{"id":110812,"date":"2017-04-17T12:00:07","date_gmt":"2017-04-17T19:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/power-platform\/blog\/power-automate\/q1-2017-update\/"},"modified":"2025-06-11T08:14:40","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T15:14:40","slug":"q1-2017-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/power-platform\/blog\/power-automate\/q1-2017-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Q1 Update for Microsoft Flow"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the five months since its general availability, Microsoft Flow has seen huge growth. Today we are announcing new Microsoft Flow updates to enhance team productivity, extend support for partner services, and modernize approvals for businesses of all sizes. Microsoft partners are also now able to develop and ship support for their own services directly from Microsoft Flow with a new connector building experience and submission process.<\/p>\n

Modernizing approvals<\/h2>\n

This week we are announcing major advancements to Microsoft Flow\u2019s approval processes management. Microsoft Flow\u2019s modern approval workflows are far easier to create and maintain than the legacy line-of-business systems typically used by large organizations, and they offer smaller companies a major upgrade from informal, ad-hoc processes. With the new modern approval processes, you can:<\/p>\n

Create an approval process in seconds. <\/strong> Rich templates and a streamlined design experience make it possible for any user to quickly configure an approval process. These approvals now are securely authenticated using Azure Active Directory, and support full customization with the Microsoft Flow designer.<\/p>\n

Keep business running smoothly with approvals everywhere needed. <\/strong>Flow now offers a smooth mobile experience for approving or rejecting requests on the go. Requesters and approvers will have a consolidated web view of everything they need to act on and can see their full approval history. Even better, actions surface directly in other Microsoft products like Outlook, so users can complete key approval tasks without ever leaving their inbox.<\/p>\n

You will see a new Approvals tab inside of Microsoft Flow by the end of the week –\u00a0read more about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Enhanced productivity for the whole team<\/h2>\n

We believe smarter workflow is not just about empowering individuals, but helping whole teams work more efficiently. In February, we released updates to allow multiple people to use and maintain flows<\/a>. Today, we\u2019re building on that team-centric model with the following features:<\/p>\n

Shareable button triggers to empower end users.<\/strong> Users can now share Microsoft Flow buttons \u2013 workflows triggered by a simple tap \u2013 with end users. These buttons are accessible from a variety of different products, including the Microsoft Flow mobile app on iOS<\/a> or Android<\/a> and the Microsoft Dynamics 365 home portal<\/a> on the web. Buttons make it easy for business users to perform quick tasks, such as logging a time entry or opening a bug.<\/p>\n

More collaborative Flow creation. <\/strong> Team flows<\/a> allow multiple people to own and manage a flow together. If someone leaves an organization, their flows will continue to run. Team flows are generally available today.<\/p>\n

Instant action through faster, richer button flows.<\/strong> Microsoft Flow button shortcuts on the home and lock screens of mobile devices<\/a> make it faster than ever to trigger a flow. Flow buttons can also now prompt the user for additional data. Flow button shortcuts are available today on Android, and coming soon to iOS. Flow also now supports physical buttons that connect to the real world<\/a> through partnerships with The Button Corporation and Shortcut Labs.<\/p>\n

Several Microsoft teams already use these new Microsoft Flow features. For example, the Microsoft Executive Briefing Center uses team flows and buttons to more effectively meet visiting customers\u2019 needs. Some of their flows include:<\/p>\n