Automated Report Distribution System
The Problem
Workforce management reports relied heavily on VBA macros that broke when multiple team members worked simultaneously. The sequential workflow created bottlenecks: wait for report runner to finish generating the report, wait for runner to post Teams chat alert (sometimes forgotten when interrupted by other tasks), manually copy file from SharePoint to desktop, work in desktop copy to access full macro functionality, then copy/paste results back to original SharePoint report without using macros to avoid conflicts.
This tedious process repeated multiple times daily across 6 shared reports, representing roughly 50% of daily report volume. The manual copy operations consumed time, the chat alert dependency created delays, and the context switching between waiting and working reduced productivity. Team members had to constantly monitor Teams chat for runner alerts before they could begin work.
The Solution
Built 6 separate Power Automate flows, one per shared report, to eliminate the entire manual workflow. Each flow monitors a report-specific SharePoint folder and triggers automatically when the report runner creates a new file. The automation extracts file content, creates a copy in personal OneDrive with standardized naming prefix, and posts a Teams notification via Flow Bot to signal readiness.
The system transforms the workflow from manual and reactive (monitor chat, download file, rename file) to fully automated and proactive (file appears in OneDrive automatically with instant notification). Flow Bot messages use clear, friendly formatting to eliminate ambiguity about which report is ready to work. Personal OneDrive storage means each team member could run their own automation without interfering with others.
Architecture
Six parallel Power Automate flows with identical structure but report-specific configurations. Each flow uses SharePoint folder monitoring trigger (When a file is created), file content extraction action (Get file content), OneDrive file creation action (Create file with dynamic naming), and Teams messaging action (Post message as Flow Bot). Flows run independently with no interdependencies. SharePoint trigger scopes to specific folder paths per report. OneDrive files stored in personal workspace with standardized "Desktop Copy - [Report Name]" prefix for easy identification.
Key Implementation Decisions
- •Six separate flows vs one complex flow: Simpler maintenance, easier troubleshooting, independent operation
- •Personal OneDrive storage: Each team member runs own automation without shared resource conflicts
- •Flow Bot messaging: Friendly, immediate notifications without manual Teams chat monitoring
- •Standardized file naming: "Desktop Copy" prefix provides consistent file identification pattern
- •SharePoint trigger over scheduled checks: Instant response when report ready instead of periodic checking
The Results
Quantifiable Outcomes
- ✓Eliminated 6 manual file copy operations daily, saving significant time
- ✓Removed dependency on runner posting chat alerts (automated notification never forgets)
- ✓Instant desktop copy availability when report generation completes
- ✓Zero manual OneDrive navigation or file renaming required
- ✓Enabled parallel work capability without waiting for chat monitoring
- ✓Reduced context switching between report monitoring and actual work
- ✓Demonstrated advanced Power Automate capabilities (multi-flow architecture, cross-system integration)
Lessons Learned
- →SharePoint file triggers more reliable than chat-based workflows: Automation eliminates human notification failures
- →Parallel flow architecture scales better than monolithic flows: Independent flows easier to maintain and troubleshoot
- →User experience matters in automation: Clear notifications and friendly messaging improve usability
- →Event-driven triggers outperform manual coordination: Instant response to file creation eliminates wait times
- →Personal automation can drive significant productivity gains: Six daily manual operations eliminated through workflow optimization