Hello, this is ohya.

From now on, a new series "Similar but different! How to use D365 automation features" To start.
This topic was the one that confused me the most when I was studying for the PL-200.

What is the PL-200?

The official name of the PL-200 is "Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate".
Leveraging the Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Power Virtual Agents) and Dataverse,
Able to solve business problemsFunctional ConsultantThis is a qualification exam that certifies your knowledge and skills.

Roughly speaking, the PL-200 is required to perform the following tasks:

• ・ Power Apps: Creating an app (model-driven, canvas app)
• ・ Power Automate: Create cloud and desktop automation flows
• ・Dataverse: Design and manage data structures
• ・Power BI: Visualize and analyze data
• ・Ability to summarize business requirements and translate them into solutions

In this exam, the following always comes up: "Automation" functions.
These all have similar names, so confusion is inevitable at the beginning of your studies.

Common confusions encountered while studying

This happened when I was solving mock questions for the PL-200.
You might think, "For this requirement, it would be business process flow," but the correct answer is business rules...
"Huh? The names are similar, and they both have conditions, steps, and scopes..." I was confused.

Furthermore, when I was asked to "create an automated flow" in my work,
What the other person wantedPower Automate Cloud FlowsBut,Old WorkflowIt was like...

like this,

• -Similar names
• ・All of them are related to "automation" and "business efficiency"
• ・The setting screens are located close to each other and the terminology overlaps.

This triple whammy leaves me confused.

First, a quick comparison table

The future

In this series, we will delve deeper into each of the above five points.
every time,

• ・Basic mechanism
• ・Usable scenes
• ・Differences from other features
• ・Practical and exam preparation tips
  I will summarize.

The schedule looks like this 👇

• Part7: Workflow (overview, usage, and deprecation reasons)
• Part8: Business rules (input control and form automation)
• Part9: Business process flow (work flow management)
• Part10: Cloud Flow (Example of using Power Automate)
• Part11: Desktop Flow (Introduction to RPA)
• Part12: Summary & Usage Chart

Conclusion

I don't want you to experience the same confusion I experienced while studying for the PL-200 exam.
By the end of this series, you'll be able to confidently use these five similar but different automation features.

Next time we will start with "Workflow." Stay tuned!