Accelerating Power Platform Adoption: A Case Study
- Hamish Sheild
- Apr 16, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Overview of the Project
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. We aimed to lay a solid foundation for a Centre of Excellence.
Through a structured approach grounded in best practices, the client reduced risk, lowered costs, and improved governance. More importantly, teams were empowered to build business solutions more effectively.
Background of the Client
The client had quickly embraced Microsoft Power Platform across different departments. However, they lacked effective governance, visibility, and controls. As a result, technical debt began to accumulate, leading to suboptimal licensing decisions. Additionally, there was limited alignment with leadership on how to scale adoption in a sustainable manner.
To address these challenges, the client engaged us to implement the Power Platform Adoption Accelerator. This guided, step-by-step approach aimed to assess their current standing, improve platform health, and define a clear Power Platform adoption roadmap.
Our Approach to the Problem
Our engagement followed a structured three-phase approach:
1. Power Platform Health Assessment
We initiated the project with a comprehensive health check of the client’s Power Platform environment. Using the Power Platform admin center, we evaluated whether the Power Platform Adoption Accelerator was a good fit for them.
2. Discovery and Roadmap Development
During the discovery phase, we conducted strategy workshops, stakeholder interviews, and a technical audit of the platform. This phase helped identify opportunities to enhance security, minimize costs, and simplify governance. These insights formed the foundation of the Power Platform adoption roadmap.
3. Execution and Implementation
We collaborated closely with the client to implement priority actions. Our focus was on enhancing governance, boosting security, optimizing licensing, and building capacity through a newly established Centre of Excellence.
Key Findings and Improvements
Power Platform Adoption Maturity
Our assessment highlighted a significant gap between the high usage of Power Platform and the client’s maturity level. Despite the creation of numerous apps and flows, visibility into ownership or value was lacking. This gap created a risk that limited scalability.
By leveraging the Power Platform adoption maturity model, we guided the organization toward a point where the platform became secure, maintainable, and strategically aligned.
Licensing Cost Optimization
One proposed application was initially scoped to be licensed by user for up to 4,000 staff members. This approach would result in costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. By transitioning to the Power Apps pay-as-you-go model, the client managed to reduce projected licensing costs to under NZ$5,000 per year, based on actual usage patterns.
This strategic shift aligned architectural choices with licensing strategy. It ultimately improved ROI while reducing compliance risks.
Technical Debt Reduction
Over five years, the client had amassed hundreds of apps and thousands of flows. Most of these had unclear ownership or purpose. In one case, a Canvas app depended on 15 SharePoint lists to manage data visibility. We restructured this solution using Dataverse, streamlining the architecture, enhancing security, and lowering maintenance costs.
We also employed Microsoft’s CoE Starter Kit to identify and archive unused apps and flows. This effort further minimized clutter and boosted platform reliability.
Data Security and Governance
Another critical discovery was the absence of Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies. This lack exposed the organization to risks of sensitive data being shared through unmanaged connectors. We immediately implemented DLP guardrails to mitigate this risk. As a result, app makers could no longer unintentionally use premium features without proper oversight.
Dataverse Capacity Cost Savings
The client was incurring costs for over 550 GB of unnecessary Dataverse database capacity, which exceeded NZ$30,000 monthly. A significant portion of this was due to the retention of outdated email activity data. By planning to archive or delete redundant records, the client significantly reduced ongoing storage expenses.
Implementation Activities
During the execution phase, we assisted the client with several important tasks, including:
Provisioning new CoE environments and deploying 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 effectively manage and support platform growth.
Designing a Maker onboarding process to guarantee consistent app development standards.
These activities were aligned with Microsoft's Power Platform adoption framework and bolstered by tools from the Microsoft CoE Starter Kit and Power Platform admin center.
Results and Benefits Achieved
The implementation led to several significant outcomes:
A clear Power Platform adoption roadmap and maturity model benchmark.
Substantial savings in licensing and storage costs.
Reduction of technical debt and platform complexity.
Enhanced data security through DLP policies and connector governance.
Strengthened governance and capabilities within the CoE.
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 organizations adopt Power Platform without a clear governance, architecture, or support plan. This often results in duplicated efforts, wasted resources, and disappointing outcomes.
The Power Platform Adoption Accelerator offers a structured method to assess, align, and optimize your investment. We utilize 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 gain a clearer view of your current maturity level and receive tailored next steps.
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