Case Study: Power Platform Adoption Accelerator in Higher Education
- Hamish Sheild
- Apr 16
- 4 min read
Client: A leading higher education provider in New Zealand
Project: Power Platform Adoption Accelerator and Centre of Excellence (CoE) implementation.
Overview
This case study highlights the outcomes of a Power Platform Adoption Accelerator project delivered for a higher education provider. The goal was to accelerate Power Platform adoption by aligning with Microsoft’s Power Platform Adoption Framework and laying the foundation for a Centre of Excellence.
Through a structured approach grounded in Power Platform adoption best practices, the client was able to reduce risk, lower costs, and improve governance, all while empowering teams to build business solutions more effectively.
Background
The client had rapidly embraced Microsoft Power Platform across departments, but lacked the governance, visibility, and controls needed to manage it effectively. Technical debt had accumulated, licensing decisions were suboptimal, and there was limited alignment with leadership on how to scale adoption in a sustainable way.
They engaged us to run the Power Platform Adoption Accelerator, a guided, step-by-step approach to assess their current state, improve platform health, and define a clear Power Platform adoption roadmap.
Our Approach
The engagement followed a three-phase structure:
1. Power Platform Health Assessment
We started with a quick health check of the client’s Power Platform environment using the Power Platform admin center to assess whether the Power Platform Adoption Accelerator was a good fit.
2. Discovery and Roadmap Development
The discovery phase included strategy workshops, stakeholder interviews, and a technical audit of the platform. We identified opportunities to improve security, reduce costs, and simplify governance, which formed the basis of the Power Platform adoption roadmap.
3. Execution and Implementation
We then partnered with the client to execute priority actions. Focusing on governance, security, licensing optimisation, and capability-building through a new Centre of Excellence.
Key Findings and Improvements
Power Platform Adoption Maturity
Our assessment revealed a significant gap between the high usage of Power Platform and the client's maturity level. Although many apps and flows had been created, there was little visibility into ownership or value. This mismatch created risk and limited the ability to scale.
By using the Power Platform adoption maturity model, we helped the organisation advance to a level where the platform became secure, maintainable, and strategically aligned.
Licensing Cost Optimisation
One proposed app solution was initially scoped to be licensed per user for up to 4,000 staff, an approach that would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. By switching to the Power Apps pay-as-you-go model, the client reduced projected licensing costs to under NZ$5,000 per year, based on actual usage patterns.
This change aligned architecture choices with licensing strategy, improving ROI and reducing risk of non-compliance.
Technical Debt Reduction
Over five years, the client had built hundreds of apps and thousands of flows. Most with unclear ownership or purpose. In one example, a Canvas app relied on 15 SharePoint lists to manage data visibility. We re-architected this solution using Dataverse, simplifying the structure, improving security, and reducing maintenance costs.
We also used Microsoft’s CoE Starter Kit to identify and archive unused apps and flows, further reducing clutter and improving platform reliability.
Data Security and Governance
We discovered the absence of any Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies, which exposed the organisation to risks of sensitive data being shared through unmanaged connectors. Immediate implementation of DLP guardrails helped mitigate this risk and ensured app makers could not unintentionally use premium features without proper review.
Dataverse Capacity Cost Savings
The client was paying for over 550 GB of extra Dataverse database capacity, costing more than NZ$30,000 per month. Half of this was traced to unnecessary retention of email activity data. With a plan to archive or delete redundant records, the client was able to significantly reduce ongoing storage costs.
Implementation Activities
As part of the execution phase, we supported the client with:
Provisioning new CoE environments and installing the Microsoft CoE Starter Kit
Implementing DLP policies and connector guardrails
Cleaning up and archiving legacy apps and flows
Documenting Power Platform adoption best practices, governance policies, and support processes
Training the newly formed CoE team to manage and support platform growth
Designing a Maker onboarding process to ensure consistent app development standards
These activities were all aligned with Microsoft's Power Platform adoption framework and supported by tools from the Microsoft CoE Starter Kit and Power Platform admin center.
Results and Benefits
A clear Power Platform adoption roadmap and maturity model benchmark
Significant licensing and storage cost savings
Reduction of technical debt and platform complexity
Improved data security through DLP policies and connector governance
Strengthened platform governance and CoE capability
Increased stakeholder alignment and support from the senior leadership team
“Thanks Hamish. Today’s workshop went very well. I’ve had all those business-side people respond thanking us for the opportunity to be involved.”
Start Your Power Platform Adoption Journey
Many organisations adopt Power Platform without a clear plan for governance, architecture, or support. The result is often duplicated effort, wasted spend, and underwhelming outcomes.
The Power Platform Adoption Accelerator provides a structured way to assess, align, and optimise your investment. Using proven tools, templates, and Microsoft-aligned best practices.
Learn more about the Power Platform Adoption Accelerator 👉 here.
Start with a free self-assessment
Not sure where to begin? Take our 5-minute Power Platform Self-Assessment to get a clear view of your current maturity, and receive tailored next steps.
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