Having recently returned from the European Power Platform Conference (EPPC), and last week Avanade being named Microsoft's 2023 Low code Application Development Partner of the Year – it’s been a busy few weeks for Avanade and Microsoft Power Platform. Our team featured highly on the EPPC agenda, holding over 10 sessions exploring many exciting Power Platform themes. We presented on ROI related to low-code and pro-code, best practice in scaling and managing Power Platform and we shared real-world Power Platform community stories. Our people ran infrastructure tutorials, developer workshops and even sessions on building your own Microsoft Dataverse data models.

The conference is a melting pot for ideas and innovation, and I wanted to share some insights around the ones that, for me, shone the brightest.

1. Positive potential for generative AI, and specifically Microsoft Co-Pilot and Microsoft Fabric
2. Power Platform coming of age
3. Fusion Development

1: Done right, AI is our friend
The fast-evolving generative AI capabilities in Co-pilot, using natural language to define data models and build applications and automation, are inspiring and a reality rather than a vision. I must mention Charles Lamanna’s keynote on Power Platform in the age of AI, he leads product development and engineering for Microsoft’s Power Platform and had some exciting contributions. There’s a new era of application development, virtual agents, and automations ahead. With the right governance and best practices there are clear pathways for positive adoption of generative AI, to make development even better and even faster.

New kid on the block, Microsoft Fabric, is laying an exciting foundation for generative AI – the opportunity it presents is truly exhilarating. By curating data from so many different sources, with powerful generative AI data models, plus governance and security that guides compliance, Fabric brings together all the data and analytics tools organisations need. By combining Power BI and Power Platform it paves the way for greater value and insights, unlocking potential and possibility still further.

2: The Power Platform penny has well and truly dropped
The Power Platform has grown up. It’s clear that clients now understand Power Platform as a development platform where you can start small but also create and develop at an immense scale, fast. I had so many conversations at EPPC around both maker development and enterprise-wide solution development. Architects now see Power Platform as part of their day-to-day so they’re even more keen to learn the pitfalls and best practices to make it work for the business. They appreciate the need for diligent preparation to harness the potential of the MS Power Platform. It's not merely a matter of flipping a switch and letting it run.

3: Weaving innovation aka fusion development
We talk about fusion development and citizen development a lot; I think rightfully so. In Power Platform, Microsoft wanted to build a platform to enable people to do more with less. Along the way they’ve understood and embraced the magic people themselves can bring to this.

We also had lots of conversations around having low-code in your kitbag alongside pro-code. Fusion Development is a magical hybrid beyond digital transformation; it's human transformation that elevates digital literacy in the workforce. We’re seeing that success with Power Platform means nurturing this Fusion community. I’ve been in tech far too many decades and the community of the Power Platform is something I’ve not experienced before. There’s a unique willingness to work together and figure things out – it’s a pacey yet collaborative and inclusive journey to value.

So… don’t forget the administrators
Administrative teams, often thrust into the role of managing the Power Platform, are now very eager to equip themselves with the knowledge and understanding of the myriad tools on offer – so they can foster innovation without compromising governance. Michael Roth’s session on How to become the best Power Platform Admin – was very well received. It’s not just a case of turn on and let it run, admins need to know; what tool to use; when and where to find them; and the best practices for security, governance, and scaling at speed. In many ways, the Admins are holding the reins and we need to make sure the tooling is being developed that will help them.

How will the world look next time?
The extraordinary velocity and scale of change is a constant discussion point that cuts across everything in this space – to borrow a sentiment from Microsoft UK’s CEO Claire Barclay at London Tech week – by the time you’ve read this it will be out of date. It’s a unique moment in time – where technology is new and unfinished and people get involved. I’m very excited to see the leaps that Power Platform and generative AI will have made by the next EPPC because Avanade is leading this. 100s of us live and breathe it every single day.

We’re helping clients seize the opportunities, meet the challenges, and enjoy the value. I’m genuinely excited about the art of the possible – if you are too, contact us to see how we can help.