Is PowerApps the right solution for me?

[JHeredia]

Hi all, looks like a great community here supporting PowerApps. I have a situation that I've been trying to find a solution for and I can't figure out what's the best direction to go in. Since MS seems to be pushing me in the direction of PowerApps, I'm hoping you experts can help guide me.

I have a small business (just me, no employees) that I use Office365 with. I have products that I produce and sell through various vendors (3 at this time), and want to be able to track inventory, so I know how much stock I have at each vendor, and what I have in my own inventory for restocking. The vendors don't track anything beyond the dollar amount I sell, so I have to go in once a month, see what's left of the inventory from the month before and then restock what's needed. I want to be able to open an app/webpage/whatever on my phone or Surface and enter this information into some sort of database/Excel spreadsheet/Sharepoint list, and then be able to draw insights from that data. Being with MS for a long time, my first thought was Excel, but that can be cumbersome for entering the info and not as powerful as I think I need. My second thought was Access because I think a database with related tables would fit my needs. That brought me to this page: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Track-inventory-with-the-asset-tracking-web-app-469c65d1-82... which tells me that I shouldn't be using Access anymore, but PowerApps. I come to PowerApps, and it seems like I can't do what I want to do without getting the CAD$48/month PowerApps Plan 2, because that's the only one that allows me to use the Common Data Service.  And while the idea of having an app to do what I want sounds great, I am starting to suspect that PowerApps is overkill for what I need.

So, in the end, my questions are these:

1. Am I overcomplicating PowerApps and it really can do what I need simply without needing that CAD$48 per month plan by connecting it to Sharepoint lists or Excel spreadsheets?
2. Should I ignore MS advice and just make an Access web app off of my Sharepoint site?
3. Should I just spend the $50 CAD on some already built inventory management solution from another vendor?

Sorry for the very newbie questions, but I'm having a really hard time figuring out where to start.

[hpkeong · Accepted solution]

Hi

Welcome to PowerApps.

In fact, MS is absolutely right that using PowerApps, create a simple app, you can easily

- Monitor the Inventory

- Top-up as necessary

- And even analysing sales performance

You can always sign-up FREE and use Excel as Database (though it is currently limited to 500 rows for Filtering, but still able to save to > 500, or CDS, with PowerApps Community Plan, which is also Free, but also limited to 500 rows Filtering but can View all data).

As all data are mostly in Cloud (excel in Dropbox, which is the fastest response platform compare to OneDrive and G-Frive OR using CDS), results are responding almost instantly (<3-5 sec) depending on your internet speed.

(Mobile phone used to response pretty instant).

As you are on your own, and ROI is really important, so, I would advise that you use

- Excel (to be much easier to set-up the Table, and saved in Dropbox)

- Sign-up to PowerApps, Connect to your Dropbox (the one with Excel)

- Start making apps, esp Mobile apps (as they are all cross-platform0

- If you wish to make only SINGLE apps but used for both you and your client / vendors, then you can use userName / UserID to control [please visit my blig : https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/PowerApps-Community-Blog/How-to-Create-UserName-amp-UserID-to-im...]

- Start create apps

That's all and I am sure you will find that it realy helps small business owner like me to control and monitor data.

Hope this helps and enjoy Apping.

[JHeredia]

Wow, exactly what I was talking about.  Thanks for that great, detailed, response that fully answered my questions and got me off on the right foot.  I'd be happy to hear if anyone has a differing opinion, but for now I'm going to push ahead using your suggestions.  I'm sure I'll have more questions as I go!  Thank you hpkeong.