The Power Platform is designed to empower — and it absolutely does.
But in every organization I’ve worked with, from public sector to enterprise SaaS, I see the same mistakes again and again.
These are the pitfalls that:
- Derail great ideas
- Create security and compliance risks
- Lead to costly rework and refactoring
- And sometimes even result in complete solution rebuilds
If you’re building with Power Platform (or overseeing teams that are), these are the five most common mistakes I see — and what you can do to stay ahead of them.
❌ Mistake #1: No Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)
What I See:
Everything is built in the default environment, published live, and edited directly in production.
Why It’s a Problem:
- No versioning
- No rollback
- No peer review
- No separation between development and real users
What To Do Instead:
- Use solutions for all app components (yes, even Canvas Apps)
- Set up environments for Dev, UAT, and Production
- Implement deployment pipelines via Azure DevOps or GitHub
❌ Mistake #2: Relying on Personal Connections in Power Automate
What I See:
Flows are triggered or run under a single user’s connection (often the person who built them).
Why It’s a Problem:
- When that person leaves or changes roles, flows break
- Hard to manage or audit
- No ownership clarity
What To Do Instead:
- Use service accounts or Power Platform service principals
- Assign owners and document ownership
- Enable team-based co-ownership in Flows
❌ Mistake #3: Overusing Canvas Apps for Complex Scenarios
What I See:
Organizations try to build full-blown enterprise apps in Canvas Apps.
Why It’s a Problem:
- Canvas apps can get bloated, slow, and hard to maintain
- Lack of strong relational data handling
- Poor reusability and ALM
What To Do Instead:
- Use Model-Driven Apps for data-centric, role-based, scalable solutions
- Reserve Canvas Apps for specific UX-heavy or mobile-first needs
💡 Tip: Combine both when appropriate. Use a Canvas App embedded in a Model-Driven App or vice versa.
❌ Mistake #4: Ignoring Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Policies
What I See:
Anyone can connect Power Platform to any service — including Gmail, Dropbox, or worse — with no oversight.
Why It’s a Problem:
- Sensitive data may leave the organization without trace
- Major compliance and legal risks
- Business-critical data may be exposed via automation
What To Do Instead:
- Define and enforce DLP policies at the tenant and environment levels
- Separate business and non-business connectors
- Review connector usage regularly using the CoE Starter Kit
❌ Mistake #5: No Strategy for Licensing and Scaling
What I See:
Apps and flows are built without any consideration for capacity, API limits, or licensing implications.
Why It’s a Problem:
- You’ll hit usage caps unexpectedly
- Licensing costs balloon later
- You may need to rebuild solutions for compliance
What To Do Instead:
- Use Dataverse intentionally (don’t default to it if Excel is enough — and vice versa)
- Track usage metrics using the Power Platform Admin Center
- Plan ahead for premium connectors, API calls, and user growth
🧭 Final Thoughts
Power Platform is fast, flexible, and powerful — but it needs structure.
With just a few intentional practices, you can avoid the rework that so many teams end up facing months down the line.
Start small. Govern smart. And build for the future.
👋 Want to Learn More?
I help teams avoid these traps by designing scalable architectures, mentoring internal developers, and implementing strong governance frameworks.
If that’s something you need — let’s talk.
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