Power Platform SharePoint Week – Day 1: Why Power Platform and SharePoint Are Better Together

Welcome to Day 1 of Power Platform SharePoint Week! Whether you're an IT leader, a business user, or a citizen developer, chances are you've already encountered Microsoft SharePoint or Power Platform in some form. Separately, these tools are powerful. But when combined, they offer a synergy that transforms how organizations build solutions, automate processes, and manage content. This series will explore how the integration of these platforms can enhance productivity, streamline business operations, and empower users to do more with less code. 

In recent years, organizations have leaned heavily into digital transformation to remain competitive. That transformation is increasingly driven by low-code tools and scalable collaboration platforms. SharePoint remains a cornerstone of content and information management across many enterprises. At the same time, Power Platform brings in a new era of innovation—enabling automation, rapid app development, data visualization, and conversational interfaces. The result? A tech ecosystem where everyday users can create impactful business solutions with minimal IT intervention. 

This article kicks off the series by establishing the "why" behind combining Power Platform and SharePoint. We’ll explore how they complement one another, outline the key benefits of integration, and share real-world examples where the combination unlocks greater value than either platform alone. 

By the end of today’s piece, you’ll have a clear understanding of why this pairing is more than just a technical convenience—it’s a strategic advantage. 

Understanding the Strengths of Each Platform 

To understand why Power Platform and SharePoint are so effective together, it helps to first look at what each platform brings to the table. 

SharePoint excels at managing content, creating collaboration spaces, and organizing business data through lists and document libraries. It's widely used for intranet portals, team sites, project tracking, and document governance. With its robust permission controls and integration with Microsoft 365, it provides a secure and scalable foundation for information sharing and storage. 

On the other hand, Power Platform comprises four main tools: Power Automate, Power Apps, Power BI, and Copilot Studio. These tools empower users to automate workflows, build custom applications, visualize data through interactive dashboards, and create conversational bots (copilots) that guide or support end-users. What makes Power Platform special is that it enables these capabilities without requiring extensive coding knowledge, opening up innovation to a much broader group of users. 

Used independently, each platform serves its purpose. But used together, Power Platform fills in the functional gaps of SharePoint, enabling automation, interactivity, and intelligence that SharePoint doesn’t natively offer. This allows organizations to turn passive information repositories into dynamic, responsive digital workspaces. 

The Case for Integration: Business and Technical Benefits 

When SharePoint is used as a foundation and Power Platform is layered on top, the result is a flexible, extensible environment for building modern business solutions. SharePoint lists and libraries serve as ideal data sources for Power Apps and Power Automate. With minimal configuration, users can create powerful solutions that reduce manual work, ensure consistency, and improve visibility across departments. 

For instance, Power Automate enables users to trigger workflows based on changes in SharePoint—like sending approval requests when a document is uploaded or routing data for review when a list item is modified. This cuts down on the need for email back-and-forth and helps ensure no steps are missed in a process. 

With Power Apps, users can replace outdated or clunky SharePoint forms with mobile-friendly, logic-driven interfaces that update SharePoint lists in real-time. Instead of relying on InfoPath (which has been deprecated), organizations can quickly roll out apps that collect and display data while respecting SharePoint's permission models. 

Power BI further enhances the value by turning raw list data into interactive dashboards, giving stakeholders timely insights into operational performance, project progress, or customer feedback—all using data already housed in SharePoint. 

Finally, Copilot Studio brings conversational automation to the mix. Users can build intelligent copilots that surface SharePoint data, answer questions, or even help employees navigate workflows—all through a chat interface embedded in Teams or SharePoint pages. 

Real-World Scenarios Where Integration Shines 

The integration of Power Platform with SharePoint is not just a technical capability—it’s actively changing how teams work. Consider an HR department using a SharePoint list to track onboarding tasks. With Power Automate, the team can set up workflows to send automated welcome emails, notify IT to provision accounts, and update progress logs. A Power App could let managers track new hires from their phones, while a Power BI dashboard offers leadership a snapshot of onboarding efficiency. 

In another case, an internal help desk built on Power Apps and SharePoint can handle service requests, assign tickets, and notify technicians in real time. Instead of expensive third-party systems, organizations can build tailored solutions that meet their specific needs. 

Project teams can benefit, too. Using SharePoint for document storage and task tracking, Power BI can pull in data to display project status, overdue tasks, and resource utilization. Everyone gets visibility, and leaders can spot issues before they escalate. 

And for organizations still relying on legacy forms or Access databases, integrating SharePoint and Power Platform provides a modern, supported path forward. Whether you're replacing InfoPath forms or creating secure portals for vendor collaboration, this pairing offers speed, scalability, and control. 

Governance, Security, and Best Practices 

While the Power Platform and SharePoint combination offers agility, it’s critical to implement governance and best practices to maintain security and consistency across the organization. SharePoint provides a solid permission and compliance model, which extends well when used as a data source in Power Apps or workflows in Power Automate. 

However, governance shouldn't stop there. Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) becomes important as solutions move from development to production. IT teams should consider using environment strategies, solution packages, and approval gates to ensure quality and avoid sprawl. 

Citizen developers play a key role in scaling solution development, but they must operate within well-defined guardrails. Establishing training, templates, and naming conventions helps balance empowerment with oversight. Admins can also use tools like the Power Platform admin center to monitor app usage, API calls, and connector policies. 

Another important consideration is choosing the right data source. While SharePoint lists are great for lightweight apps, Microsoft Dataverse may be more appropriate for relational data models or apps that require more complex business logic. Understanding when to use each ensures both performance and maintainability over time. 

The Power Duo Advantage 

Power Platform and SharePoint are better together not because Microsoft says so, but because organizations are proving it every day. This integration empowers users to solve real business problems quickly, while staying within the trusted boundaries of Microsoft 365. SharePoint provides the structure and content, while Power Platform injects action, intelligence, and customization. 

For IT teams, the integration offers a scalable way to support innovation without bottlenecks. For business users, it’s a doorway to self-service development and faster outcomes. Whether you’re building your first workflow or managing a portfolio of apps, combining these two platforms unlocks value that goes beyond what either tool could deliver alone. 

That’s the foundation of what this week is all about—showing how these tools, when used together, can turn your digital workspace into a true engine of innovation. 

Source: Power Platform SharePoint Week – Day 1: Why Power Platform and SharePoint Are Better Together