Are you tired of clunky, one-size-fits-all software solutions that don’t quite meet your business needs? Or maybe you’re just looking to elevate your AI-Powered Power Apps development game without needing a PhD in computer science. Either way, we want to introduce you to Power Apps—your gateway to creating custom business applications with powerful AI functionalities, all without breaking a sweat.
AI-Powered Controls: Revolutionize Your Data Handling
One of the standout features of Power Apps is the ability to integrate AI-powered controls directly into your apps. Let’s take a closer look at how this can revolutionize the way you handle data.
Text Recognition (OCR): Imagine you’re in a business where processing physical documents is a daily task—maybe you’re handling invoices, receipts, or even handwritten notes. Manually inputting this data is not only tedious but also prone to errors. Here’s where AI-powered Optical Character Recognition (OCR) comes in.
With OCR, you can scan and input data directly from images. Just snap a photo of the document, and the AI will recognize and extract the text for you. This means no more manual data entry, fewer errors, and a whole lot more time saved.
Real-World Example: Consider a logistics company that deals with numerous delivery receipts daily. By integrating OCR into their custom Power App, they can automatically scan receipts upon delivery, inputting the data into their system instantly. This not only speeds up the process but also ensures accuracy, as the AI can verify the information against pre-set criteria.
Pre-Built AI Models: Enhance Your AI-Powered Power Apps Functionality
Power Apps also allows you to incorporate pre-built AI models from AI Builder, another component of the Microsoft Power Platform. These models are designed to handle common business scenarios, and you can easily integrate them into your apps to enhance functionality.
Here are a few examples of how pre-built AI models can make your apps smarter:
Prediction Models: Use AI to forecast outcomes based on historical data. For instance, if you’re managing inventory, a prediction model can help you anticipate stock levels based on past sales patterns, helping you avoid overstocking or running out of popular items.
Form Processing: Automate the extraction of data from forms. This is particularly useful for industries like healthcare or finance, where processing large volumes of forms is a daily necessity. By using AI to extract information, you can streamline operations and reduce manual workload.
Object Detection: Enable your app to identify and count objects within images. This is perfect for scenarios like quality control in manufacturing, where the AI can inspect products for defects or ensure the correct quantity is produced.
Building an AI-Powered App: A Step-by-Step Guide
Ready to build AI? Let’s walk through a simple example of building a Power App with AI capabilities.
Step 1: Define Your Use Case
Start by identifying a specific problem or task you want to automate. For this example, let’s say you want to create an app that scans and inputs data from business cards.
Step 2: Set Up Your Environment
Log in to Power Apps, and choose to create a new app. You can start from a template or build from scratch using the intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
Step 3: Integrate AI Builder
In the Power Apps interface, navigate to AI Builder and select the AI model you want to use—in this case, the Text Recognition model.
Step 4: Add AI-Powered Controls
Drag and drop the Text Recognition control onto your app canvas. Configure it to capture and process images from your device’s camera.
Step 5: Test and Refine
Test your app by scanning a few business cards. Adjust the settings as needed to ensure the AI accurately extracts the data. Once you’re satisfied, deploy the app for use.
Real-World Success Stories
Based in Norway, Leroy Seafood Group, a leading global producer of salmon and trout, saved USD 8 million by enhancing weight estimate accuracy using Microsoft Power Apps. They implemented an automated Center of Excellence and developed a mobile app that improved reporting accuracy by 11.6%.
Likewise, Nsure.com, A licensed digital insurance agency in the USA, reduced manual processing time by 60% and associated costs by 50% using generative AI capabilities in Microsoft Power Automate, including text recognition and sentiment analysis.
These examples showcase the transformative power of integrating AI with Power Apps to drive efficiency, accuracy, and innovation across various industries.
Ready to transform your business with custom, AI-powered applications? Contact us today to learn how Prodware can help you leverage the full potential of Power Apps and AI Builder. Discover how low-code development with Power Apps enables rapid app creation and data integration with Dataverse. You may also explore the possibilities of Power Virtual Agents for conversational AI and the AI Copilot in Power Platform for an enhanced AI-powered experience.
