Power Platform Adoption: Overcoming Common Challenges

Understanding the Key Obstacles

Lack of Funding for Licensing and Implementation

Power Platform includes some free features with Microsoft 365, but they are limited. Many organisations need premium licenses for scalable, long-term solutions. However, teams often struggle to explain the value of premium licensing to decision-makers. Without approval, they end up creating workarounds that build up technical debt and cost more in the long run.

An example of this is when a developer opted for 15 SharePoint lists instead of a single Dataverse table because premium Power Apps licenses weren’t approved. The outcome was a messy, hard-to-maintain app that required expensive consultants to fix, ultimately costing a lot more.

Lack of Support from IT

Some IT teams inadvertently block or slow down Power Platform adoption. While not intended to hinder progress, their focus on security, governance, and limited resources can impede business users from innovating and pushing improvements forward.

Lack of Skills and Knowledge

Adopting Power Platform isn’t just about using the technology; it requires business, technical, and collaboration skills. Without people working together and leveraging their diverse skills and expertise, projects can fail due to unclear goals, poor communication, and inadequately designed solutions that fall short of user and business needs.

How to Overcome These Challenges

Securing Funding for Power Platform

To secure funding, focus on the return on investment (ROI) and how the solution aligns with business goals.

• Understand Leadership Goals: Learn what decision-makers care about to better align your proposal.

• Define Success Metrics: Create clear, measurable outcomes that demonstrate business impact.

• Compare Costs and Benefits: Show how the right licensing saves time and money while improving results.

• Build a Prototype: Create a small prototype or proof of concept to visualize potential outcomes.

  
  

For example, I recently worked with a company comparing Power Apps ($5/user/month) to Dynamics 365 ($105/user/month). Initially, Power Apps seemed cheaper. After reviewing data costs and staffing needs, they found Dynamics 365 would save $74,800 per year, while offering more benefits.

Example online workshop activity to get people to work together to define metrics.

Gaining IT Buy-in and Support

To gain IT’s support, help them understand how Power Platform fits their needs.

• Align with IT Goals: Illustrate how Power Platform helps manage security and reduces “shadow IT.” There are many resources in the Power Platform admin center that are constantly updated.

• Co-create Governance Guidelines: Collaborate with IT to establish security and data policies related to Power Platform.

• Educate IT: Provide training to help them grasp the platform’s benefits.

  
  

When IT sees that Power Platform supports their goals, they are more likely to assist.

Monitor and gain insights with the Power BI dashboard from the Power Platform CoE Starter Kit (Image from Microsoft Learn)

Enabling Employees for Power Platform Success

For successful adoption, teams working on Power Platform projects need:

• Leadership: Someone to guide collaboration among business users and developers.

• Champions: Individuals who train others and advocate for Power Platform.

• A Sharing Space: A community for exchanging best practices and success stories.

• Diverse Skill Sets: A mix of sponsors, business/product owners, IT, developers, and users who support the solution being built.

• Expert Guidance: Access to specialists who can prevent technical debt and ensure objectives are met.

  
  

By fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge-sharing, organisations can create impactful solutions.

Teams collaborating on solution ideas in a facilitated online workshop

Co-design Power Platform Adoption

The key to success is having someone on your team who can engage different stakeholders—sponsors, business/product owners, IT, developers, and users. This person should help align these groups and facilitate the co-creation of solutions that benefit the entire organisation.

Successful collaboration requires input from all key stakeholders. No single group can do it alone. Makers cannot build effective solutions without leadership sponsorship and IT support.

Start with a small project to demonstrate Power Platform’s benefits with minimal risk and investment. Involve all key stakeholders in this project. This approach can unlock new innovation opportunities within the organisation.

Expert Help for the Power Platform

Most organisations lack in-house expertise in Power Platform, which makes external experience critical for successful adoption. Without the right skills, teams may struggle to design scalable solutions or implement best practices—leading to inefficiencies, higher costs, and missed opportunities.

External experts bring deep knowledge, real-world experience, and proven methodologies to help organisations navigate challenges, avoid common pitfalls, and unlock the full potential of Power Platform. They provide guidance on governance, security, and user adoption strategies, ensuring long-term success. By leveraging outside expertise, organisations can accelerate innovation and maximise their return on investment.

Conclusion

Technology alone won’t ensure successful Power Platform adoption; people will.

To succeed, organisations must:

• Show the ROI to secure funding.

• Collaborate with IT, rather than opposing them.

• Foster strong teams equipped with the right skills.

  
  

What’s Next?

• Identify the barriers to Power Platform adoption in your organisation.

• Recognise that investment in people, collaboration, and training is as crucial as technology.

• Consider enlisting a skilled facilitator to guide the adoption process.

  
  

How has your team addressed challenges related to Power Platform adoption? Share your experiences in the comments.