Streamlining tasks with Low-Code Microsoft Power Apps

Sometimes, it’s not the big, headline-grabbing projects that make the biggest difference - it’s the small, purposeful fixes that quietly transform how teams work. One of our recent projects for a leading professional membership body in the advertising industry - Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) - shows how introducing a handful of targeted low-code apps on the Microsoft Power Platform can remove friction from everyday workflows and free people to focus on what really matters.

For teams handling event bookings and programme participation, even simple changes - like moving a delegate to a different date or updating participant details during a phone call - involved jumping between multiple screens and repeating the same steps. This manual approach slowed down service, created room for error, and made it harder to maintain clean, accurate data.

Rather than attempting a full system overhaul, we built a pair of lightweight canvas apps using Power Apps on the Microsoft Power Platform, embedded inside Microsoft Dataverse and Dynamics 365. Each app focuses on one high-volume admin task, guiding users through a single, simple flow that enforces business rules, updates related records automatically, and eliminates re-keying. Because the apps are embedded directly where staff already work, there’s no context-switching - just a clear, reliable way to get things done faster.

Event bookings: Quickly swap or transfer an attendee without breaking data relationships or missing a status update.

Programme scheduling: Move a participant between intakes while automatically checking capacity and updating records.

Start small, aim high: We identified the most time-consuming tasks first, designing focused canvas apps that could be launched via contextual buttons within existing systems.

Prioritise adoption: Simple, embedded experiences meant staff needed minimal training and could start using the apps straight away.

Build for growth: Following Power Platform best practices means new admin tasks can be added easily in future.

Faster processes – One guided flow replaces multiple manual edits.

Cleaner data – Automated updates and validation reduce errors.

Happier teams – IPA staff can complete calls and back-office tasks without leaving their core system.

Fixing the small but frequent tasks that consume disproportionate time can unlock major productivity gains - without the risk of a disruptive system rewrite. For the IPA, these low-code Power Apps have not only sped up everyday operations but also paved the way for a smoother, more modern events and programme journey in the future.

Ready to revolutionise your membership organisation’s digital landscape? Contact our team today to discover how Microsoft Power Apps make your team happier.