Higher Ed Workflow Optimization with Microsoft Power Automate

With Power Automate, every professional can have their own virtual student worker!

What are the tasks that you delegate to your student workers? A part of the delegation would include simple, repetitive tasks like data entry, managing the list, and/or downloading the data.

As I worked with my student workers for years, their roles grew and I did not want them to do simple labor jobs as they could do more than that.

Soon, I learned that with Power Automate, you can have a virtual student worker who will work 24/7 for your needs.

How to access Power Automate

The word “automation” may sound like you would need some computer skills or knowledge- the truth is, you do not need them!

Microsoft-which is now evaluated as the #1 company in the U.S., did a great job making a tool that you can create the automated flow with a few simple clicks.

Use the recorder to automate the flow with clicks

What is more- virtually all universities and colleges should have a subscription and it’s highly likely that you can use the tool without paying a penny.

The best way to learn something is by making mistakes, and there are some tips that I learned while creating flows using Microsoft Power Automate. Follow along, so you can save time, be inspired, and optimize your workforce!

Start the flow from scratch

*This post will be updated as I learn more things about Power Automate.

workforce optimization with Microsoft Power Automate
This image is created by Microsoft Designer

How I optimized my workflow with Power Automate

My institution uses Slate CRM to manage applicants and the weekly report-generating process includes downloading queries from Slate CRM and reports from the SEVIS system. With Power Automate, I could automate the flow to download 6 queries and 2 reports.

By doing so, I could cut the time that goes into the weekly report generation process from 2 hours to 2 minutes.

Desktop flows
Desktop flows

Then, I also automated the process to find file names using a wild card, rename them, and move them to each folder.

Generate script with copilot
Generate script with copilot

Since I use Power Query to pull the weekly report and perform the data audit, I created an automated flow to launch the Excel, refresh the query or pivot tables, and save the page as a PDF file.

Using one of the templates, you can also get notified when the email has certain words– it is especially useful when you are on a work trip. For example, you can set the notification to be sent to you if the email has an “approval request” so you can prioritize emails that ask for approvals when you have limited time.

What to remember before creating flows with Power Automate

How to create automated flow with Power Automate

Since my workflow is different from yours, I will share how I approached the automation process:

				
					$folderPath = "##yourfilepath"
$dateString = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd"
$files = Get-ChildItem -Path $folderPath -Filter "##filename*" -File

foreach ($file in $files) {
    # Rename each file
    $newName = "##newfilename " + (Get-Date -Format "MMddyyyy") + $file.Extension
    $newPath = Join-Path -Path $folderPath -ChildPath $newName
    Rename-Item -Path $file.FullName -NewName $newPath
}
				
			

Optimize your higher ed workflow and be free from repetitive tasks!

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