Modernize common HR, IT and other functional processes with SharePoint and the Power Platform (PowerApps, Flow and Power BI). - Re-think SharePoint portals - Migrate forms (static & InfoPath) to mobile apps - Leverage interactive dashboards to make data-based decisions

1. Modernize
Solutions with
SharePoint & the
Power Platform
Jonathan Schultz
BadgerPoint Solutions

2. Agenda
What is “Modern”?
Why Modernize?
How to Modernize
What Could Go Wrong?

3. Modern?
• Tools, Not Sites
• User Friendly Lists & Libraries
• Communication Sites, not Publishing Sites
• Hub Sites, not Subsites
• Apps, not Forms
• Teams, not Skype

4. Why Modernize?
• Turn Static Intranets into Intelligent Workspaces
• Transform Physical/Digital Forms into Mobile Apps
• Actionable Approvals vs. Unmanaged Requests
• Convert Monthly Reports to Dynamic Dashboards
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

5. Intelligent Workspace

6. Mobile Apps

7. Actionable Emails

8. Dynamic Dashboards

9. Timesheets

10. Request Forms

11. Onboarding

12. Planning &
Design
• Pilot and Expand
• Release Early and Often
• Subsites to Hubs
• Modernization Scanner -
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-
us/sharepoint/dev/transform/mod
ernize-scanner
• Staffing…

13. Learning New Skills
• Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
• 7 feet tall
• First 5 seasons – Minimal Three Point Attempts
• Now – Record Setting Three Point Attempts

14. “SharePoint” Roles
• System Engineers Need to Adapt
• No Servers to Maintain
• Plenty to Monitor and Configure
• Developers need to Adapt
• No Server-Side APIs
• No Master Pages to Change
• PowerShell is Important
• Rise of the Citizen Developer
• Use Logic, Not Code
• Must understand basics (data structures,
authentication, etc.)

15. Need Inspiration?
• SharePoint Look Book -
https://sharepointlookbook.azurewebsites.net/
• Power BI Samples -
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-
bi/sample-datasets

16. Tools
SharePoint PowerApps
Flow Power BI

17. Modernization
Mantra
• It’s Good Enough
• It’s Smart Enough
• Doggone it, People Like it!
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

18. How to Get Started
• Templates
• PowerApps
• Flow
• Custom Solutions
• PowerApps -
https://github.com/SharePoint/sp-
powerapps-
solutions/tree/master/solutions
• SPFX Web Parts -
https://github.com/SharePoint/sp-dev-
fx-webparts/tree/master/samples
• SPFX Extensions -
https://github.com/SharePoint/sp-dev-
fx-extensions/tree/master/samples

19. Got a Classic?
• Is it Safe?
• Is Maintenance
Adding Up?
• Is it Performing?

20. What Could Go
Wrong?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

21. “Service”
Accounts
• Problem
• Many connectors in Flow rely
on a user account to connect
to different Office 365
resources, like SharePoint.
• Flows are owned by user
accounts and shared with
other accounts.
• Solutions
• License a “service” account
and use it to build and
manage Flows.
• Use multiple accounts if you
need to divide into smaller
sections for security.

22. Branding • Problem
• Traditional methods of
updating the master page to
produce a specific look in
SharePoint is no longer
available.
• Solutions
• Use an application
extension to insert CSS to
the page and use CSS or
SASS to find and style
components (warning,
some risk as Microsoft
updates system).
• Use the options available
and wait for enhancements
(mega menu, headers,
footers, etc.)

23. Hero Web
Part
• Problem
• Hero web part in SharePoint
looks good but cannot use
dynamic data sources to pull in
information.
• Solutions
• Embrace the flexibility of
the Hero web part and train
people how to use it.
• Build a custom SPFX web
part to pull in data and
format the output in a
similar manner.

24. Calendars • Problem
• There is no modern calendar
web part.
• Solutions
• Use an Iframe to embed a
classic page in a modern
page.
• Use the sample code from
Github to build a modern
web part using the
FullCalendar.io framework.
• Use the Events web part to
display the information in a
new way.

25. (Un)responsive
Apps
• Problem
• PowerApps are based on a
tablet or phone layout and are
not responsive.
• Solutions
• Build two PowerApps and
optimize each for the
targeted device.

26. Search • Problem
• Modern search is less
configurable than previous
versions of SharePoint.
• Solutions
• Continue to use classic
SharePoint search pages.
• Monitor the Office 365
roadmap for future
enhancements.
• Consider Microsoft Search
for a Bing/Office 365 mash-
up.

27. 3rd Party
Products
• Problem
• Vendor states that
solution works with
SharePoint Online
• Solutions
• Clarify if solution
works on modern
sites
• Test on modern sites

28. PDF Viewer • Problem
• The PowerApps PDF
viewer won’t display
PDF documents stored
in SharePoint
• Solutions
• Use Flow (or a custom
service) to proxy the
requests

29. “If there was a problem
Yo, I'll solve it”
- Robert Matthew Van Winkle

30. Modernization
Mantra
• It’s Good Enough
• It’s Smart Enough
• Doggone it, People Like it!
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

31. Thank You!