Power Automate Training: 5 Everyday Reports and Approvals Worth Automating First

Repetitive admin rarely arrives as one big task. It comes in small loops: a request by email, a reminder to an approver, a spreadsheet update, then a message to confirm what happened. Repeated across a team, those steps take time away from work that needs people’s judgement.

Power Automate can connect familiar Microsoft 365 tools, such as Outlook, SharePoint, Forms and Teams, to move information through a process and send the right notifications. It does not remove the need for decisions. It can make the handovers, reminders and record-keeping more consistent.

The best place to start is usually a routine process with clear steps, predictable information and a frequent manual follow-up. Here are five practical options for managers, team leaders and HR or operations staff.

Before You Automate: Choose A Process With Clear Rules

Look for a process that happens regularly and has a recognisable start and finish. Note who submits information, who needs to approve it, where the record should live and what should happen if something is rejected or delayed.

Keep the first version simple. A flow can be tested with a small group before it is used more widely. Agree who will maintain it, check that the right people have access to the information, and confirm any licensing or IT requirements with your organisation.

For further guidance, Microsoft’s Power Automate approval workflow documentation explains how an approval can be sent and the response recorded.

1. Leave And Absence Requests

The manual process today: An employee emails a manager or HR. The manager replies, HR updates a spreadsheet or system, and the employee may need to follow up to find out whether the request has been recorded.

The flow: An employee submits a request through a form or SharePoint list. Power Automate sends it to the appropriate manager for a decision, then notifies the employee and updates the request record with the outcome and comments. The manager can respond through an approval request rather than searching through email threads.

The payoff: Fewer messages to chase and a clearer record of each request. HR and managers can spend less time checking status and more time dealing with exceptions, such as incomplete requests or situations that need a conversation.

Absence information can be sensitive. Limit access to the records and ensure the process follows your organisation’s policies. A flow can organise the administrative steps; it should not replace appropriate HR judgement.

2. Expense Approvals

The manual process today: Employees email receipts and explanations. Managers approve by replying, while finance checks whether the request has the information it needs and records the outcome elsewhere.

The flow: The employee submits a form with the amount, category and receipt. The details are saved in a central list, and Power Automate sends an approval to the manager. If your policy requires it, higher-value expenses can be routed for an additional review. Once a decision is made, the employee and finance team receive an update, and the record stores the status and comments.

The payoff: A more consistent route from submission to decision, with fewer missing details and less manual status chasing. Receipts and approval records are also easier to locate when they are stored together with appropriate permissions.

Start with a straightforward category or approval route. Add more complex rules only when you have confirmed the process works and the policy is clear.

3. Recurring Report Distribution

The manual process today: Someone opens a workbook or dashboard on a set day, checks the latest figures, prepares an email and sends it to the same group of people. If they are busy or away, the report may be delayed.

The flow: A scheduled Power Automate flow runs at an agreed time. Depending on the data source and reporting needs, it can gather or link to current information, then send a prepared summary or report notification through Outlook or Teams. For reports built in Power BI, the flow can support a planned distribution process; the exact setup depends on the report type, licences and available connectors.

The payoff: Less recurring preparation and a more reliable handover. Recipients know when to expect the report, and the person who previously sent it can focus on reviewing what the information means rather than repeating the distribution steps.

Keep the message useful and clear. Include the reporting period, source or link, and an agreed note for cases where there is no new data or a flow has failed. Automating delivery does not verify that the underlying figures are correct.

4. Document Review And Approval

The manual process today: A document is shared by email, reviewers add comments or send separate replies, and the author tries to work out which version has been approved.

The flow: When a file is added to a designated SharePoint library, Power Automate sends an approval request to the named reviewers. After they respond, the flow can update the document’s status and notify the author with the decision and comments. Microsoft describes this approach in its guide to document approval in SharePoint with Power Automate.

The payoff: A clearer route for review, fewer manual reminders and a more visible decision trail. The team can spend less time locating the latest response and more time improving the document.

This works best when review responsibilities and approval criteria are agreed in advance. For controlled documents, check the library settings and access permissions with your SharePoint administrator.

5. New-Starter Onboarding Checklists

The manual process today: HR tells IT, facilities, payroll and the hiring manager about a new starter, often in separate messages. Each team has its own tasks, and HR has to follow up to confirm what is complete before the start date.

The flow: HR creates a new-starter record in a form or SharePoint list. Power Automate notifies the relevant colleagues and creates or assigns checklist tasks. It can send reminders as the start date approaches and provide HR with a central view of progress. More advanced integrations can be considered later, once the basic process is working.

The payoff: A more consistent handover between teams and fewer tasks that depend on someone remembering to send a message. HR can see what remains outstanding and focus follow-up where it is needed.

Keep personal information to what each team needs to complete its tasks. Assign clear owners, set realistic deadlines and make sure someone is responsible for checking the flow and task list.

How To Estimate The Time Payoff

Avoid assuming that automation will eliminate all the time spent on a process. It may reduce copying, chasing and routine updates, while approvals, exceptions and checking still need people.

A simple estimate is:

Time spent on repeated admin each month − time spent checking and maintaining the flow = potential time released.

For example, if a team handles 15 requests a month and each currently takes eight minutes of administrative follow-up, that is two hours of admin in total. This is an illustrative calculation, not a guaranteed saving. Track the actual time before and after a change to understand whether it is worthwhile.

Start Small, Then Build Confidence

The Microsoft Power Platform includes Power Automate for workflows, Power Apps for building tailored business apps, and Power BI for reporting and analysis. Together, these tools can support processes that begin with a simple approval and later need a better form or a clearer view of the data.

If you want guided help rather than learning by trial and error, explore Right Track Training’s Power Automate course, Power BI course and Power Platform and Microsoft 365 training. Sessions are live online and practical, with hands-on examples connected to the work your team does.

Training can help staff understand how to plan a flow, test it and recognise when a process needs a person to step in. Right Track Training has 40+ years of training experience, and delegates receive workbooks to support learning after the session. If self-paced learning suits your schedule better, see the self-paced course options.

For a no-obligation conversation about your training needs, contact Right Track Training. We’re here to help you identify a practical starting point.