Introduction
Hello, we are Team Power Procure, students from Strathmore University (School of Computing and engineering sciences). As computer science and telecommunication students, we are always fascinated by the possibilities that technology can bring. We are always eager to learn about new tech innovations and how they can be applied to solve real-world challenges.
During the Global Power Platform Bootcamp Nairobi 2023, Microsoft had an informative session, introducing the Microsoft Power Platform that can make our work life easier by automating various tasks, storing data in a reliable database, App creation and even having a tool that gives you business analytics across your datasets. After this informative session, we were tasked to produce a project using the Microsoft Power Platform within a month. We cannot deny for sure it was a challenge as for some of us it was the first-time hearing about these technologies hence the learning curve was quite steep.
Our Problem Statement
The procurement process at Strathmore Business School is manual. This process is faced with multiple challenges such as:
- Time-consuming as it involves a lot of paperwork and writing a lot of emails.
- Difficulty in collaboration especially when multiple departments are involved which is often the case.
- Lack of visibility of the process makes it difficult to identify sources of delays during the procurement process.
- Compliance issues when the right procurement policies and procedures are not followed correctly.
Our Solution
The Power Procure system was developed to automate the procurement process and address the challenges identified above. The system will allow users to make requests for items to the relevant department using the Power App. Their requests will be submitted to their head of department for approval using a flow on Power Automate. Upon approval, the relevant department will receive the approved request and can view it using the Power App. If the item is out of stock, the head of the department will send out a request for a quotation to the relevant group of suppliers in the form of an approval on Power Automate. The suppliers will either accept or decline the request. If they accept the request, they will receive an email prompting them to upload their quotation for review using a flow on Power Automate. The submitted quotations will then be reviewed by the head of the department of the user making the request and the winning bidder will be approved on the Power App. Once approved, the winning bidder will receive an LPO for the requested product using a flow on Power Automate. Upon delivery of the product, the requester will be informed, and the process will be closed.
Project Justification
The system will have a significant impact in the organization. Some of the benefits the organization will gain from implementing the system include:
- Increased efficiency as the process will be streamlined reducing the effort and time taken to complete the procurement process.
- Better transparency due to the increased visibility of the procurement process allowing different stakeholders to track the status of their procurement requests.
- Enhanced supplier management as the procurement system will provide a centralized repository of supplier information.
- Increased compliance as the system will ensure all the necessary steps are followed in chronological order during the procurement process.
- Better collaboration among the different departments as the procurement process will be centralized within the procurement system.
Solution walkthrough
Once you open the app, you will first get the login page. The user enters their credentials and a function is written to check whether the user is a HOD or not. If the user is a HOD, they will be directed to a different landing page compared to a normal user.
Login Page
Loading Page
Welcome Message
Error message if the user enters the wrong credentials
HOD Landing Page
The HOD has the option of viewing goods that are to be purchased, the department orders, their own orders, members of their department. They are also able to modify the data.
Normal User Landing page
Here, the user can view their current orders, add an order and view their details.
During order creation, the individual making an order is required to enter the name of the item, quantity,the approver, destination department and the status code will automatically be selected as created.
Add Order Page
After the order is created, the approver will be able to see that an item has been ordered on the department orders section and later receive an email of the same.
HOD View of Orders Created
Order Email
The email has been sent automatically, power automate will generate another email and send it to the HOD giving him an option of approving the order or declining it.
After the order is approved, the item will be listed under items to be procured and an RFQ draft email will be sent to suppliers.
The suppliers will automatically receive an email stating the item requested and the individual who ordered it. The supplier can either approve the request and deliver the item or reject it.
After the Request has been approved, instructions will be sent on how to receive the quotation. A specific subject line will be sent to them and an email address to which they should send it.
After sending the email, the Power Automate flow will populate that quotation and HOD will be able to see the quotation uploaded by the supplier. They will be able to preview multiple quotations and approve one.
On approval, the HOD will be prompted to send an LPO to the supplier. After the LPO is sent, the supplier will receive an email requesting them to deliver the goods.
After the supplier has delivered the item, the HOD of the department will access the order details and change its status code to procured and closed and the individual who requested for the item will in turn receive an email informing them that the item has been delivered.
Summary
We would not have made it in the competition without the help of the Microsoft GPPB mentors, our peers and family.
The project was a ground for us to learn more on Microsoft Power platform especially on its automation features. At first we can't deny that it was a challenge as most of us never used the product at all. The learning curve was too steep and we had to deliver a product within a month. In the end despite all the challenges, we managed to come up with a solution from scratch, figure our way out with Microsoft Power Platform and pitched a project to the judges which left them impressed. In the end, it was worth the sleepless nights.
To learn more on our project, Kindly watch our tutorial on this link and follow our project on devpost . Thank you very much for your time.
Updated Jun 12, 2023
Version 1.0
