A practical article for accounting firm owners, partners, managers and operational leaders.
| In simple terms | Power Automate is Microsoft’s workflow and automation tool. It lets firms trigger actions automatically when an event occurs, on a schedule, or after a user action. |
| Best suited to | Repeated, rules-based business processes such as approvals, reminders, document routing, onboarding steps, notifications and data-capture workflows. |
What Power Automate actually is
Power Automate is the automation engine within Microsoft’s Power Platform and Microsoft 365 environment. It allows a firm to build workflows – often called flows – that start with a trigger and then carry out one or more actions. A trigger could be a Microsoft Form being submitted, an email arriving, a file being created in SharePoint, a due date approaching, or a scheduled time being reached. The actions might then include sending a message in Teams, creating a task, saving a document, updating a list, requesting approval, or notifying a team member.
For an accounting firm, that means routine administrative steps no longer need to depend on memory, email chains or manual copying and pasting. Instead, the workflow can be defined once and repeated consistently. The real value lies not just in saving clicks, but in making the standard process easier to follow every time.
Why it matters in accounting firms
Small and medium accounting firms are full of repetitive, rules-based processes. New clients need to be onboarded. Information has to be captured, checked and stored. Internal approvals are needed for write-offs, discounts, software purchases or leave requests. Policy reviews, insurance renewals, training deadlines and compliance dates all need reminders. Signed engagement letters and identification documents arrive by email and must be stored in the right place and brought to someone’s attention.
Power Automate helps turn those routine sequences into system-driven workflows. This improves consistency, reduces rework and gives the firm better visibility. It also fits naturally with apps many firms already use, such as Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Lists, Planner and Forms. If you do a lot of things using Microsoft tools already it is absolutely worth investigating.
The main types of Power Automate
For most accounting firms, the most relevant starting point is cloud flows. These run in Microsoft’s cloud and are ideal for Microsoft 365 processes such as notifications, approvals, file handling, form submissions, reminders and list updates. A cloud flow might, for example, save selected attachments from a mailbox into SharePoint and then alert the relevant manager in Teams.
Power Automate also includes desktop flows, which extend automation into robotic process automation. These are more useful where a firm has an older desktop application or browser-based system that does not integrate well with modern cloud services. Many firms will gain plenty of value from cloud flows before needing desktop automation, but it is useful to know the broader capability exists.
Where Power Automate fits alongside other Microsoft 365 apps
A helpful way to think about Power Automate is that it is the glue between other Microsoft 365 tools. Outlook is often where information arrives. Forms is where information is captured. SharePoint is where documents are stored. Lists can hold structured registers and operational data. Planner can hold tasks and work assignments. Teams is where people collaborate and receive notifications.
Power Automate sits between these apps and moves information or actions from one to another. A form response can create a SharePoint folder, update a list, assign a Planner task and send a Teams message. An expiring review date in a List can trigger a reminder email and a team notification.
Practical uses in a small to medium accounting firm
A good example is client onboarding (assuming you are not already using a tool such as Content Snare or Seamlss). Once a new client is approved internally, a form or list update can trigger a flow that creates the SharePoint folder structure, updates the onboarding register, alerts administration, and sends the next required steps to the responsible manager.
Another common use is document handling. Power Automate can monitor a mailbox or designated folder, save attachments into the correct SharePoint location, and notify the relevant team member that documents have arrived. This is more reliable than hoping someone files the documents manually.
Approvals are another strong area. A firm can automate requests for fee discounts, software purchases, leave applications, policy sign-off or marketing spend. Instead of relying on ad hoc emails, Power Automate can send a structured approval request, record the outcome and trigger the next step based on the response.
Power Automate is also useful for internal service requests. A Form could be used for IT requests, marketing support, new starter setup, software access changes or CPD event administration. Once submitted, the flow can acknowledge receipt, log the request, notify the right team and create follow-up actions.
It can also help with reminders and compliance prompts. A List could hold review dates for policies, software subscriptions, annual declarations, insurance renewals or quality management checks. Power Automate can run on a schedule and send prompts before deadlines, helping reduce the risk that important internal obligations are forgotten.
Where firms should start
The best starting point is usually a handful of simple, high-value flows. Good early candidates include saving selected email attachments to SharePoint, routing form submissions to the right team, sending due-date reminders from a List, or creating an approval process for internal requests. These are easy for staff to understand and they demonstrate value quickly.
It is also wise to begin with processes that are already reasonably clear and standardised. Automating a messy process does not usually improve it. In most firms, the better approach is to first decide the standard steps, the ownership points and the exceptions, and then build the flow around that agreed process.
A few cautions
Power Automate is powerful, but it is not a replacement for good process design or for specialist accounting software. It works best as a workflow layer across Microsoft 365 and other connected systems. Firms also need to be mindful of governance, security, ownership and licensing, especially where premium connectors or more advanced desktop automation are involved.
Final thoughts
Power Automate is best understood as Microsoft’s automation and workflow engine. For a small to medium accounting firm, it offers a practical way to reduce manual effort, strengthen consistency and connect the tools the firm already uses. It can help information move more smoothly from Outlook to SharePoint, from Forms to Lists, from a request to an approval, and from an approaching due date to a timely reminder.
Used well, it supports a more process-driven firm. It does not remove the need for sound judgement or good management, but it does remove many of the avoidable administrative steps that consume time and create friction. For firms looking to get more value from Microsoft 365, Power Automate is often one of the most worthwhile tools to explore.