Collaborating to Solve with Microsoft Power Platform Envisioning Workshops from HBS
Organizations often face a common challenge: bringing people together, figuring out shared problems, and coming up with solutions that actually work. The HBS Power Platform Envisioning Workshop helps teams and industry groups do that—in a hands-on, collaborative way—by using Microsoft Power Apps to solve difficulties and focus on improving important processes.
- Tailored Report:
Summary of challenges and proposed solutions. - Strategic Roadmap:
Clear plan for implementing Microsoft Power Apps. - Ongoing Support:
Guidance to refine and execute stratefies
The Challenge
We consistently find that progress stalls—often feeling impossible—when people and teams don’t talk to each other. Messages get lost, everyone is pulling in different directions, and employees are left on an island. Many organizations wrestle with:
- Figuring out the biggest challenges they need to fix.
- Getting people from different teams to work together.
- Making the most out of the tools they already have.
For industry groups, the challenge also means bringing together people in similar roles across different organizations to share what works and tackle common issues. Without a structured plan, opportunities to identify shared challenges and develop solutions are often missed.
The HBS Power Platform Envisioning Workshop Solution
Our Power Platform Envisioning Workshop is a focused engagement—typically around three hours—designed to get to the heart of organizational and industry challenges. Through collaboration and hands-on activities, there’s an uncovering of what’s holding organizations back and exploring how Microsoft Power Apps can help.
What Happens in the Workshop
- Kickoff: Everyone gets to know each other, and the group sets the stage for a productive session.
- Overview of the Microsoft Power Platform: Learn how tools like Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages, and Copilot Studio can make work easier and more productive.
- Interactive Activities:
- Icebreaker: Loosen up and start thinking outside the box.
- SWOT Analysis: Dig into what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next.
- Affinity Diagramming: Take all those ideas, group them, and figure out what’s most important.
- Wrap-Up: Review the day’s discoveries and prepare for the next step—the Report Out Session.
The Follow-Up
After the workshop, HBS hosts a follow-up Report Out Session to consolidate insights and focus on actionable next steps. This session translates the brainstorming into practical strategies.
- Review of Outcomes: Recap the strengths and weaknesses identified during the SWOT analysis. This step shows how everyone is aligned about what matters most.
- Affinity Themes: Revisit the themes from the affinity exercise, focusing on shared problems and priorities.
- Strategic Focus: Highlight key areas for improvement and identify potential projects that align with long-term goals— a clear sense of direction.
A few weeks following the workshop and report session, HBS reconvenes with participants to review their progress, address any challenges, and explore more ways HBS and Microsoft’s Power Platform can help. The goal is to continue that momentum and create an opportunity to refine strategies and plan next steps.
The Results
This isn’t just a brainstorming session—attendees leave with tools and strategies to make things happen.
- Tailored Report:
- A simple summary of the big challenges and best ideas from the workshop.
- Clear recommendations for how Power Platform can move organizations forward.
- Strategic Roadmap:
- A step-by-step plan for leveraging Microsoft Power Apps.
- Options for follow-up support, including detailed business process flows and requirements.
- Tailored Report:
Why It Works
- Focused Problem-Solving: The workshop dives into the biggest challenges and identifies practical solutions.
- Collaborative Insights: Whether it’s within a single organization or across groups, the collaborative format leads to better ideas and stronger outcomes.
- Actionable Strategies and Next Steps: With the Report Out Session and strategic roadmap, participants leave with a clear plan to move forward.
Conclusion
Whether you’re part of a single organization or an industry group, the HBS Power Platforms Envisioning Workshop helps you tackle the tough stuff and come out ahead. By discovering and focusing on what matters the most to everyone, working together, and using Microsoft’s tools, you’ll go from stuck to successful.
Ready to solve what’s holding you back? Let HBS show you how.
