Power Platform · Copilot · Enterprise automation

Thinking out loud
on enterprise
automation

Practical writing on Power Platform governance, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Fabric, and building things that actually get adopted — by the people who have to use them every day.

Paras Dodhia
Paras Dodhia Principal Consultant · MindLab Systems · Ontario, Canada
1 Articles published
52 Total planned
52 Weeks of content
Latest
Power Platform CoE in year two: what changes and what to focus on
Year one of a CoE is about building the foundation. Year two is about building the culture. Here is what that looks like in practice.
2027-06-24 · 7 min Read
LatestAll articles ↓
Power Platform
Dataverse for Teams vs Dataverse: understanding the difference
Two different products with similar names. Here is what the distinction actually means and when each is the right choice.
2027-06-17 6 min
Governance
The Power Platform governance framework that actually scales
Most governance frameworks are designed for where an organisation is today, not where it will be in two years. Here is how to build one that scales.
2027-06-10 8 min
Career
Building the business case for Power Platform investment
A business case that gets Power Platform funded is not about the technology. It is about quantified business outcomes and credible assumptions.
2027-06-02 8 min
All articles
2027-05
Power Platform
RPA in Power Automate: attended vs unattended and when each makes sense
Robotic Process Automation in Power Platform is genuinely useful for specific scenarios. Here is how to tell the difference between attended and unattended RPA and when each is appropriate.
7 min
2027-05
Career
Building a Power Platform roadmap your leadership will actually fund
A technology roadmap that does not connect to business outcomes is a wish list. Here is how to build a Power Platform roadmap that gets funded.
7 min
2027-05
Security
Power Platform security and compliance in regulated financial services
Financial services organisations face specific regulatory requirements that shape how Power Platform must be deployed and governed. Here is what that looks like in practice.
9 min
2027-05
Copilot Studio
Copilot Studio enterprise deployment checklist
Before you go live with a Copilot Studio agent in production, here is the checklist that covers the things teams most commonly miss.
8 min
2027-04
Power Platform
Power Fx patterns that experienced makers use
Beyond the basics, Power Fx has patterns that make apps more maintainable, more performant, and more resilient. Here are the ones worth learning.
7 min
2027-04
Governance
Conducting a Power Platform governance audit: what to look for
A governance audit tells you where your tenant actually is versus where you think it is. Here is a structured approach.
8 min
2027-04
Microsoft Fabric
Power BI semantic model design: the decisions that determine performance
The semantic model is the foundation of Power BI performance. Here are the design decisions that make the difference between instant and slow.
8 min
2027-04
Power Platform
Dataverse virtual tables: accessing external data without moving it
Virtual tables let Power Platform apps work with data in external systems as if it were native Dataverse data. Here is when they are the right pattern.
7 min
2027-03
Copilot Studio
Responsible AI practices for Copilot Studio deployments
Deploying AI agents responsibly requires more than enabling the feature. Here is what a responsible deployment actually looks like.
7 min
2027-03
Opinion
When not to use Power Platform
As a Power Platform practitioner, I probably build more goodwill with clients by telling them when not to use it than when to use it.
6 min
2027-03
Power Platform
How to stay current with Power Platform releases without drowning in release notes
Power Platform releases twice a year in waves plus continuous updates. Here is a practical system for staying current efficiently.
6 min
2027-03
Copilot Studio
Microsoft 365 Copilot: how to evaluate whether the cost is justified
M365 Copilot is a significant per-user investment. Here is a framework for evaluating whether it delivers value in your organisation.
7 min
2027-03
Power Platform
Power Platform integration patterns: connecting to the systems that matter
Connecting Power Platform to SAP, Salesforce, SQL Server, and other enterprise systems. The patterns that work and the trade-offs to understand.
9 min
2027-02
Career
Managing up as a technical lead: how to make governance work with leadership
The best governance framework fails without leadership support. Here is how to get and keep the support that makes governance work.
7 min
2027-02
Microsoft Fabric
Real-time analytics in the Microsoft stack: what is actually possible
Real-time means different things in different contexts. Here is an honest guide to what the Microsoft stack can deliver.
8 min
2027-02
Power Platform
Document automation with Power Platform: from Word templates to production
Document generation is one of the highest-ROI automation scenarios for Power Platform. Here is how to build it properly.
7 min
2027-02
Career
Building an independent consulting practice in the Microsoft ecosystem
The practical side of going independent in the Microsoft space — positioning, finding work, and building a practice that does not depend on one client.
9 min
2027-01
CoE
Building a maker enablement programme that actually produces capable makers
Training a hundred makers and having ten capable ones six months later is not success. Here is how to design a programme with better outcomes.
8 min
2027-01
ALM
Testing Power Platform solutions: what mature teams do differently
Most Power Platform testing is manual and informal. Here is what systematic testing looks like and why it matters.
7 min
2027-01
Power Platform
Power Platform and Microsoft Teams: integration patterns that work
Teams is where most enterprise users spend their day. Here are the patterns that put Power Platform capabilities where people already are.
7 min
2027-01
ALM
Migrating from Nintex to Power Automate: what to know before you start
Nintex to Power Automate migration is not a direct translation. Here is what changes, what surprises teams, and how to plan a migration that finishes.
8 min
2026-12
Opinion
Power Platform in 2027: what I think will matter
End-of-year predictions with honest uncertainty where it exists. What I think will define Power Platform practice in the year ahead.
6 min
2026-12
Power Platform
Power Apps UX design: why most enterprise apps look the way they do and how to do better
Most Power Apps look like someone configured a database instead of designing an application. Here is how to build apps people actually want to use.
7 min
2026-12
CoE
Building a Power Platform Centre of Excellence that people actually use
A CoE that exists on paper is not a CoE. Here is what separates the governance structures that actually change how an organisation builds.
8 min
2026-12
Power Platform
AI Builder in Power Platform: a practical guide to what is actually useful
AI Builder has matured significantly. Here is an honest guide to the capabilities worth using and the ones to approach with care.
7 min
2026-12
Power Platform
Dataverse data modelling: the decisions that matter
A well-designed Dataverse data model makes everything built on it easier. A poorly designed one makes everything harder. Here is how to get it right.
8 min
2026-11
CoE
Your Power Platform adoption is stuck. Here is why.
The technology is working. The adoption is not. Here are the five patterns I see most often when Power Platform momentum stalls.
7 min
2026-11
Microsoft Fabric
Your first Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse: what to build and what to skip
The Fabric Lakehouse is a genuinely powerful tool. Here is how to start without overcomplicating your first project.
8 min
2026-11
Career
What running a Power Platform user group taught me about community
The certifications on my wall are not what built my career. The community connections are. Here is why.
7 min
2026-11
Power Platform
Power Platform licensing: the guide I wish existed when I started
Power Platform licensing is genuinely complex. Here is a plain-language guide to the decisions that cost people money.
9 min
2026-10
Copilot Studio
Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Copilot Studio agents: when to use which
Two different tools under the same Copilot brand. Here is how to tell them apart and choose the right one.
7 min
2026-10
Career
Going independent after corporate life: the things nobody tells you
Twelve months into running MindLab Systems. Here is the honest version — the parts the LinkedIn success posts leave out.
9 min
2026-10
SharePoint
SharePoint modernisation: what to migrate and what to leave behind
Not everything in your classic SharePoint environment is worth migrating to modern. Here is the framework for making that decision.
8 min
2026-10
Power Platform
Error handling in Power Automate: the patterns that actually work
Most Power Automate flows fail silently. Here are the error handling patterns that surface problems before your users do.
7 min
2026-09
Copilot Studio
Copilot Studio knowledge sources: getting them right the first time
The knowledge source is the most important decision in a Copilot Studio deployment. Here is how to design one that actually works.
7 min
2026-09
Governance
The governance documentation nobody reads — and what to do instead
Governance documentation that lives in SharePoint and never gets opened is not governance. Here is what actually changes behaviour.
6 min
2026-09
Opinion
Why I stopped calling it "low code"
The label is doing more damage than good. When business leaders hear 'low code' they hear 'low rigour.' Time to retire the term.
5 min
2026-09
Microsoft Fabric
Power BI to Microsoft Fabric: what actually changes for your team
The migration path from Power BI to Fabric is less dramatic than the marketing suggests — for most teams. Here is a practical breakdown.
8 min
2026-09
Copilot Studio
Copilot Studio in 2026: an honest field report
Three production Copilot Studio deployments later. Here is what works, what the demos do not show you, and what I would do differently.
9 min
2026-08
ALM
Setting up ALM with Azure DevOps for Power Platform
A step-by-step guide to connecting your Power Platform environments to Azure DevOps pipelines. The setup that makes everything else easier.
10 min
2026-08
Power Platform
Power Pages for external-facing portals: what to know before you start
Power Pages is the right tool for external-facing portals on Power Platform. Here is what to understand before your first build.
8 min
2026-08
Security
Power Platform security roles: least privilege in practice
Most Power Platform tenants have too many System Administrators and not enough thought given to custom security roles. Here is how to fix that.
7 min
2026-08
CoE
Setting up the CoE Starter Kit: what the documentation does not tell you
The CoE Starter Kit is one of the most valuable tools in the Power Platform ecosystem. It is also one of the most misunderstood to set up correctly.
9 min
2026-07
Power Platform
Dataverse vs SharePoint: how to choose and when the choice matters
Teams default to SharePoint because it is familiar. Sometimes that is correct. Here is a framework for making the decision deliberately.
8 min
2026-07
Power Platform
Why your Power Automate flow works in dev and fails in production
The connection reference. The environment variable. The hardcoded URL. Here is every reason flows break between environments — and how to prevent each one.
7 min
2026-07
ALM
Managed solutions only in production — and why people still ignore this
This is the single most impactful ALM decision you can make. It is also the one most organisations skip until they have a disaster.
6 min
2026-07
Governance
DLP policy design for enterprise Power Platform: a practical framework
Data Loss Prevention policies are where enterprise Power Platform governance gets real. Here is how to design them so they actually work.
8 min
2026-07
Power Platform
The environment strategy conversation you need before you build anything
Most Power Platform projects start in the wrong environment. Here is the conversation that saves you six weeks of debugging later.
7 min
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