The Problem with Process Management in M365

Intro

Microsoft 365 (M365) has many tools that help with productivity and teamwork. But when it comes to process management, many users struggle to get the results they want. Often, people use project management tools like Planner to manage processes. While Planner is great for organizing projects and tasks, it doesn't work as well for ongoing processes. This blog will look at why people have trouble using M365 for process management and how to use the right tools to improve your workflow.

Why People Struggle with Process Management in M365

We have seen people tend to gravitate towards Planner, To Do, Teams and other task management tools for anything that looks like a task. The problem is these tools are really meant to manage projects and people. They are good at creating unique outcomes by facilitating communication, collaboration, and tracking. Which are all attributes of project and people work.

If you are trying to manage a process, the most important things you are looking for are:

• Repetition - The ability to repeat a series of tasks/actions over and over in a consistent manner.
• Efficiency - With repetition comes value in accomplishing the tasks efficiently.
• Effective handoffs - You will likely need coordination between groups with confidence that nothing will be dropped.
• Auditing - Having a way to track what happens throughout the steps in the process is important.
• Reporting on requests - It is more important to report on the efficiency and effectiveness of the overall process.

This doesn't mean Planner, ToDo, Teams, etc. can't do process management at all. It does mean that when you have trouble with the areas outlined above it is a sign you need to think about a different approach. This approach is likely to feel more like a custom solution rather than an out of the box application that just does it all for you.

How You Can Manage Processes in M365

Now that we understand why people struggle doing process management in Microsoft 365, let's talk about what you can do differently. The first step is to stop looking for a single tool to address this. Microsoft does not have a single tool that will do process management. Instead, you will need to integrate multiple tools to create a process management system that meets your specific needs. Below are some of the tools commonly used within the Microsoft 365 toolset:

• SharePoint Lists/Libraries
• MS Forms
• Power Automate
• Power Apps
• Approvals
• Dataverse

Example

This scenario uses SharePoint Lists to store the data, Outlook for notifications, Power Automate Approvals, Teams integration with Approvals.

Users use a SharePoint List form to request travel for a project trip

Once submitted the travel team receives an email with a link to the newly submitted request

The travel team user requests approval for the travel request

The approver approves the request.

We Know This Seems Basic...

While this example would only work for a very basic travel request process, you can customize it extensively to meet your needs. You can also advance your process management by adding in things like Dataverse, Power Apps, and Power BI. While these tools have an additional cost, if you are using them across your organization the cost becomes easy to justify.

You might also ask how complex of a solution you could create using these tools. The answer is there is almost no limit. As proof of this, Microsoft built all of Dynamics 365 on these same tools. It just requires effort and understanding of the tools and frameworks.

Why Does This Feel Like More Work Than I Expected?

Because it probably is.

Microsoft's strategy for supporting this type of functionality is not intended to be super simple and easy. Instead, it is focused on flexibility, scalability, security, ecosystem, and cost. Microsoft attempts to resolve this by creating a TON of templates and examples. In fact, the example I provided in this article is an out of the box template from SharePoint Lists. Which makes it super easy to create something that looks interesting, but you quickly figure out you will need to customize the template. Which isn't super straightforward but is very powerful.

You are likely to find easier and slicker solutions like Monday.com, Click Up, or a process management tool that is specialized in your field. However, using these tools will create the following challenges:

• You will have another IT system to manage, maintain, protect, and integrate
• These other systems have additional costs, but likely can't be used across your organization
• While these other systems are highly configurable, they do not have the same level of flexibility you have in the extensive Microsoft 365 tools.

This doesn't mean we would recommend you avoid these other tools. There are reasons they can make sense. You just need to be aware of the full impact of those choices.

Closing

Microsoft 365 has a complete set of tools for managing processes. They just aren't the tools people think of immediately. Also, these tools aren't as plug and play as people think.