Process automation with Power Automate: hand over the recurring work

ICT 365 automates business processes with Microsoft Power Automate and the Power Platform: approvals, document processes, escalations and system handovers – complemented by AI actions that understand content and prepare decisions. More than 1,000 connectors link Microsoft 365, SAP and line-of-business systems. Proven by automated approval and escalation processes at Rockwell Automation and ArcelorMittal.

Illustration: documents travel through an automated flow with checks, gears and ticks

When workflows hang on emails and individuals

Automation rarely starts from zero: the process exists – it just runs on people, inboxes and copy-paste. Typical triggers:

  • Approvals run by email and stall when someone is on holiday.
  • Data is copied by hand from one system into the next – with errors and waiting times.
  • Nobody can see where a case currently stands or who is next.
  • Reminders and escalations are manual work – or do not happen at all.

What our process automation covers

We automate where it pays off – and build so it holds up in daily operation:

  • Process mapping and prioritisation by benefit and feasibility
  • Approval processes with Power Automate, including delegation rules
  • Document processes: generation, filing, metadata, PDF creation
  • Escalation and reminder logic with task tracking
  • Integration of SAP, ERP and line-of-business systems via connectors, gateways and APIs
  • Error handling, monitoring and governance for continuous operation

Cloud flow, RPA – or an app after all?

Not every process needs the same tool – the choice decides stability and cost.

Cloud flows in Power Automate are the first choice when systems offer APIs or connectors; RPA remains the exception for legacy systems without an interface. When the process turns into a tool with its own interface, forms and roles, a Power App grows alongside it. AI actions now take over the fuzzy steps: extracting content from documents, classifying requests, summarising text – as building blocks in the flow, with clear checkpoints. And above all stands error handling: a flow that fails silently is worse than manual work.

Diagram: automated flow from intake through review and approval to filing, with branching and escalation

Automation with control: governance from day one

The more processes run automatically, the more important the question becomes: who may build what – and who operates it?

We set up flows with environments, service accounts and clean application lifecycle management instead of tying them to individuals. Permissions, data policies and monitoring are part of the build – so even dozens of flows stay maintainable and auditable. That applies especially when AI actions are involved: they get defined checkpoints where humans decide.

Proven in practice

Rockwell Automation: audit-proof QMS process

In the quality management system for 26,000 employees, Power Automate drives approvals and evidence.

  • Audit-proof approval process with Power Automate
  • Tracking of read confirmations
  • Several Power Apps for task and notification management
  • Separate environments with Azure DevOps pipelines

ArcelorMittal: supplier processes in the partner portal

In the SharePoint portal for buyers and suppliers, onboarding and follow-up run automatically.

  • Onboarding with invitation, review and approval
  • Automatic SharePoint provisioning per supplier
  • Escalation system for tracking supplier tasks
  • PDF generation for suppliers

How your automation project with ICT 365 works

  1. Initial conversation and process selection

    We review candidates and pick the process where benefit and feasibility meet – not the most spectacular one.

  2. Process mapping and concept

    Flow, people, exceptions and systems – resulting in a target picture with a reliable effort estimate.

  3. Implementation in short iterations

    The flow takes shape step by step, with error handling and tests – your business users review early.

  4. Pilot operation

    The process runs for real with a limited group; edge cases surface now and flow back in.

  5. Rollout and operation

    Extension to everyone involved, monitoring and further development – on request we run the operation.

Frequently asked questions about process automation

How much does automating a process cost?

It depends on exceptions, participants and system integrations – an approval process is built quickly, an SAP integration takes more. After process mapping you receive a reliable effort estimate. The benefit is usually easy to quantify: saved handling time per case times frequency.

How long until the first process is live?

Clearly scoped flows with standard connectors are productive quickly; complex processes with legacy integrations take longer – a serious figure follows the process mapping. Thanks to the iterative approach you see a running version early.

Which licences do we need for Power Automate?

Flows with standard connectors are included in many Microsoft 365 plans; premium connectors such as SAP, gateways and RPA require premium licences. As Microsoft adjusts prices and models regularly, we check in the concept phase which licensing is the most economical for your scenario.

Can our business departments build flows themselves?

Yes – with guard rails: we create the frame of environments, data policies and naming conventions in which citizen developers work safely, and we take over the flows that become business-critical. Training on your own processes fits in well here.

What happens when a flow fails?

That is the most important question during the build: every flow gets error handling, notifications and defined restart points. If a step fails, someone finds out – and the case remains traceable instead of silently disappearing.

Can AI be part of the automation?

Yes: AI actions extract data from documents, classify requests or summarise content – as building blocks in the flow with human checkpoints. We use AI where it measurably saves work, and keep every decision traceable.

Talk to our experts

Ralf Heid
Ralf Heid
Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft 365 & AI Expert
Submit your request now!
Niklas Wilhelm
Niklas Wilhelm
Chief Technology Officer
Power Platform Expert & Developer
Submit your request now!