The pace of innovation across Microsoft’s Power Platform is relentless. Staying ahead means more than just knowing what’s new; it means understanding how each tool works in practice, where it excels and where it needs a creative workaround. By doing this, you can get faster value and greater ROI.

This approach is particularly crucial to Power Apps. The custom nature of the tool opens a world of possibilities – and being able to leverage innovation and creativity enables you to achieve better outcomes.

As a technology partner, we pride ourselves on leading the charge and inspiring clients with tried-and-tested use cases. Our Power Apps hackathon sessions enable us to uncover example uses, experiment and learn what performs best – ready to turn into results for your business. We dive into how the hackathons work below.

Canvas and model-driven apps: the best of both worlds

Power Apps is central to our toolkit, enabling us to build both canvas apps and model-driven apps. While model-driven apps are familiar territory (forming the backbone of Microsoft Dynamics 365), they’ve evolved dramatically since the early CRM days. Our team has grown with it, adopting new features like Remote Assist, Connected Field Service, Project Service Automation and Field Service as soon as they land.

Canvas apps have taken things to the next level. They allow us to design custom user interfaces that solve real-world problems with precision. By embedding Canvas apps into model-driven environments, we create seamless, intuitive experiences that simplify complex workflows.

With a web-based UI and a rich set of controls, Canvas Apps let us tailor the experience to each user group. Whether it’s surfacing key data or streamlining input, we build apps that feel natural and deliver results.

Putting Power Apps to the test: our internal hackathon

To keep our skills sharp and our thinking fresh, we hosted an internal Power Apps hackathon. The goal? Give our Dynamics 365 consultants hands-on exposure to the latest tools – and have a bit of fun solving a real business challenge.

We split into pairs and had just two hours to build a working app. The challenge was based on a pain point we know well: entering time in the Project Service Automation module. The default model-driven UI is clunky, with limited visibility and too many steps. Our mission was to build a canvas app that made time entry faster, clearer and more user-friendly.

Real problems, real solutions

The design brief was simple but ambitious. We needed to:

• Pull in existing time entries
• Filter them by user and week
• Create a clean, intuitive interface for adding new entries

As the teams got to work, we hit some snags – especially around filtering data from Dynamics 365. It was a great reminder that while Power Apps is low-code, solving real problems sometimes requires a developer’s mindset. Thankfully, our consultants were up to the task, using Excel-style formulas to overcome the hurdles.

Here’s a snapshot of our team in action:

Using out-of-the-box controls, we built a working prototype that delivered a smoother experience. It wasn’t perfect (this was a hackathon, after all) but it proved the power of the platform and the creativity of our team.

What we learned

• Power Apps is powerful – but not always plug-and-play. Complex data operations still require technical thinking.
• Canvas apps unlock new possibilities. With the right design, they can transform user experience.
• Hands-on learning beats theory. Our hackathon gave us practical insights we now apply in client projects.

Looking to find out more about Power Apps and the wider Power Platform?

Our total guide to Power Platform is here to answer all your questions – including the best examples of Power Apps, top tips for creation and the benefit you can expect.

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