• You are building an app that is not complex and does not require platform-specific features and customisation
• You have a limited budget and time constraints

Cross-platform mobile app development technologies

Several technologies have enabled the success and popularity of cross platforms and they include React Native, Xamarin and Flutter. Ardent’s software engineers have worked with a variety of these technologies to develop cross-platform apps for clients.

Read our success story on a cross-platform app we have built for a market research client.

Native mobile development framework

Native mobile apps are apps that are built specifically for one operating system. Developers use platform-specific tools and programming languages to build these apps. For example, to build an app for the Android platform, developers may use Android Studios whereas for iOS they may opt for XCode. Native mobile apps are still by far the most popular due to the number of benefits they offer.

The pros and cons of native mobile apps

• Native apps offer several benefits and they include:
• Improved and overall better UX due to the apps being built for specific platforms
• High performance
• Highly scalable
• Platform-specific technologies offer broader functionalities

Some cons to consider are:

• Time-consuming and longer development time
• Requires more resources than cross-platform apps
• Higher costs due to time and resources needed
• High maintenance

When you should consider a native app

A native app framework may be the better fit for your business, project. Here is when you should consider a native app for your business:

• You require advanced functionality
• You want to provide seamless UX
• You are not limited by budget or time
• If you are looking to scale your app up or down

Native mobile app development technologies

The most popular native mobile app development technologies are those that are specific for Android and iOS. For Android, it is the likes of Android Studio or IntelliJ IDEA, whereas for iOS it’s mainly XCode and AppCode. Some of the biggest mobile apps in the world are built on the native framework and they include the likes of Google Maps and Spotify.  

Cross-platform VS native mobile apps

Overall there are clear benefits of both types of frameworks for mobile app development. When deciding between cross-platform or native mobile apps there are a number of factors to consider and they include, budgets, times, maintenance, resources, long term costs, user experience, functionality and flexibility.

Ardent’s mobile apps

Ardent’s experienced mobile developers have worked on several projects building both native and cross-platform apps. If you require advice about which platform will be most suitable for your business, then get in touch and we can help you navigate your journey to creating a great mobile app. 

The post Cross-Platform Vs Native Mobile Apps – Selecting the right mobile app development approach appeared first on Ardent.

At Ardent, we have had several clients approach us to customise and implement Dynamics CRM as well as integrate third-party applications. Here, we will look at understanding Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and explore why it is becoming increasingly popular with businesses.

What is the current Dynamics 365

Released in 2016, Dynamics 365 has gone through a number of changes and rebranding over the years. As it stands Dynamics 365 is a suite of business software tools that can be used individually or collectively as a CRM. It is a cloud-based solution based on Microsoft’s own Azure cloud computing system.  The full suite features 11 tools that are targeted at various departments in the business. There are five apps for CRM (sales, customer service, field service, project service automation and marketing) and others fall under HR, Finance and Operations, Retail, Mixed Reality, Business Central and Artificial Intelligence.

The benefits of Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 has a number of benefits on offer which is enabling the technology to gain popularity with businesses across the world.

• Flexibility with the tools – Dynamics 365 has 11 different apps on offer, this means that businesses can pick and choose which tools they require the most to fulfil their needs instead of having to purchase the full CRM.

• Microsoft app integrations – As part of the wide variety of technologies on offer by Microsoft, Dynamics can be easily integrated with any of Microsoft’s tools and platforms.

• Security – The software has permission-based features which allow the administrators to have full control over who has access to what part of the data within the CRM. Additionally, all your data is backed in Microsoft’s secure cloud environment ensuring that no data is lost.

• Improving customer service – The whole customer journey can be tracked and monitored within Dynamics 365. This allows businesses to offer full rounded customer service to their customers powered by insights from data within the CRM.

• Rich data insights – Power BI is integrated with Dynamics 365 which allows businesses to gain rich insights from data in an easy to understand format which is ideal for businesses without data science expertise on hand.

• A central hub for your team – You can provide your team with a central hub with integrated apps and shared data for their activities enabling them to save time and increase productivity.

The limitations of Dynamics 365

There are some limitations that Dynamics 365 has that need to be taken into consideration and they are:

• Training – Although it is user friendly with a wide variety of features and customisable implementations, training is required to effectively use the CRM.

• User interface – Some users have found the User Interface (UI) to be dated. As the software is packed with features, the navigation is not particularly intuitive.

• License costs – Costs to get started are higher when compared to other competitors. To get started with Dynamics, businesses are looking at around $50 per month, per user. This can be quite costly for small businesses and may isolate the small business market.

• Data storage costs – Most organisations deal with large volumes of data, and you may easily exceed the limit of 10GB per licence. Once the limit is exceeded there’s a charge of $9.95 for an extra 1GB per month.

Ardent Dynamics 365 services

At Ardent, our engineers have worked with many Microsoft technologies and can provide customisation, implementation and integration of third-party apps for Microsoft Dynamics. If you are looking for experienced, reliable software engineers to help on your next project with Dynamics 365, then get in touch.

The post Understanding Microsoft Dynamics 365 appeared first on Ardent.

Difficulty finding talent

Finding those exceptionally skilled software engineers has always been an ongoing challenge. Just take a look at almost any agency or tech company in and around the capital and you would notice what seems to be an endless round of vacancies for developers, testers, analysts etc. This shortage has been escalated by Brexit and COVID, with the surge in job vacancies and a significant decrease in applications per job compared to pre-pandemic. According to Reuters, there were 1 million job vacancies in August of 2021, which was at an all-time high.

With a very limited local talent pool, some companies have been recruiting and sponsoring talented engineers from abroad. In addition; Google, Facebook and makers of Snapchat, Snap Inc. have recently announced the expansion of their UK (London) operations with the creation of 3,500 new jobs. We would have to assume a fair few of those would be tech jobs, further increasing competition in an already crowded space. 

This could all be a major boon for contractors, freelancers and off-shoring, all of which have their positives and negatives. 

Outsourcing certainly does present the greater rewards through bigger returns on investment, more stability and the greater potential to scale up based on needs in the longer term. It also has the biggest challenge, especially if you are a start-up or SME who may not be in a position to work with the larger (and potentially safer) managed services providers of this world.

What to look out for when outsourcing a software development provider
Quality

How much control do you have over the skills and experience of the developers? Are you involved in the recruitment process? Will you retain the same resource and skill level throughout the contract? What allowances are made for training and continuous professional development?

Security

With GDPR in place, fines up to €20 million or 4% of a company’s global annual turnover, if you are not compliant, data security needs to be a priority. You must be particularly vigilant of processes in place to support quality and always look to companies who have accreditation such as ISO 27001 to credit claims about data security.

Communication

How easy is it to communicate directly with your developer? Software development is usually an iterative process with changes and refinements made throughout the project delivery process. The ability to communicate directly with your development team is vitally important. What processes are in place for feedback and meetings? Are you able to (remotely) join stand-ups?

Timezone

Dependent on your requirements, you will definitely need to have as much of your working day crossed over with your chosen supplier. There are obvious advantages to working with companies in a different timezone. For example, batch tests can be done on a daily bases and reports will be ready and waiting when your local team arrives. On the other hand, support technicians can come online when your local team clock off. 

Legal recourse

If things go catastrophically wrong, what are your options? We recommend where possible, choosing a supplier with an established local presence.

Talk to us

Ardent are an ISO 27001 accredited data and software solutions company, headquartered and established in the UK since 2008. We have the flexibility to deliver a full service or complement and support your internal resources with a full-time extended team. We serve a range of clients from well-funded start-ups to large enterprises.

If you are looking to resolve your data engineering or software development challenges, please get in touch.

The post Finding skilled, experienced software developers appeared first on Ardent.

At Ardent, we have used Microsoft Power Platforms to deliver fully integrated, automated software solutions. Some of the solutions we have delivered using the Power Platforms include a HR onboarding and performance management system for a leading food manufacturer client, as well as, a case management system for communication with clients for a leading accountancy and law firm.

Here we will look at Power Automate and give an overview of the suite including the benefits on offer and the limitations it has.

What is Power Automate?

Power Automate, formerly known as Microsoft Flow facilitates the automation of workflows to save businesses time by streamlining their processes. It helps businesses reduce manual, repetitive tasks to allow them to boost productivity and improve efficiency. Low code, drag and drop platform enables all users to easily build automated processes.

The great thing about Power Automate is that it enables the apps within Microsoft Office 365 to communicate with each other to automate processes, and this can be done easily without any expert technical or data engineering skills. However, with advanced skills, businesses can leverage the Microsoft Power Platform to enhance business processes further.

Benefits of Power Automate

There are several benefits that Power Automate offer if you are looking to automate and streamline your business processes and they include:

• Easy to use for beginners – Power Automate is built with beginners in mind so it is aimed at a variety of users who may not have expert technical skills.
• Advanced capabilities – Although, it’s made for beginners, as part of the Power Platform it can create powerful solutions with advanced capabilities.
• A high number of connectors – It can be connected to over 200 external connectors such as Facebook, Salesforce, SQL Server and Dropbox.
• Cost-efficient – Power Automate is considered cost-efficient, especially for its capabilities with the starting price of $15 per month per user.
• Automate and streamline processes – Businesses can reap the rewards of increased productivity in the workplace with automated and streamlined internal processes.
• No-code app builder – Adding to the ease of use, anyone can easily build an app without any coding knowledge making it easy to use for all employees.
• Easy integration with Microsoft Office Apps – Power Automate is easily integrated with Microsoft Office Apps including the most commonly used Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more.

Limitations of Power Automate

There are also some limitations to consider when looking at Power Automate for your business automation solution and they include:

• Restriction on number of actions – You are restricted to 250 actions per workflow. Although this may seem like a large number, this can be problematic when workflows have several loops.
• Only consecutive workflows – You are not able to take a step back in a workflow process. You can work around this with loops, however, this will require further work.
• Coding knowledge required for complex solutions – You will need coding skills and expertise if you are looking to build solutions that are more complex.

Ardent Power Automate services

Ardent’s highly experienced engineers have leveraged Microsoft Power Platform to deliver fully automated, robust software solutions to many clients. If you are looking to develop software to automate your internal business processes, get in touch to find out how we can help.

Explore our software development services.

The post Get started with Power Automate appeared first on Ardent.

In this guide, we will be providing an insight into Power apps, the benefits, the limitations, when should you consider using the tool and finding experienced developers.

What are Power Apps?

Power apps is a platform that enables you to build business apps quickly and easily such as Project Workflow apps. At Ardent, our software developers have leveraged the tool to build apps for several clients including a footfall survey app and supplier management app. The great thing about Power Apps is that it can connect your apps to your datasets easily from many different sources where your data will typically sit. This includes Excel, SharePoint, SQL and many more. Although, a relatively new technology, it’s gaining popularity with the number of benefits it offers.

Benefits of Power Apps

• Build low code applications quickly and easily
• Provide user-friendly experience across web and mobile apps
• Enables access to business data from over 200 sources
• Integrate with other Microsoft tools to leverage business data
• Integrate with third-party tools such as Salesforce and Oracle
• Robust security measures with Microsoft’s Active Directory Domain Service (ADDS)
• Complete control through the admin portal
• Build cross-platform apps for platforms including iOS, Android, Windows and web browser
• Can be cost-efficient when it comes to development time

Limitations of Power Apps

• Apps built with Power Apps cannot be published on the Windows Platform
• The licencing model can be complicated, and users may find it difficult to understand the multiple plans available
• Can be costly as the number of users that require access increases
• Limited capability when it comes to complex apps such as workflows as they are low code
• Apps need to be optimised for devices separately for example mobile and tablet would require two different versions

When should you consider using Power apps?

There are a number of cases when it might be the best option for you to go with Power Apps for your business solution and they include:

• If you want to create a quick and effective solution
• If you are looking for a good user interface for various users
• If there is a need for interaction with data in various locations
• If you are experienced in Excel as Powers Apps uses the functional language used in Excel

Enhancing Power Apps with Power Automate and Power BI

Power Apps is an incredible tool, however, it has several limitations as highlighted above. Paired with Power Automate and Power BI it can enhance business apps and enable automation of processes as well as gaining visibility of data with Power BI. The integration of the three technologies can help create a powerful solution that is easy to use and understand by various users in the organisation, enable real-time actions, understand and analyse your data and much more.

Ardent Power Apps

At Ardent we have experienced developer teams that have used Power Apps alongside Power Automate and Power BI to deliver powerful solutions for clients such as TEB, a growing business automation software business as well as supplier management solution for a large automobile parts supplier based in the UK, to name a few. We are a Certified Microsoft Gold Partner and work towards being at the forefront of this technology and building robust solutions. If you are looking to leverage these tools to automate your business processes, then get in touch and our expert engineers will be board to deliver.

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