This guide offers a detailed look into a real-world virtual mentoring session focused on grant submission automation using Microsoft Power Platform. The session demonstrates how to automate notifications for grant submissions through Power Pages, while leveraging Power Automate and Dataverse to streamline workflow management.
Rather than relying on manual processes, the team implements a responsive system that enhances efficiency, reduces errors, and supports seamless collaboration between applicants and administrators.
Session Overview
The session explores practical, scalable techniques for:
- Automating email notifications using Power Automate
- Managing environment variables for dev/prod deployments
- Triggering flows based on submission status in Dataverse
- Cleaning up stale draft applications automatically
- Tracking external email communications within Dynamics 365
- Bonus: Free Power BI Training
Each component builds toward a complete grant submission automation framework that any organization can replicate.
Automating Email Notifications with Power Automate
Objective
The goal is to automatically notify a team member when a grant application is submitted through the Power Pages portal. This capability forms the core of grant submission automation, enabling immediate action without manual monitoring.
Key Steps
1.
A flow is triggered when a record in the grants table is modified. Specifically, the trigger activates when the submission status field changes to Submitted (value = 1).
2. Environment Variable Setup
To ensure adaptability across environments, the base URL of the grant app is stored in an environment variable. This allows seamless migration from development to production without hardcoded links.
3. Dynamic Email Content
The automated email includes:
- The organization name entered by the applicant
- A dynamic link to the submitted grant record
- Optional future enhancement: use of security groups or admin roles for flexible routing
4. HTML Composition
An HTML <a> tag is built using a compose action, dynamically generating the full hyperlink by combining the environment variable and the unique ID (GUID) of the grant record.
5. Fail-Safe Logic
If the grant record lacks a linked account, the flow still completes successfully. In that case, it substitutes the typed-in organization name for the missing account data.
Together, these steps form a robust notification system aligned with grant submission automation goals.
Deleting Dormant Applications to Maintain Data Hygiene
Over time, draft grant applications can clutter the system. To prevent this, the team designed a process to automatically delete unsubmitted applications that are older than six months.
Solution
Custom View in Dataverse
A view filters records with submission status = saved and created on > 6 months ago.
Bulk Deletion Job
A bulk deletion job, configured in Power Apps’ advanced settings, runs every 180 days. It deletes all records that match the filtered view. This solution minimizes manual maintenance and avoids the overhead of additional flows.
Because this method uses native platform capabilities, it’s both efficient and scalable.
Tracking External Emails in Dynamics 365
While most communication occurs through the portal, some grant-related emails may arrive independently. To capture these, the team enabled email tracking via Dynamics 365 and Outlook.
Setup Process
- Dynamics 365 Outlook Add-In
This tool allows users to tag any email to a specific Dataverse record, such as a grant application. - Regarding Field Mapping
The email is associated with the corresponding grant via the regarding field. - Storage and Visibility
Once tagged, the email is stored in the notes table. It remains accessible even if deleted or archived from the user’s inbox.
This feature enhances traceability and consolidates communication history, ensuring all messages linked to a grant are preserved.
Best Practices and Takeaways
To replicate the success of this implementation, consider these best practices:
- Use environment variables to simplify ALM between development and production environments
- Limit trigger sensitivity by monitoring only necessary fields, such as
submission status - Generate HTML email bodies with GUID-based links for consistency and clarity
- Use bulk deletion jobs instead of flows to clean up unused or abandoned records
- Track email conversations using Outlook integrations to maintain full visibility into grant-related communication
When applied together, these techniques significantly enhance your grant submission automation efforts.
Further Learning
Want to deepen your understanding of the Power Platform and build more powerful automation workflows?
We recommend this free resource:
Free Power BI Training from DataBear
