Dynamics 365 CE: When to use OOB Workflows vs Power Automate Flow

Both Workflows and Power Automate Flows can be used to automate business processes in Dynamics 365 CE, but they have some differences that may make one more suitable than the other depending on the specific scenario.

Here are some general guidelines to help you decide which to use:

1. Complexity of the process: Workflows are best for simple, linear processes that require only basic logic and don't involve multiple entities. Power Automate Flows, on the other hand, can handle more complex processes that involve multiple entities, conditional branching, looping, and more.

2. Real-time vs. batch processing: Workflows are designed to run in real-time, meaning they are triggered immediately when a specific event occurs in Dynamics 365 CE. Power Automate Flows, on the other hand, can be triggered in real-time or can be scheduled to run at specific times, making them more suitable for batch processing scenarios.

3. Integration with external systems: Power Automate Flows have built-in connectors that allow you to easily integrate with external systems like SharePoint, Twitter, and Salesforce. Workflows do not have these connectors, so if you need to integrate with external systems, Power Automate Flows may be the better choice.

4. User interface: Workflows are created using a point-and-click interface within Dynamics 365 CE, while Power Automate Flows are created in a separate web-based interface. If you prefer to work within Dynamics 365 CE, workflows may be the better choice.

5. Licensing: Power Automate Flows require a separate licensing, whereas workflows are included in the Dynamics 365 CE licenses.

In summary, Workflows are best for simple processes that require real-time processing and limited external integration, while Power Automate Flows are best for more complex processes that require batch processing and/or integration with external systems.

Move existing email attachments from Dynamics 365 to Azure Blob storage using Power Automate Flow

To move existing email attachments from Dynamics 365 to Azure Blob storage without writing any code, you can follow these steps:

1. Set up Azure Blob storage: If you haven't already, create an Azure Blob storage account in the Azure portal. Make a note of the storage account name, container name, and access key.

2. Set up Power Automate: Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) is a cloud-based service that allows you to create automated workflows between different applications and services, including Dynamics 365 and Azure Blob storage. Go to the Power Automate website and sign in with your Microsoft account. If you're new to Power Automate, you may need to create a new account.

3. Create a new Power Automate workflow: Click on the "Create" button on the Power Automate home page, then select "Instant cloud flow". Give your flow a name and click "Create".

4. Configure the trigger: In the workflow designer, click on "Manually trigger a flow" under "Start with". This will allow you to manually trigger the flow when you're ready to move email attachments to Azure Blob storage.

5. Get the email attachments: Add the "Get attachments (preview)" action to the workflow. In the "Email Message Id" field, select the ID of the email message containing the attachments. You can get this ID by opening the email in Dynamics 365 and looking for the "Message Id" field.

6. Add the Azure Blob storage action: Add the "Create blob" action to the workflow. In the "Blob content" field, select the output from the "Get attachments (preview)" action. In the "Blob name" field, specify a name for the blob. You can use dynamic content to create a unique name for each blob, such as the name of the email attachment.

7. Configure the Azure Blob storage connection: If you haven't already, you'll need to create a connection to your Azure Blob storage account. Click on "New Connection" under "Connections" and select "Azure Blob Storage". Enter your storage account name, container name, and access key.

8. Test the workflow: Save and test the workflow to make sure it's working correctly. To trigger the workflow, click on "Run flow" and follow the prompts.

9. Schedule the workflow (optional): If you want to automate the process of moving email attachments to Azure Blob storage on a regular basis, you can schedule the workflow to run automatically. Click on "Scheduled from blank" under "Start with" and follow the prompts to set up a schedule.

That's it! Your existing email attachments from Dynamics 365 will now be moved to Azure Blob storage automatically.