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You’re in a Microsoft shop, which means you're probably familiar with the holy trinity: Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint. (Also known as the “Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V Olympics” if you're still doing everything manually.) But Microsoft has stepped up its game with workflow automation tools that’ll make your daily grind feel a little less of a grind.
If you’re ready to spend less time on tedious processes and more time on things that matter (like pretending your Teams status is “Busy”), here are the top Microsoft automation tools that every small to midsized business (SMB) should know about.
1. Microsoft Power Automate: Your New Best Friend
Think of Power Automate as the Swiss Army knife of automation in the Microsoft ecosystem. It lets you connect apps, automate workflows, and save hours on repetitive tasks. Whether it's sending out email alerts, syncing data, or automating file approvals, Power Automate has your back.
How it helps you: No more “Did I send that email?” or “Why am I still copying this data from Excel?” Power Automate eliminates the small, annoying stuff so you can focus on big-picture annoying stuff.
SMB Use Case: Automatically save email attachments to SharePoint, notify your team in Teams, and add a task in Planner—all while you sip your coffee.
2. Power BI: Turn Data into Eye Candy
If Excel is the trusty old sedan, Power BI is the sleek electric car of data visualization. It not only creates dashboards and reports but also updates them in real time. And yes, you can automate that too.
How it helps you: Say goodbye to manually refreshing Excel charts. With Power BI, data pulls itself together, updates in real-time, and presents insights before you even ask for them.
SMB Use Case: Set up a Power BI dashboard that automatically pulls sales data from Dynamics 365, updates your team in Teams, and prepares you for the “How’s Q4 looking?” question before it even hits your inbox.
3. SharePoint: Not Just a Place for Files
Sure, SharePoint is where your files go to live and (occasionally) get lost, but with automation, it becomes so much more. You can use it to build workflows, manage document approvals, and streamline collaboration.
How it helps you: Instead of manually nudging people to review documents, let SharePoint send reminders, track approvals, and store final versions neatly.
SMB Use Case: Create a workflow where contracts uploaded to SharePoint automatically notify legal, route to the appropriate manager, and save the signed version in the right folder.
4. Microsoft Teams: The Hub That Does It All
Teams isn’t just for GIFs and “Can you hear me now?” moments. Integrate it with Power Automate, Planner, and other Microsoft tools to make it your automation hub.
How it helps you: Turn Teams into more than just a chat app by automating status updates, project tracking, and meeting follow-ups. Bonus: fewer emails in your inbox.
SMB Use Case: When a new lead gets added in Dynamics 365, Teams posts a notification to the sales channel and assigns a task in Planner. You? You just watch it happen.
5. Planner: The Taskmaster
Planner takes your to-do list and makes it smarter. Combine it with automation, and you can keep projects moving without lifting a finger.
How it helps you: Automatically assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress without writing another “Just checking in” email.
SMB Use Case: Use Power Automate to create a task in Planner every time a new customer inquiry comes in. Track progress in real time while you work on more important things—like lunch.
Why Automate with Microsoft Tools?
They Speak the Same Language: Microsoft tools integrate seamlessly, so your workflows are smooth, not Frankenstein-like.
Customizable to Your Needs: Whether you’re automating simple reminders or complex workflows, there’s a solution that fits.
Built for Scale: As your business grows, these tools scale with you. No need to re-invent the wheel—or re-learn software.
Immediate Benefits of Automation
More Time for Strategic Work: Stop spending hours on repetitive processes like file uploads or email reminders.
Consistency: Automated workflows don’t forget tasks (unlike Jim, who always forgets to update the report).
Improved Collaboration: Real-time updates and integrations mean fewer miscommunications and more efficiency.
Final Thought: Automate Your Way to Sanity
In a Microsoft shop, you already have the tools—you just need to let them work for you. Automating workflows doesn’t mean you’re lazy; it means you’re smart enough to avoid wasting time on meaningless processes. Plus, the time you save can be reinvested into things that really matter, like brainstorming your next big business move… or catching up on that show everyone’s talking about.
So fire up Power Automate, supercharge Teams, and let Power BI do the heavy lifting. Your future self—and your overworked coworkers—will thank you.
Based in Burbank, California since 2015, Vimware offers IT strategy and software development services. Our expertise helps small to midsize businesses excel in the digital arena. Originally a .NET/SQL shop, we now focus on AWS, Azure, and low-code Microsoft solutions, and also have extensive experience with React/JS and WordPress. As a certified Amazon AWS partner with experience in over 60 services, we are ready to help your organization thrive. Please Contact Us to discuss how we can assist you.