Scott’s expert experiences provide valuable guidance for anyone who is learning to develop their own PCF components and highlights things to be aware of if you’re working with other people, like developments teams, partners, or ISVs. 

By using custom PCF controls for high-traffic and high-value user interfaces, being on track with efficiency updates like virtual controls, and evaluating the total cost of ownership of third-party vs in-house development, app makers can effectively harness the power of PCF controls and create deeply tailored and efficient UI in Power Apps.  

Summary: 

• Know when to use PCF controls – choose high-frequency and high-value
• Use virtual PCF controls to boost your app performance 
• Understand your data binding method
• Use Fluent 9 to align with the rollout across Power Apps 
• Balance customization and maintenance  
• Don’t skip performance testing 

Know when to use PCF controls – choose high frequency and high value 

PCF controls are the key to providing Power Apps with highly customized user interface features, enabling developers to create rich, custom UI features.  

Scott says app makers ought to discern whether they actually need them. 

He suggests using native functionality within Power Apps before reaching for PCF controls. “Push it as far as you possibly can. See how far you can possibly get with the native functionality that you get in Power Apps and Power Pages; it is such a rich environment.” 

He thinks that PCF controls should be used strategically – in high-traffic functionality and high-value user experiences. Their greatest value comes in high-frequency tasks where efficiency is crucial.  

“There might be one area in your app where you’re editing, updating, or visualizing data multiple times a day, and the efficiency of using that user interface is key,” he explained. 

Custom PCF controls are game changers that lead to better user adoption and satisfaction.  

Watch the full webinar here

Use PAC CLI to enable PCFs in Canvas apps  

Before using PCF controls in Canvas apps, you must enable them in the Power Platform admin center. 

“Instead of doing it manually, you can install the Power Platform tools inside VS code and you can use Pack Env command to make an automated script to do it for every new environment,” said Scott.  

This method ensures consistency, reduces errors, and speeds up deployment, especially in enterprise environments. 

Use virtual PCF controls to boost your app performance 

One of the key technical advancements Scott discussed was the introduction of virtual PCF controls. These controls ensure more efficient rendering and quicker apps. 

“Virtual controls share React and Fluent libraries, so they’re loaded only once because they’re part of the platform anyway, and each code component reuses those React and Fluent libraries,” says Scott. 

Previously, PCF controls required each component to include its own copy of React or Fluent UI, slowing down performance. Virtual PCF controls eliminate this issue by allowing all components to share a single instance of these libraries. This reduces load times and memory usage, making applications more responsive. 

“You can use a framework parameter from a shared library to automatically create the scaffolding. Rather than returning HTML from your component, you would return a React component – which is a more modern way of working,” he added. 

Virtual PCF controls were in preview and have now reached general availability. Watch the full webinar to get Scott’s full breakdown.  

Understand your data binding method 

When you need complete control over data handling in a PCF control, or when using one from someone else, understanding its data binding method is key.  

By default, Power Apps and Power Pages handle two-way data binding, automatically syncing data between Dataverse and other connectors. 

For greater control, developers can bypass this and call the Dataverse Web API, enabling precise CRUD operations. “If you have an application where performance is really important, and you want to be very clear about how you get data – and how you update data – then the web API then gives you this ability.” 

Whether building or using a PCF control, knowing if it relies on automatic binding or API calls is essential for performance and maintainability. 

Use Fluent 9 to align with the rollout across Power Apps 

Scott highlighted the importance of aligning PCF controls with Power Platform’s Fluent UI standards to maintain a consistent look and feel.  

“With Fluent version 9 rolling out across Power Apps, it’s important to ensure that your PCF controls use the latest Fluent styles to look native inside the platform.” 

Balance customization and maintenance 

Scott stressed the need to weigh the benefits of building custom PCF controls against the total cost of ownership. He warned that reusable components require ongoing maintenance and compatibility testing.  

“Every time you reuse something, it introduces an additional cost… if you’re going to build a reusable component, then you have to take on that responsibility of making sure that you’re going to test it every time.” 

For organizations considering third-party or open-source PCF controls, Scott advised due diligence. While resources such as the PCF Gallery provide many examples and open-source components, they often lack official support, required for enterprise apps. Maintained third-party libraries provide more support and handle the maintenance.  

“PCF Gallery is a great way to learn because most controls link to GitHub repositories where you can see the source code. But remember, open-source PCFs often don’t come with official support, so you’re on your own if something breaks.” 

You’re going to have to figure out where you sit in this spectrum of ownership you’re going to have to take– you can build your own PCF and manage the testing, regression testing and maintenance. You can use PCFs from Microsoft, or paid libraries, like Resco Power Components, which gives you more support and handles the testing and maintenance for you, or you can use open source, but make sure you’re checking the code and that you generally know what you’re doing.  

When deciding, it is important to understand the implications and the total cost of ownership.  

Don’t skip performance testing  

Performance testing is important particularly when deploying PCF controls in large-scale applications.  

“In development, where we’ve got 10 test records, it’s okay… but how many records do we have in production? We have 10,000 records. How is it going to work for that?”  

Thinking about this early on is essential for ensuring that PCF controls function smoothly under real-world conditions. 

Final thoughts  

PCF controls have come a long way. They started out in model-driven apps and then spread throughout the Power Platform. They are now an integral part of the platform.  

“Before PCF, the only way was to embed web resources and use iframes. There was always a glaring difference between the user and the interface you would get. The great thing is, with PCF, the users don’t see a difference. The job is so much easier now and you can make things look amazing. The sky is the limit. I think that’s the real power of PCF,” says Scott.  

And that’s it! You made it to the end of the article!  

This was just a summary of what Scott, Michal, and Jakub discussed in the webinar! You can watch the webinar on ESPC’s YouTube channel to get Scott’s insights in full. 

About Scott Durow  

Scott Durow is a committed and passionate software architect who has been deeply involved in developing and evolving the Power Apps Component Framework (PCF) controls and is a leading authority in this domain.  

He is a Power Platform Advocate at Microsoft. Prior to joining Microsoft, he was a Microsoft MVP for 11 years and worked as a solution architect and consultant on enterprise implementations.  

You can learn more from Scott on his YouTube channel or on his podcast  XrmToolCast where he covers all topics related to Power Platform development. 

Príspevok Expert insights from Scott Durow: How to work with PCF controls like a pro  zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Ask anyone working on enterprise projects, and they’ll tell you it’s NEVER that easy. The search for a custom control always turns out to be the tip of the iceberg for a project that highlights how challenging PCF controls can be.

Rendering logic – beyond UI design 

Let’s start with rendering logic. Imagine setting up a shop window. You arrange the items so they’re easy to see and look inviting.  

Unfortunately, apps require more than that to run well.  It’s not just about writing a snazzy UI with HTML and TypeScript. It’s also about planning for large datasets and complex interactions, ensuring performance remains stable at scale.  

Responsive design also matters because your component might be used across devices and form factors. On top of that, enterprise branding compliance standards often require visual consistency. Jumping straight in without accounting for these factors can lead to major headaches. 

Data binding – keeping information in sync 

Think of a digital menu in a restaurant. When the chef updates a dish, it instantly appears on the menu screen. Data binding keeps that connection alive between the app and its data so that changes happen seamlessly. 

In the real world, it means juggling multiple data sources like Dataverse, SQL, or SharePoint. Not only do you have to optimize data retrieval (think caching or efficient queries), but you also need to respect role-based access, and any compliance mandates your organization has in place. That way, the same component can safely handle a variety of user permissions and maintain top-notch performance even under heavy loads. 

Event handling – managing user interactions 

Every user interaction with a PCF control creates an event.

Event handling anticipates high-traffic usage and builds workflows for every scenario. When a user interacts with your component, you might trigger a Power Automate flow or a custom API call, so you must think about event logging and potential fallback flows if something goes wrong. 

Context awareness – adapting to different environments 

Context awareness helps your component adapt to different environments -development, testing, and production – without requiring constant rebuilding.  

A little forward planning can ensure easy configuration changes, support multiple languages, and keep your solution secure for different user roles. Enterprise applications often serve global teams. Context-aware components adjust based on user locale. 

An intelligent PCF control should be context-aware. It’s like asking for directions on your phone. If it knows you’re in Valencia, it won’t show you a map of Vienna. Context awareness is how apps understand where you are, who you are, and what’s relevant to you. 

To wrap up, let’s not forget error handling, logging, and testing. These practices ensure your app won’t crumble when unexpected issues arise (and they always do).   

Start small, learn from the best 

I am a citizen developer who has recently encountered PCFs, so this iceberg is terrifying. But starting small and learning from community experts like Diana Birkelbach and Scott Durow went a long way toward avoiding the pitfalls.  

There are plenty of examples of integrating PCF controls with real-world data, building error recovery mechanisms, and optimizing performance for thousands of users. The tip of the iceberg might draw you in – it’s fun and exciting – but the real value comes from tackling the unseen portion. That’s when a PCF control becomes a powerful tool for delivering enterprise-grade solutions that meet real-world demands. 

Príspevok The PCF iceberg: Four hidden challenges when working with PCF controls zobrazený najskôr Resco.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is meticulous in selecting partners. And they discovered Resco in the best possible way – through a recommendation by one of the world’s largest companies. 

Putting their capabilities and skills to the test 

“UNHCR heard about us from Microsoft, with whom we have collaborated for many years. They were familiar with our focus on offline applications,” says Andrew Lorraine, CEO of Resco – a company whose vision is helping mobile workers become more efficient. 

We faced an initial challenge: using a mobile or tablet app to locate refugee family members registered in remote refugee centers – all without an internet connection! 

“We managed to do this by searching for the registered members and their contacts in various Resco apps via Bluetooth. At that time, we had no idea that it was a UNHCR project. When we found out, we were excited and motivated for our support to grow into a genuine partnership,” added Andrew. 

Initial version in just 3 months 

We quickly passed the test with flying colors, and Resco’s developers then set about developing a RApp (Rapid Application) to register refugees even without internet access, using the Resco Mobile App Development Toolkit. The major challenges were achieving data quality, app performance, and ease-of-use for field workers. And all that without internet connection. These technical hurdles were overcome, and fine-tuning of the app took just three months.  

And what did the UNHCR employees think? “The RApp reduced refugee registration time from fifteen minutes to just four, compared with other online apps that we used. The Resco platform has radically reduced our dependency on pen & paper as we move towards deploying digital tools,” said David Birt, Chief of Development & Support Unit at UNHCR.  

Every minute counts in crisis situations – with a large number of people, minutes add up to hours or even days of waiting.   

On-site feedback from Cameroon 

Cooperation between Resco and UNHCR was not a one-off provision of software; the application is constantly evolving. In recent years, nine people have worked on the project, but practically the whole company participated in its development.  

Resco employees’ exploratory visit to Cameroon also provided valuable on-site feedback. In the towns of Beroua and Batouri, they experienced the UNHCR’s work with refugees first-hand. 

“We were grateful for the opportunity to experience something completely new, both in how we view our day-to-day work and our overall perspective of the world. We also gained key practical insights about our technologies in the field,” noted Andrew.  

This journey also proved to be an enriching personal experience. Our employees found that stepping out of their comfort zone – professionally and personally – is always a good thing. 

“It was inspiring to see how the UNHCR team and the refugees handled these challenging circumstances with dignity and perseverance. This experience gave us the opportunity to reflect on our own lives and strive to provide more help to those in need,” concluded Andrew about the Africa trip.  

The Ukraine war brings crisis to our doorstep 

The partnership between UNHCR and Resco was inevitably marked by the war in Ukraine, where the RApp app is also used. Programmers got even more essential on-site information, and UNHCR opened an office in Bratislava in response to the situation. This resulted in even closer collaboration on further improvements, making life easier for both workers and, most importantly, refugees. 

The app goes beyond registration and staff can leverage the offline platform to sync with critical assistance programmes and protection services. 

Among other things, we soon plan to expand the app to help those seeking to return home after the threat has passed in their country.  

Príspevok Mobile app as lifeline in crises: Registering refugees even without internet connection   zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Whether you’re an integration partner, consultant, system admin, or a mobile worker, there’s something for you in the update.

The release is planned to be generally available in June.

Let’s look at an overview of what’s included in the latest release, divided into three main areas:

New mobile app development capabilities

Launch of Power Components

With the latest release, we are introducing a new product to our portfolio – Resco Power Components for the Power Platform.

Resco Power Components are designed to allow you make building business apps on the Power Platform faster and easier. They add a wide range of functionality to your apps immediately without needing to wait for and budget for custom code from developers.

Power Components are code components (PCF controls) that give app makers the ability to extend and customize applications built on Power Platform. They are downloaded once as a solution, installed in an app maker’s environment, and can be deployed across various projects.

Based on popular demand, we have selected the first batch of essential tools – an image gallery, Kanban board, multi-select dropdown list, advanced calendar picker and others. The first batch was released at Resco Next, our community conference, and will be generally available in June.

You can read the full announcement here.

New sync download method (preview/experimental feature)

Syncing large datasets impacts productivity if it takes too long. Therefore, we are working on a significantly faster way of accessing Dataverse data using the TDS endpoint. The new sync engine improves your sync speeds by up to 6 times while increasing reliability.

If you want to opt in and test the lightning-fast sync download, follow these steps:

Alternatively, app users can enable this feature in the app’s setup. You can also disable TDS download for specific tables in Woodford if they show any issues.

Please note that this is an experimental feature, and it is recommended that you test it thoroughly before deployment in a production environment.

Field usage checker (preview feature)

Identifying where specific fields are used can be challenging in complex projects and can omit effective optimization of sync performance. The new field usage checker will help you identify where are the individual fields used much quicker.

The new functionality analyzes projects and shows you all elements where a field is being used, allowing admins to disable unused fields easily.

This simplifies project management by helping you optimize data fields without disrupting functionality, improving sync performance, and making data management more efficient.

Define score ranges for group results

Evaluating questionnaire responses can be much faster with clear categorization. You can now customize score ranges for each question group and assign distinct labels for different ranges.

This feature allows you to create more effective categorization and evaluation of responses, helping you draw better insights from the data.

UI enhancements

New cell resizing feature in View Designer

You are now able to take advantage of an important change to how cells resize within a row. Previously, you could sometimes experience overlaps of cells in rows, making the content unreadable due to misconfigured anchoring.

Now, newly added cells are set to be responsive by default, allowing you to avoid overlaps and makes scaling smoother.

This means as the row width increases, the cells will proportionally grow, maintaining gaps between cells and from the row edges. If an image needs to be fixed in size, you can turn off the responsiveness and set the anchoring to the left or right.

With these new options you’ll enjoy a smoother, more intuitive design process, ensuring that your layouts look great on all devices without overlaps or unreadable content.

You can learn more about these changes in our recent blog.

Form UI/UX improvements

These enhancements in forms improve experience for mobile workers by providing a more predictable and user-friendly interface, reducing confusion, and increasing efficiency.

Strict layout of cards: A new setting forces cards into their respective columns, avoiding unpredictable shifts, which enhances user experience by maintaining a consistent layout.

Required field markings: Required fields are now clearly marked with an asterisk in forms, reducing confusion and helping users quickly identify necessary inputs.

Confirmation toast: A toast notification confirms when a long questionnaire is saved, providing users with reassurance and reducing the risk of data loss.

Redesigned dropdowns: Improved dropdown navigation in iOS makes adding custom values and searching easier, making the interface more intuitive and user-friendly.

Questionnaire Designer improvements

The updated Questionnaire Designer features new icons and buttons for adding, deleting, and repositioning components. That makes the design process more intuitive and user-friendly for you.

Marking mandatory questions in questionnaires

Similarly to forms, mandatory questions in questionnaires are now clearly marked with an asterisk. Thanks to that, mobile users can identify required fields and ensure that critical information is not overlooked.

Mobile workflow improvements

Faster data entry with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) in forms

You can allow users now to populate text fields on forms using OCR, saving time and effort by capturing a photo or opening an image to fill out forms automatically. This will accelerate data entry for mobile workers, reducing manual input errors, and increasing productivity.

Geo-fencing functionality

Field service dispatchers often struggle without knowing exactly when technicians arrive or leave a location. With the new geo-fencing feature, you can get immediate updates when your front-line workers enter or leave predefined locations like offices or service sites.

This feature works reliably across a wide range of devices (iOS and Android) without draining the battery or compromising user privacy. Only the presence at pre-set locations is monitored, not the overall location.

You’ll enhance the efficiency of your field operations with real-time location updates, ensuring better coordination and faster response times.

Improved questionnaire integrity check

Working with incomplete templates or questionnaires can lead to inaccurate data collection from the field. The improved integrity check now detects incompleteness, preventing users from working with incomplete forms.

Ensuring the integrity of data collection enhances the reliability of your insights and decisions.

Resco Power solutions enhancements

These improvements enhance the usability and flexibility of Resco Forms+ solution on Power Platform, making the questionnaires easier to use in various scenarios.

Questionnaire Player – better support for images

Working with images and videos in Resco questionnaires within Microsoft Power Apps and Power Pages is now significantly smoother. You can easily incorporate components like tagged images and image galleries, enhancing the visual and interactive quality of your questionnaires.

This improvement makes it easier to collect and analyze visual data, enriching your data collection process.

Questionnaire Player – offline mode

In model-driven Power Apps, you can now use questionnaires offline. This means your team can continue working with questionnaires even without internet access, ensuring that data collection is uninterrupted.

QR codes in Power Apps

You can now scan QR codes to answer questions within Resco questionnaires in the Microsoft Power Apps app. This feature simplifies data entry and speeds up the process, making it more efficient for users in the field.

RFID scanning with Zebra devices

Resco mobile apps now support connecting to Zebra Technologies’ RFD4031 RFID scanner using Bluetooth. The functionality is available for iOS devices.

When a user scans RFID tags, the app can handle this event using JSBridge, providing a list of all nearby RFID tags for further processing.

Use case examples:

Stay informed with the Release Bulletin newsletter

Stay tuned for the official release at the end of May, and explore these powerful new features that will enable you to build mobile solutions faster and enhance the users’ experience.

For a comprehensive overview of all the new features, head to Resco’s Spring Update 2024 on the wiki. Dive in and explore the full spectrum of new possibilities.

Would you like to receive news about the Resco previews and releases directly into your inbox? Subscribe into the Release Bulletin newsletter and get notified about the new features first.

Príspevok Launch of Power Components, 6x faster sync, geo-fencing, and more: Discover Resco’s Spring Update 2024 zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Resco Power Components are designed for app creators to make building business apps on the Power Platform faster and easier.

They are made for consultants, developers, and solution architects—who craft model-driven and canvas apps for their clients in low-code / no-code. Code components allow app makers to add a wide range of functionality to their apps immediately without needing to wait for and budget for custom code from developers.

This makes project delivery more efficient, letting app makers digitize processes quickly and be more productive with ease.  

What are Power Components?

First batch based on popular demand

Based on popular demand, we have selected the first batch of essential tools – an image gallery, Kanban board, video player, signature area, multi-select dropdown list, and a calendar picker.

The Resco Power Components are customizable, meaning that app makers will be able to use them for more than one use case. Instead of having to code components in JS from scratch, app makers will be able to use our components and configure them as they need to without needing to code. Using the configuration section doesn’t require code knowledge.

Each code component can be used for different business use cases. For example, you can use the Kanban board for managing tasks or to build a sales funnel – depending on the data you map it on.

Working with a well-managed library of code components takes care of security concerns as well as maintenance issues. We plan to develop the components continuously, extending their features where needed and adding more components to the library.

Benefits of using Resco Power Components:

• Speed up project delivery to clients
• Save costs on developer hours and custom coding
• Guarantee security, quality, and future compatibility of code
• Build components compliant with Power Apps licensing

Príspevok New product alert: Build on Power Platform faster with Resco Power Components zobrazený najskôr Resco.

1. Automated document generation improves operational efficiency 

With findings from a Zapier study highlighting that a significant portion of workers spend hours daily on data-related tasks, the whitepaper underscores the critical need for document automation. By adopting automated document generation, organizations can save resources, minimize errors, and enhance productivity. 

2. Analysis of Microsoft and third-party tools 

The paper presents a guideline for using Microsoft’s native tools versus third-party solutions for document generation. While Microsoft tools offer the advantage of having one supplier, potentially reducing compatibility issues, they may lack the specialization and ease of use provided by third-party solutions specifically designed for document automation on Power Platform. 

3. Advantages of third-party add-ons 

Third-party add-ons bring customization, advanced features, scalability, rapid deployment, and dedicated support to the table. These solutions are built to address the evolving and complex needs of businesses, providing advanced functionalities that enhance Microsoft’s native options. 

4. Key considerations when choosing a solution  

The whitepaper emphasizes the importance of considering factors such as the procurement process, data storage and handling, additional data management costs, and potential performance issues when selecting a document generation solution. These considerations are vital for aligning with regulatory requirements, ensuring cost-effectiveness, and achieving desired operational efficiencies. 

5. Highlight on Resco Docs+ 

Among the third-party solutions, Resco Docs+ stands out for its integrated Document designer, offering a no-code, point-and-click environment for template creation. Its performance, ease of use, and mobile application compatibility make it an ideal choice for organizations seeking reliable and complex document generation capabilities. 

In conclusion, the whitepaper serves as a comprehensive guide for organizations navigating the complexities of document generation on the Power Platform. By evaluating the pros and cons of Microsoft and third-party tools and considering essential selection criteria, businesses can make informed decisions that will aid them in their document automation efforts. 

Download the whitepaper

Príspevok Document generation in Microsoft Power Platform [5 key takeaways from the latest whitepaper]   zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Learn hands-on how to build mobile apps for field workers using Resco and Power Platform. We will guide you through installing, customizing, deploying, and improving the solution and measuring the impact in a series of three 1-hour on-demand webinars with live Q&A sessions. 

In this workshop centered around a common business case, our Success team will guide you through the journey of a fictional company Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning.  

Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning uses Microsoft Dynamics 365 as its CRM. However, it has digitization requirements that go beyond a CRM solution and they’re looking for a way to grow on Power Platform. 

Through the Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning story, we will show you how you can use the same Resco tools you know and love for CRM on Power Platform to cover a wide range of business challenges. 

Our Success team will demonstrate: 

• Setting up Resco Inspections+ for non-CRM use cases 
• Building a solution for performing health & safety procedures and vehicle inspections, using templates and adjusting them to fit the use case 
• Measuring the impact of the collected data with Fabric and Power BI   

Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning is a fictional industrial cleaning leader with 80% of their workforce serving outside the office in roles such as drivers and inspectors. The company wants to consolidate multiple point solutions and pen-and-paper processes for health & safety and vehicle inspections into one business application with a strong long-term perspective. 

After completing the training, attendees will have a solid grasp of how to rapidly deploy an end-to-end mobile solution using Resco and Power Platform that helps make their non-CRM teams more productive in the field. 

Day 1: Setting up the mobile app  

Get to know the business case of Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning, a fictional industrial cleaning leader with a need to digitize non-CRM processes and teams. 

• Intro to Resco on Power Platform and the business challenge 
• Showcase of the final solution with screenshots and solution architecture 
• Setting up Resco Inspections+ for Power Platform 
• Setup of Resco mobile app  

Presenters: Nicholas Boxall, Knowledge Specialist, and Lukas Lesko, Support and Education Manager 

Duration: 1 hour (including Q&A) 

Day 2: Inspections solution low-code customization 

Dive deep into the process of customizing Resco Inspections+ through the lens of the Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning business case, see the mobile app in action, and discover how the solution achieves the business requirements. 

• Creating Health and Safety Assessment and Vehicle Inspections 
• Using advanced features: data mapping, OCR, tagged images 
• Showcase of scheduling and timesheets 
• Customizing the solution, including setting up rules 
• Backend work with Inspections data 

Presenters: Marek Ferenc, IT Support Specialist, and Lukas Lesko, Support and Education Manager 

Duration: 1 hour (including Q&A) 

Day 3: Fabric integration and data visualization in Power BI 

Join us for the final part of the Power Platform Masterclass, where we bring the data story full circle. In this session, we’ll delve into the data collected by Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning, through questionnaires discussed in our previous session. We’ll demonstrate the end-to-end process of data handling – from offloading and optimizing storage in Fabric to generating insights in Power BI.  

We will discuss the potential future impact of Fabric, including the cost of data storage and the possibility of reducing the data footprint. Then, we will look at the data processing in Notebooks and finally build a simple report. We will cover: 

• Best practices for working with big data 
• Using Fabric to prepare the data for analysis 
• Building a report with Power BI 

Presenters: Marek Rodak, Knowledge Specialist, and Matej Vanik, Developer 

Duration: 1 hour (including Q&A) 

Príspevok Build end-to-end mobile business solutions faster with Power Platform and Resco [short summary from a masterclass webinar] zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Fieldworkers rely on good tools for data collection, and Resco’s Inspections+ and Forms+ are the go-to solutions. But the real challenge isn’t just gathering data – it’s making sense of it. 

Thanks to our partnership with Microsoft, we’ve made this process straightforward. By integrating Resco’s data collection with Microsoft’s visualization tools, we’ve created a streamlined solution for businesses to harness their data effectively. 

This guide breaks down the steps for using Power BI to not just view but truly understand your questionnaire responses. It’s time to move beyond the basics of data collection and tap into the full potential of your information with the power of Power BI. 

Use case: Working with questionnaires in Power BI 

Using sample data from elevator inspections, we create visual reports to identify patterns.  

For instance, filtering inspections by account reveals variations in problematic accounts. Those variations include:

• Asset-specific insights, like identifying recurring issues with specific elevator brand component.
• Analyzing specific time frames, such as comparing season to season.
• Asking why we did fewer inspections this season compared to others
• Visualizing meaningful data to offer valuable insights. 

Technical integration

Importing data into Power BI Desktop: Data extraction 

Let’s start with the actual report.  Begin by importing data from your backend using the “Get Data” option. This connection serves as the foundation for your Power BI report, allowing you to pull in data from sources like Dataverse or Salesforce. 

Entity selection 

You don’t have to import the whole organization. Select only the relevant entities that you intend to visualize in your report. Once you have selected all the entities that you need, click Transform data. This imports the entities and starts Power Query Editor right away. 

Data transformation and cleaning 

Data refinement 

Use the Power Query Editor to clean up your data. This involves removing unnecessary columns and shaping the data to match your reporting needs. In this use case, unnecessary columns can be questionnaires we don’t want to visualize or questionnaires with serialized answers columns that are empty. Cleaning your data ensures that only essential information is included in your report.  

Parsing JSON 

After you are finished with data cleaning, create a new query (table) that contains only the questionnaires you want to visualize. Remove all but the serialized answers column (containing questionnaire responses in JSON) and transform (parse) it. This step is crucial for isolating the key columns that hold the answers you want to visualize. 

Managing relationship model 

Defining relationships 

The Model View is used to set relationships between various tables in the report. That includes a newly created table, like the one where we’ve transformed questionnaire data.  Establish relationships between the different tables in your dataset. These relationships create a unified data structure, allowing you to connect and analyze data across various entities. 

Building the report (final step) 

Creating visualizations 

In this phase, your data is ready to be visualized. Pick visualizations that convey your data insights the best. You can choose from many visualization types. Here is one of the most basic: A card displaying the number of questionnaires collected. You can modify each visualization by editing properties, adding filters, etc.  

Key takeaways

• Resco’s Inspections+ and Forms+ are essential for precise data collection, answering the challenge to derive meaningful insights from massed data 
• Our collaboration with Microsoft enhances this process by integrating Resco’s data collection with Microsoft’s visualization tools, providing a streamlined solution for businesses. 
• This guide briefly explores displaying and interpreting questionnaire responses with Power BI, unlocking your data’s full potential. 
• In our use case, working with questionnaires in Power BI unveils patterns and valuable insights for decision-making based on actual figures. 

Conclusion

Efficiently transforming questionnaire responses into a robust Power BI report empowers data-driven decisions and becomes a catalyst for knowledge acquisition, strategically equipping field workers for inspections and enhancing overall efficiency. This is how data visualization transforms the mobile workforce. 

Explore more with a Power BI deep dive on the Wiki. 

Príspevok A step-by-step guide to visualizing questionnaire responses with Power BI zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Read the story of Kate, an administration manager at an elevator service company that went through digital transformation. 

Many companies still rely on paper documents. They know all too well that paper is not effective, and the process is frustrating. However, digitization is daunting.  

Managers fear digitization will be time-consuming and expensive, requiring frequent maintenance. They also fear slow adoption rates that prolong the process.  

The good news is that digital transformation is becoming less demanding with the advent of low-code platforms. 

Digital transformation changes (work) lives  

In recent years, companies are increasingly choosing to build on Microsoft Power Platform. This platform cuts costs and development time with low-code tools. We at Resco make building on Power Platform even easier with our Power Solutions that enhance the core Power Platform experience. With tools like this, the decision to digitize becomes much less distressing. 

To show you how technology for business applications can change lives, let us introduce you to Kate, an admin manager. Observe her day-to-day work before and after the elevator service company she works for went through multiple steps of digital transformation. 

Love watching more than reading? Watch Ludovit Bobula, Product Manager at Resco tell Kate’s story. 

It’s hard to keep track of paper documents 

Kate’s job is to keep all the inspection questionnaires in the company up to date and available for technicians in the field.  

Whenever there is an update, she needs to make sure all the inspectors are using the latest version.  

Despite Kate’s efforts, many technicians do not use the updated questionnaires; when they do, many still use the old questionnaire paper sheets. After completing a job, they must file job records with Kate, yet they often do not. This is obviously frustrating for Kate.  

Seeing Kate struggle, the company decides that digitizing the entire process will be a good idea. 

For business technology people like us at Resco, this is an exciting day. Now our technology can help someone make their work better. 

Managing changes to the questionnaires 

Kate’s company found an implementation partner. They recommended digitizing the questionnaires using Power Platform.  

In Kate’s field, the legislation often changes. This makes it necessary to make changes to many of the questionnaires at once. The implementation partner needed to ensure that Kate can access and change the documents on her own, without needing to reach out to an administrator or consultant with every single request. 

This is why they chose Resco Forms+. This solution allows business users to design their questionnaires in a drag and drop interface. Whenever Kate wants to make a change, she opens the Questionnaire Designer, changes the questions, publishes her changes and all the technicians have access to the updated document instantly on their mobile devices. 

The implementation took a couple of months. The adoption was quick – thanks to Resco Forms+, the digital questionnaires are easy to work with for the field technicians and they can use them on any mobile device.

Resco Forms+ has helped Kate to keep all the company’s elevator inspection forms updated and organized in one place. If she needs something more advanced, she can ask the partner to set it up. 

Discover Resco Forms+

Generating inspection summaries, contracts, and invoices 

Now that Kate has the most tedious work process sorted out, she can look at other types of paperwork that pass through her hands – namely service reports, contracts, and invoices. 

She needs to go through collected data, complete what is missing and manually create all these documents. To do it, she copies information from various sources and pastes them into a Word template. She then emails the document to a client or stores it in a folder.  

That is the old system, and many people still use it. But digitization with a good implementation partner can offer a much more comfortable and efficient system.  

Kate’s implementation partner recommended using Resco Docs+. This solution automates document generation and delivery in Power Platform. 

Kate can design her invoices, contracts, and reports, and set up Power Automate to fill them with data from Dataverse. She can then set up the PDFs to be generated, saved and/or sent to any place she chooses. 

For example, she can design a finished work order report, and then have it automatically generated every month and sent to her and her department leader. Resco Docs+ on Power Platform saves Kate time and effort spent on repetitive, tedious tasks. 

Discover Resco Docs+

Providing guidance for technicians where and when they need it 

The final problem Kate deals with is sharing knowledge between inspectors. As in many organizations they use Words, PDFs, and Share Point.  

Kate, as the administrator, is responsible for keeping these documents updated, yet she is not out in the field. If something changes, she might not know about it. 

The implementation partner suggested using Resco Steps+ on Power Platform. With this solution, Kate can build a knowledge library with step-by-step instruction guides. She can enhance the text with images and videos and make the guides available on frontline worker mobile devices. Thanks to the digital guides, Kate has been able to lower error rate and speed up onboarding.

Discover Resco Steps+

Everything in one ecosystem 

Resco Power Solutions are ideal for a company like Kate’s – one that has both office and frontline workers and needs the documents, inspection forms, invoices, and training materials to be available in a reliable and accessible system. 

Kate can now incorporate any changes and legal requirements without having to wait. Although she is not a developer, she can use no-code tools to set everything up. And if she has advanced requests, she can always reach out to her implementation partner.  

These are just the first steps in digital transformation. Imagine how many more ways there are to cut the tedious tasks and concentrate on ideas with real impact. Taking these first steps in digitizing workflows allows a company like Kate’s to harness the power of AI. By feeding it with relevant data, Kate and her co-workers will get insights they can use to make strategic decisions.  

Everyone’s workday is a bit better, thanks to well-performing technology.  

This is the kind of thing that makes us happy at Resco.  

Read more about the Resco Power Solutions

Príspevok How low code platforms make digital transformation easier zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Stanislav Beres has been talking to companies of all sizes and industries for more than five years, helping them find a solution to their mobility needs. Matching their requirements with Resco’s capabilities has never been an issue for him.

What makes Resco Mobile App Development Toolkit so versatile? Read on as he explains the key elements that make the Resco mobile app a highly effective solution for both medium-sized companies and large corporations with thousands of mobile users.  

What makes Resco Mobile App Development Toolkit so flexible? 

Stanislav suggests that Resco’s no-code customization options, seamless integration capabilities, and robust synchronization features make the product exceptionally adaptable to a wide range of customers in various fields. 

He underscores that Resco’s customization features empower people to tailor the app to their company’s unique needs even without deep technical expertise, making configuration fast and flexible.

Smooth integration enables bigger organizations to incorporate the app into their existing tech ecosystems effortlessly. Moreover, the sturdy synchronization ensures that data is always up to date, supporting productivity in various sectors and fields. 

Powering the Microsoft ecosystem and more 

A Resco app can comfortably connect to Microsoft Business Applications. Given the native integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365, most customers utilize Resco alongside Dynamics. It can be also used with the Power Platform and Dataverse. 

Who uses it in real life? Everyone from manufacturing to sales 

Stanislav draws attention to the fact that the Dynamic Questionnaires in the Resco app empower users to gather diverse data types across various field scenarios. One such scenario is within the manufacturing sector, where clients require inventory tracking and quality control. The app can also be used by customers from the utility industry who need to oversee and coordinate their infrastructure.  

“Salespeople who need to access and update customer data in the field can also benefit from Resco technology to optimize their work and gain efficiency,” describes Stanislav.

Furthermore, the Resco app’s versatility extends to healthcare companies and different governmental institutions. Enhance your field operations using digital forms, workflows, and reports.

Do you want to work with Resco technology? Connect for Partnership Opportunities!

Stanislav Beres

Stanislav Beres, a seasoned Business Development Manager for the Benelux region, has more than five years of experience with successfully understanding the business cases of companies of all sizes and industries. His consultative sales approach has resulted in a track record of many satisfied clients and valued partners. 

Príspevok How can one solution fit all industries and company sizes?  zobrazený najskôr Resco.

In the realm of building micro-vertical ISV business apps, Tom Moortgat, the mind behind Fearless Leader, shares valuable insights.

This blog delves into four key tips drawn from his seasoned experience shared during the recent resco.NEXT 2023 conference. The story of Tom and Fearless Leader solutions can help other ISV partners envision a roadmap to crafting successful business solutions.

The story of Fearless Leader

A decade ago, Tom embarked on a journey to transform sales solutions in the food and beverage industries. As the owner and managing director of Avento at the time, Tom initiated the development of what would later become Fearless Leader.

Born from this vision, Fearless Leader now helps to fulfill the needs of frontline workers such as sales representatives, inspectors, and medical professionals. It integrates mobile capabilities within the framework of Microsoft and Resco technologies, benefiting not only frontline workers but also their managers and back-office users.

Over the years, the solution has acquired a user community of over 1,500 individuals across 45 customers in Belgium and beyond. In the preceding year, Avento was acquired by Cegeka, and the company’s scope widened to pharma and medical industries.

Cegeka has also achieved the 2023/2024 Microsoft Business Applications Inner Circle award, placing it among the top 1% of Microsoft’s worldwide partners.

With these achievements under his belt, Tom Moortgat’s experience serves as a guide on crafting successful micro-vertical solutions combining Resco and Microsoft business tools. Let’s delve into his insights shared at resco.NEXT 2023 conference.

Love watching more than reading? Watch the full Tom Moortgat’s session from resco.NEXT 2023 to learn about his experience. 

1. Begin with the user in mind

When constructing business applications, Tom emphasizes the pivotal role of user-friendliness and simplicity, “What’s “important about solutions that you build for customers is how easy it is to use them. It’s a top argument. It must be very easy to use.”

It’s no coincidence that the key phase of development began even before the idea of Fearless Leader was born. “We started talking to the market while building the solution,” Tom remarked. Armed with a tablet, he initiated conversations with sales managers at industry fairs and conferences to gain knowledge about their needs.

From that point, the focus on user-friendliness became a cornerstone in the journey of constructing efficient and impactful business applications.

Fearless Leader has an interface made for easy navigation, ensuring that all users, regardless of their technical expertise, can integrate the solution into their daily tasks. “It has to be helpful for the person who uses it every day, every morning to the evening and not just for management with their reporting,” Tom asserted.

2. Don’t forget about offline, even in 2024

In an era dominated by 5G discussions, Tom remains an advocate for offline functionality despite seemingly abundant 4G and 5G connection, “We are in the year 2023 [at the time of conference] and offline is still the topic. Who would have thought of that?”

He illustrates the practical necessity of offline functionality in certain industries, such as food and beverage with supermarkets providing only limited connectivity.

“If you go into a supermarket, there are now solar panels on the roof, but there is no 4G or 5G connection yet. Maybe that will change a bit in the future, but often there is no connectivity as soon as you walk into a supermarket,” he explains.

For sales representatives operating in such environments, it would mean a challenging user experience and an inability to fulfill their work.

During his presentation, Tom emphasized the necessity of the right combination of tools and platforms to achieve seamless offline functionality. It’s a field where Resco and Microsoft complement each other. “We can have Dynamics 365 and SharePoint connected, and Resco takes it all offline. That’s very good and future proofed,” Tom noted.

And it’s the futureproofing of the solution that makes another important topic in Tom’s presentation.

3. Opt for flexible development

Tom draws attention to the challenges faced by traditional, custom-developed apps, particularly when dealing with supporting every new iOS update or device.

“We have replaced many apps that were built previously. Why? Because at a certain point, those apps didn’t work on the new iOS anymore,” he noted.

This observation underscores the obsolescence and escalating costs associated with custom-developed applications. That’s where systems and tools like Microsoft Power Platform and Resco Mobile App Development Toolkit provide solutions for ISV partners.

Mobile App Development Toolkit makes customization easy, eliminating the need for complex coding or ongoing maintenance. This ensures that the ISV partner can adapt and improve their solutions without the hassle of constant maintenance.

As Tom positioned it, “What we did was we made one solution compatible for all those industries – food, beverage, pharma, medical – which makes it very interesting for us for maintenance and support because it’s one whole system. It’s configurable for a food person as well as a pharma person.”

New device support is especially important for ensuring seamless experience for frontline workers. “For instance, many sales reps use their smartphone with their calendar in their car to check the visits that they have to do that day. It’s connected to Waze and then as soon as they go into the supermarket, they have a tablet, and they continue their work with it as the app runs the same on any device.”

Tom underlines the economic advantage for clients, stating, “For them, it’s important that they take the licenses, a few days of work training, but they don’t have to buy new hardware.” This cost-efficient approach positions no-code / low-code development tools as a powerful ally for ISV partners, enabling them to provide future-proof solutions without imposing significant financial burdens on their clients.

4. Leverage advanced functionality

The incorporation of Azure Maps, Google Maps, and Resco technology stands out as a key functionality in Fearless Leader, allowing sales representatives to optimize their routes and maximize their efficiency.

In a live demonstration, Tom showcased how this technology translates into tangible time savings and increased visit capacity. “The sales reps must plan their day and they must do that very effectively. It’s the only result that counts,” he emphasized during the presentation.

Additionally, Tom highlights the flexibility to add languages upon request, ensuring adaptability to the specific linguistic needs of different markets.

Fearless Leader goes beyond language barriers with its comprehensive multilingual support. Tom notes, “We use all languages by default, English, French, Dutch, German, and we also now have Italian in it.” This inclusivity allows the solution to cater to a diverse frontline workforce.

“And there’s reporting, of course, behind it. You want to know as a manager ‘where are my guys? How many visits did they do? Is our assortment delivered?’ So the reporting is there as well,” explained Tom, listing several new features used by Fearless Leader during the presentation.

In conclusion

Tom’s journey with Fearless Leader provides multiple important insights for ISVs: Keep it simple, don’t forget offline, go for flexible development, and spice it up with the latest features.

Think of these tips as your roadmap to cook up successful solutions for the unsung heroes – the frontline workers. If you are hungry for more insights, watch selected sessions from the resco.NEXT 2023 conference for free, and get ready for the 2024’s event edition coming to Vienna.

Príspevok 4 tips to master industry-specific software solutions as an ISV: Insights from Tom Moortgat zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Resco Docs+ is a solution natively integrated in Power Apps that allows you to design your template and choose what data to add. It uses a Power Automate connector to automate the creation, sending, and saving of your documents.

Resco Docs+ is fully integrated in Power Platform. This opens the door for you to use all the tools the low-code platform offers, including the latest innovations.

Design your document

First, you need to choose what document you want to create and how it will look.

Resco Docs+ makes it easy to turn your idea into reality with an intuitive drag-and-drop designer.

You can design your document using a header block, a footer block, and grid blocks. Grids ensure that your data won’t overflow and your layout won’t break down. It will stay exactly as you intended. We call this pixel-perfect design.

Choose what data to use

Choose from a list of fields and variables and simply drag them to the document.

Add data from Microsoft Dataverse/Dynamics365 or those collected in the field. Use data from related and unrelated tables.

Take advantage of the rules engine to show or hide parts of the document.

The no-code system makes it easy for all business users to make changes. More complex requests from partners and skilled users can be satisfied with advanced tools.

Automate document generation, sending, and saving

When you are done with the design stage, use Docs+ to generate your document.

For this, you can use a Power Automate workflow. The Resco Report Connector fetches the document template, fills it in with up-to-date data, and generates a document in your preferred format automatically.

Power Automate also lets you set up what will happen with the document. You can either save it on your SharePoint or send it via email.

Need to schedule documents in advance? You can choose when the document will be created. For example, a monthly report can be automatically generated and sent to the stakeholders once a month. A service report can be stored on SharePoint and sent to a customer when the field technician finishes collecting data and hits a dedicated button. And an invoice can be automatically generated when an order lands.

How to try Resco Docs+?

Resco Docs+ works in a Power Platform environment. To use it, you need an appropriate Power App and Power Automate license, along with Resco Docs+ license.

Learn more on Resco Docs+ landing page and read detailed guidance on Resco Docs+ wiki.

Start a free trial and download the two solution packages from our website. Add these packages to your Power App project, and you are ready to go.

Start free trial

Príspevok Improve your business processes with Resco Docs+ on Power Platform zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Ben Vollmer has recently joined Resco’s team as the Strategic Advisor. He brings a wealth of experience from his tenure at industry-leading companies, IFS and Microsoft, both leaders in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Customer Experience, Field Service, and Enterprise Resource Planning.  

We sat down to explore the future of business applications and discussed his perception of the role of AI technology and the needs of future generations of frontline workers. Read Ben’s take on the areas where business applications could do more for the people using them. 

The role of AI in tech

Ben Vollmer shared his perspective on artificial intelligence, emphasizing that AI will become critically important when it empowers people to make better decisions instead of replacing them.

“The best examples that are available right now are anomaly detection, next logical purchase suggestions, and optical character recognition. With Large Language Models being rapidly developed, the ability to distill information into knowledge will be a critical thing that will be used to help enhance experiences for frontline workers.”

Ben emphasized the need to expand AI beyond the office and use it to meet the unique demands of deskless workers.

“So far, AI is benefiting only desktop workers. A huge technological focus shift from desktop workers to frontline workers needs to happen. We are caught up in servicing desktop workers because it is easy. They have internet all the time! In the next couple of years, the whole industry will improve in looking at mobile workers as well. “

The next thing Ben Vollmer sees taking off is interactive AI – the ability of apps to talk to and use other apps. We have too many applications on our phones that act in a silo and don’t and won’t exchange data with other applications. “Our users don’t just use one app on their phone. We have to make sure we have an amazing end-to-end process and exchange to benefit the people who use the software.”

Using AI is too challenging for people without a technical background. “In a desktop scenario, some of Microsoft’s Copilot innovations are very impressive. You can go in and start describing what you want, and it starts building it for you. But it still needs you to be able to articulate your needs quite precisely.

Only when non-technical people feel comfortable using automation scripts will it happen for the rest of the world. There is a ton of work to do here,” he added. “It has helped with knowledge work but has yet to help with non-knowledge work.”

Micro-verticals and super apps

When looking at the market, Ben Vollmer sees two dominant trends emerging. “The biggest trend I see going across the market is micro-vertical. People no longer want to buy something that is ‘for manufacturing.’ That is too broad of a topic. They say: ‘I want just discrete industrial manufacturing,’ or ‘I want sales for my business.’ So, then you get start seeing business apps specifically for micro verticals to meet specific needs while fitting inside a company’s overall IT landscape.”

“I have seen a lot of people deploying just things that help drive their business and solve specific problems. They don’t want to wait for three years for the development cycle.”

Another trend Ben Vollmer described is the rise of the super app. “It is something that matches everybody’s needs. You can use it to do everything you want to. For instance – take iMessage on the iPhone. They have one of the world’s largest banks with the Apple Card. You can send money over iMessage. You can interact in rich ways, which means you never leave iMessage. Your iPhone has become a super app. 

Other examples are Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp, the social platform X, and WeChat. In China, WeChat is used for everything, including financial transactions. The development of business apps usually copies the development of consumer apps. So, you must look at consumer apps as the path to look down.”

So many apps think their user interface is the one seen by the customers. But as we have seen with Teams, Zoom, and WeChat, we need to work to make sure we can engage with our end users in a way that makes sense for them. 

Designing for new generations of workers

When asked what should guide solution architects when designing solutions, Ben replied that they should focus on exercising their sense of empathy.

“Where I live, we have a food chain called Waffle House. They make all their office workers go out and spend at least one day a month in the restaurant. The biggest thing for solution architects, for companies, is to have empathy for the end user. It is easy to say: I go to the office daily. This is what work feels like for me. They should always go out and sit with people. To understand how they work and how they operate.”

Where does Ben Vollmer look for trends? Not in the rearview mirror. “You have to look at people and what they need.” 

Ben Vollmer has over 25 years of experience in product management. After spending 14 years at Microsoft heralding Field Service, he joined IFS to enable customers to maximize the three moments of service: customers, people, and assets. He has joined Resco as a Strategic Advisor to the Board and the CEO and continues working as an independent consultant for technology companies.

Príspevok What does the future of the business apps market look like, according to Microsoft’s Field Service legend Ben Vollmer? zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Giuseppe Felice, a key account manager at Resco, shares 3 ways he helps customers who implement Resco solutions internally.  

Resco offers software solutions that make the lives of mobile workers easy. Most Resco customers have an implementation partner that sets everything up for them. However, some customers choose to implement Resco on their own.  

We understand how challenging this might be and are here to help. Giuseppe Felice, Key Account Manager at Resco, communicates directly with some of our biggest clients. All his accounts currently implement Resco internally, with their IT team, with no involvement of external implementation partners. He shares info about the tools he has in his belt to keep his clients happy.  

Love watching more than reading? No problem! Just pop in those EarPods and watch Giuseppe’s presentation at our Partners Webinar 🎧 

Organizing workshops

Giuseppe is keen on building trust with his clients and getting them engaged from the start. A solid relationship with the key account is crucial for the success of any business. “The first step is for the client to know there’s always someone there at any hour of the day to help them out.”

Good rapport can go a long way in a successful project, particularly because of how customizable Resco is.

Guiseppe explains: “Every client is using the technology differently. That’s why organizing workshops involving our product managers and the product consultant team is important. We can better understand how the client plans to use Resco and give him some additional tips. It also helps us internally to serve the client in the future better.”

Giuseppe suggests organizing bi-weekly calls with his clients. This way, they can update each other on how the project is going and solve issues as they arise.

Giuseppe mentions an example of how this approach helps: “One of our biggest clients, manufacturing medical devices in the US, was having an issue with the sync times. We organized workshops where we involved the support team and the product consultant team. As a result, we lowered their sync times from 30 minutes to 45 seconds. This helped them internally and also saved time for their technicians.”

Providing support quickly

If clients have questions, it is important to have them answered as quickly as possible. They don’t have time to lose waiting for an answer, as waiting might slow down their implementation process.

Giuseppe suggests using the Resco support ticketing system. He says, “This helps us to solve any problem as soon as possible, with the overview of our dev and support team.”

Staying in touch proves beneficial even when it comes to solving issues. “If a support ticket is sent out, I have an overview of it. With the help of the support team, we can always push it as a priority.”

Giuseppe’s approach brings fruit: “Actually, feedback that I get from all my clients is how quickly we reply to their questions.”

Pointing to resources

Resco Wiki is a knowledge base that Giuseppe uses every day. As the primary documentation source for Resco products, it contains a wealth of information, documentation, guides, and resources. It is a comprehensive reference for users, administrators, developers, and anyone interested in Resco.

Giuseppe says: “It’s a great source of information to solve any type of problem. I suggest all my clients add a bookmark.”

Are you ready to learn more about how Resco can benefit your business? Let’s get in touch.

Giuseppe Felice

As a Key Account Manager at Resco, Giuseppe aims to ensure companies from different industries get the help they need to digitalize processes by utilizing mobile software for fieldwork and asset maintenance. He has a vast history of identifying clients’ needs in the digital transformation journey and analyzing possible solutions to help businesses create more efficient and time-saving processes. 

Príspevok Do you implement Resco on your own? You can count on us to help  zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Have you ever worked with a client who struggled with ineffective inspections?

HG Technology, a Resco partner that specializes in cloud-based business solutions, has faced a similar challenge.

As a Microsoft Silver Partner, it uses the full Microsoft 365 suite to help clients with digital transformation. The company creates tailored systems that enhance its clients’ business operations. These include inspection software, data and document management, and bespoke applications.

When the HG Technology’s team realized its construction industry client’s workers were still using paper reports during routine inspections, they wanted to help them improve this process. So, they looked for a digital solution.

That’s when they found Resco Inspections+.

In this interview, Millie Beere, Product Manager at HG Technology, shares how Inspections+ improved the client’s inspection process, saving time and money.

When you looked for a digital solution, why did you choose Resco instead of similar solutions available?

At HG Technology, we primarily use the Microsoft suite to provide cloud-based business solutions. So, when we learned that Resco’s products were also cloud-based and could be integrated with Microsoft applications, we knew Resco would fit perfectly with our company ethos. We saw it had the potential to enhance our client’s operations.

Resco offers an out-of-the-box app that’s ready for implementation. To what extent did you customize it to match your clients’ needs? 

One of our main customers is in the construction and aggregate industry. For this client, Inspections+ didn’t suit the business’ needs straight out of the box. So, we customized existing entities to better store equipment data. Specifically, we wanted to present this information in a Tree format with which client users were comfortable.

How did you go about this customization?

First, we customized the Asset entity so that it was suitable to store equipment data. This primarily involved creating new fields. 

We also customized the Tree entity so that it replicated the existing equipment configuration. This meant the equipment was stored in a structure that the users were familiar with. The Tree entity now builds itself and maintains its structure when new equipment data is brought across from an external platform.

To import equipment data into Inspections+ and constantly keep it up to date, we used Microsoft Power Automate and SharePoint lists. We then integrated them with Inspections+. The purpose was to export and store completed questionnaires, inspections, and audits. This way, our client can now view live equipment data from within the Inspections mobile application.

The client can now use the application to access the relevant inspections and reports anytime. This integration works fully automated; the client can extract completed reports and store the PDFs in a SharePoint document library. That can be helpful for future reference and external auditing. 

Did you also make any other customizations of the app?

Yes, we have also made several customisations to questionnaire templates to help our clients get the most out of their inspections. For example, we have implemented ‘Fault Notifications’, which notify the managers on the client’s side when an inspector picks up on an issue on-site. This notification informs managers of the fault, its location, and whether it has been resolved.

In addition, we have also implemented calculated fields, as inspectors often need to enter a range of measurements. Thanks to our customized rule, the questionnaire generates an average of these measurements.

You mentioned integrations with Power Automate and SharePoint. Have you integrated Inspections+ with any other Microsoft applications?

Being a Microsoft Silver Partner, we’ve encountered a few scenarios where a client has benefited from such integrations. Apart from integrating Power Automate and SharePoint, we have also implemented a Microsoft Power BI dashboard directly into Inspections+. 

Our client wanted to view department-specific data at the drop of a hat. It included data such as how many inspections have been completed in the current month, which pieces of equipment have been inspected, and so on.

In our solution, the Power BI dashboard uses the data stored in Resco to provide interactive and drill-down dashboards. This integration allowed our client’s users to manage their team’s performance quickly and effectively.

As a result, our client’s data is more secure and easier to navigate. It also prevents users from having to sort through large amounts of information to find what they are looking for. And we can choose which users can view what data. These are just a few benefits of being able to create unique app configurations.

To better understand your clients’ context, can you tell us more about their industries, use cases, and how the solution helps them?

As I mentioned, we have worked with a client from the construction and aggregate industries to implement Inspections+.

Before implementing Resco for this client, its users conducted routine inspections using pen and paper. They often couldn’t find the time to create digital copies of these inspection reports, which resulted in misplaced inspections. 

Going digital has allowed our client to run inspections from the users’ mobile devices. They can do so anywhere, anytime, and whether they are online or without access to the internet.

We also learned that the aggregate industry experiences routine external audits. 

For these audits, they must provide data from their routine equipment inspections. But as inspectors often lost their paper reports with no digital copies, they couldn’t always provide auditors with the data they required.

After implementing Inspections+, and integrating SharePoint, all their digital inspections are exported and stored in SharePoint automatically. 

Can you give an example of any quantifiable benefits that using Resco solutions brought to your client?

Before going digital, our client’s inspectors used to spend several hours a week in the office typing up their paper reports. Sometimes this didn’t get done, and the process was incredibly time-consuming.

Now, they’re able to save that time, as they complete inspections much faster. Plus, the inspections are more likely to be done. Their work is much more efficient.

Which Resco features do your customers find most useful? 

We have found the Tree entity to be very beneficial to the aggregate industry. Our client users store their equipment in a system called SAP, so they appreciate we have been able to replicate this structure in Inspections+. Now, inspectors can follow the familiar layout to find the piece of equipment they are inspecting.

Thanks to the Tree structure, inspectors can easily find the questionnaires associated with each piece of equipment. That’s another feature we have found useful. It avoids incorrect inspections being conducted, saving the users valuable time.

Being able to capture an image when inspecting is also very beneficial. Now, when an issue arises, inspectors can just take a picture and tag the image with the relevant information.

As users usually take images when an issue occurs, we have also set up a notification system informing managers of any faults that arise. As a result, the client can now resolve faults quicker and with less machine downtime.

You just mentioned a few of your clients’ favorite features. What are the best features from your point of view?

Firstly, the ability to create department-specific app projects means users don’t get overwhelmed. They only see relevant inspection information. This is both secure and timesaving. 

Secondly, being able to set up notifications is another important feature. The main purpose of conducting inspections is keeping on top of what is or isn’t working. That’s why being able to notify certain members of the team when a problem occurs means issues get resolved much quicker.

Thirdly, we’ve found that inspectors are often without internet access throughout the day. Therefore, being able to access inspections whilst offline is very beneficial. It increases the likelihood of inspections being conducted.

Do you plan to further scale your Resco solution or try other Resco products in different scenarios in the future?

Absolutely. We are always looking for new Resco clients and hope to expand our skill-set as we go. In 2021 we branched out and started networking in the Middle East—we see great potential and hope to expand our clientele in this industry. 

Would you recommend Resco to other companies?

I would recommend Resco to businesses that conduct inspections regularly. Especially to those who haven’t yet digitized their inspections.

By working with a Resco partner, implementing the solution can require only minor work. It can help businesses conduct inspections anywhere, anytime, from their workers’ mobile devices.

Príspevok How HG Technology improves its clients’ inspections and audits thanks to Resco zobrazený najskôr Resco.

You don’t have time to waste when you use a mobile app for work. You need it to be accessible and well usable. Adela Halmo, a UX researcher at Resco, explains how we address our users’ needs, from the initial research interviews to the implementation stage.

At Resco, our focus is on providing software solutions for frontline workers. Can you explain why UI/UX is important for them?

Frontline workers operate in the field without the convenience of a fully equipped office. They are constantly on the move and often under time pressure. These people need to concentrate on delivering high-quality work they are experts at.

We don’t want to burden them with complicated work apps. Our goal is to make them intuitive.

The Resco Mobile App Development Toolkit works very well from a technical point of view. We have a top-notch offline mode and customizable synchronization. We strive to make all of this as user-friendly as possible for frontline workers.

Why is usability so crucial?

When an app is usable, it is easy for the workers to figure it out. They don’t require extensive training or support.

Using their work app should leave them satisfied and self-confident. They shouldn’t feel frustrated, as that could negatively impact their interactions with customers.

How does the UX/UI of mobile apps differ from desktop apps?

Mobile devices are ubiquitous. People rely on them as their primary devices for accomplishing tasks. For deskless workers, they are clearly the most practical devices in the field. They can’t imagine running around and doing their job with any other device.

My colleagues who worked at Resco two decades ago foresaw this trend and couldn’t ignore it. They adapted desktop applications for use on mobile devices. Supporting frontline workers is not new to us.

Thanks to our extensive experience, we know that mobile applications have different standards compared to desktop apps. Most importantly, mobile apps require users to navigate efficiently and quickly, even with gestures. With larger screen space, desktops can display more information. Mobile app interfaces often prioritize essential information and use responsive design techniques. Mobile apps are typically designed to adhere to specific platform UI guidelines and conventions, ensuring consistency with other native apps on the platform and providing a familiar user experience.

How does this translate to the user interfaces of mobile devices?

Let’s emphasize the usability concept once again: making the apps user-friendly is crucial so that anyone can work with them.

When discussing field service, our users work in challenging conditions. They often wear gloves or work in harsh sunlight. Therefore, the apps need high contrast, large touch targets, and so on. Workers should not struggle to tap exactly where they intend to. They need to have their apps in their hands and have complete control over gestures that help them accomplish their tasks.

Speed is paramount in the field. Everything must be designed to allow workers to operate their apps quickly.

Resco has been in the market for 24 years. During this time, user interfaces and the entire experience of using technology have evolved. How do user requirements change?

Users want their apps to be as simple as possible. In the past, there was a focus on creating visually appealing interfaces with shadows and gradients. However, nowadays, fewer people prioritize aesthetics. The primary expectation is for apps to be easy to navigate.

Additionally, users prefer having everything in one place, so they don’t have to use multiple apps. That’s why they can take pictures directly in Inspections+, use a QR scanner, or write notes.

When field users encounter a problem, they want to avoid calling colleagues or rummaging through Sharepoint. They can access Steps+, which provide all the necessary documentation directly from their apps.

You work as a UX researcher. How do you get to know the user’s needs?

To be honest, UX research is quite challenging in B2B.

While reaching people who use desktop tools is relatively easy and allows for direct implementation of their requirements, reaching mobile users is more complex. Typically, there are implementation partners and managers involved. However, this research is highly valuable as the ultimate goal for a UI/UX researcher at Resco is to see frontline workers using the application.

Apps created with the Mobile App Development Toolkit cover many scenarios. They are not single-purpose apps that everyone uses more or less equally – like social networks. With each case being unique, user requirements are very diverse. It’s fascinating to us.

We try to cover as many scenarios as possible in our research. On top of it, we are always thankful for customer feedback. If you communicate with your frontline users, everything they say is relevant to us. It is the most valuable feedback we can get. If you want to share it directly with me, you can reach me at adela.halmo@resco.net

Most importantly, all our users are united by the fact that they want to work quickly and simply. We try to follow that.

What are the methods of UX research in Resco?

We ask a lot of questions. We perform user interviews, either exploratory or focused on a specific topic. Before we even get to the topic of Resco, we ask our users about their work, their scenarios, division of tasks.

We ask them what they want to achieve with our tools, what they enable them to do, and what we can improve.

These are not feedback loops but rather deep conversations about how they feel when they use our app, how they relate to it, or whether they are comfortable with it.

We also interview the admins that use our web tools to build and customize apps for frontline workers.

When we have new ideas for improving our applications, a UI designer and a UX designer develop a prototype. It all starts with a wireframe. UX design takes place in the Miro application, and UI design in Figma. We play with how everything should look so the design is consistent with everything we offer. We are striving to make everything look as simple and standard as possible.

We cooperate with the developers early in the UX design phase. We must ensure all the features we creatively design fit into our code and the data model.

Throughout the whole process, we are in touch with product managers. They are in charge of the product on a broader scale and evaluate the impact of the new features.

Then we test our prototype for usability. Basically, we watch how people react to it. During usability tests, we don’t ask questions. We observe users as they perform tasks and record their immediate reactions. We want to see how the prototype is worked with, where there are pain points, and if we can improve the prototype immediately in the next iteration.

After the usability testing, the features are coded and offered for preview. With our new release cycle, we have a preview each month. We encourage everyone to try it right away and give us immediate feedback.

The partner or customer must know what was done and how they can set it up. We provide documentation on our wiki.

What have you been working on recently? Is there anything you are especially proud of? Why is it important for the users?

We are redesigning forms. You can imagine a form as a detail of one record: for example, a screen with the name of the company and all the details about it.

Forms are an app component that every user works with every day. We analyzed how they are currently coded and how they should look according to the design system. We are making them more straightforward to interact with.

I would also like to point out our work on data mapping. Data mapping gives field workers, managers, and consultants an easy way to update existing records in a database directly from a questionnaire. They can also create new records or populate their questionnaires with data from the database. The update makes it easy to set up data mapping without coding using a simple wizard. A big part was released in January, and soon we will release more.

What else are you up to? Are there any exciting projects in your pipeline that you can already share?

I mentioned redesigning the forms. Admin users put the forms together in Woodford’s Form Designer, which has already got a significant UX change, and we plan to continue it. We want the people designing forms to do as little work as possible. We want to come up with useful defaults. And when the designers decide to change something, they will know exactly what they are changing in the application to prevent them from accidentally setting things they do not want. Also, there is a rather big conceptual switch between how we looked at the Style editor until now and what it will enable in the future.

One area we are focusing on is the color in the Theme editor. Until now, users could set any colors they wanted. They could have accidentally produced a colorful app that didn’t follow accessibility standards.

Of course, we want to accommodate customers who have their branding colors. They can choose one color, and we will recolor the entire app for them.

With this change comes the possibility of having a dark mode.

What are the trends in the UI/UX industry that shape your priorities?

We are implementing Material Design. It is an open-source design system from Google that standardizes every single component in mobile applications. As I see it, even Microsoft’s design system is largely influenced by Material Design.

We want the users that come into contact with our apps to experience the least possible shock.

We are also influenced by trends in features. AI is a big trend; of course, it is starting to be addressed in customer feature requests. We already took part in implementing AI in creating work instructions and automating inspection summaries, and there is more to come.

Discover the Mobile App Development Toolkit

Príspevok UX researcher: Frontline workers require their apps to be straightforward zobrazený najskôr Resco.

In our space for innovation, we are exploring multiple concepts to make the lives of field staff easier. One of them is ALIS – our new asset localization and identification system. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to navigate field workers and help them execute their work orders.

The potential of BLE as unassuming small devices that transmit information has long been overlooked. In the Resco ALIS Lab, we are modifying this technology to make them meet industry requirements. We are also integrating them into our software solutions to unlock their capabilities.

Resco ALIS Lab

Resco ALIS Lab is one of the resco.Labs projects that we launched to bring game-changing technology to mobile workers. The mentor of this lab is Radomir Vozar, one of the founders of Resco. He works in the lab alongside Resco experts from various backgrounds: hardware and software development, UX and UI, sales, and marketing.

In this article, Radomir Vozar explains:

• How ALIS works
• How it can be used in the field
• How you can leverage ALIS with the Resco platform
• How to apply for a Resco ALIS pilot in your company

How ALIS works

The basic unit of ALIS is a BLE device also called a beacon. It passively transmits a low-energy signal in short, regular intervals. The signal carries simple information. It can be a serial number, or an ID used in computer systems.

Versatility

The information that is sent out from the beacon can be configured.

In the basic setup, a beacon contains a chip, an antenna, and a battery with a life span of 10 years or more – all encased in a protective shell.

In addition, we can fit a beacon with a sensor to monitor temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, light, motion, vibrations, or air quality.

Another useful enhancement is a LED or voice signal hardware extension, helping better identify an asset in situations where more assets are located next to each other.

NIVY Watch, the daughter company of Resco, will be lending their expertise to the Resco ALIS Lab and helping create enterprise-quality beacons with the related software necessary for integrating with the existing Resco platform.

Low price

Beacons are exceptionally low-cost. They don’t require complicated infrastructure, implementation, and maintenance.

Low energy

A beacon is stationary, meant to sit in one place. You can stick it to any asset. We can customize it for use with a magnet, a zip tie, a screw, or an adhesive. It is wireless and does not require any cables.

Distance and localization

The primary benefit of a beacon is that you can tell how far you are from it.

How is that possible? The radio magnetic waves from a beacon leave the device in all directions. As they travel, they get weaker, meaning their magnitude is getting smaller. By reading the magnitude, you can guess the distance from a beacon with a high enough precision to localize your asset.

With multiple beacons in a network, you can use this distance measurement to localize them in space.

Widely supported

To make use of the beacons, you need a device that can pick up and decipher its signals. The good news is that most mobile phones and tablets now have Bluetooth receivers. Anyone with a smartphone and a dedicated mobile app can read the signals and enjoy the benefits of beacons.

If you are asking where to get one of these dedicated mobile apps, the short answer is that we are adding beacon support to our platform through the Resco ALIS Lab. It will be possible to add this Resco platform feature without any coding to Inspections+ and Field Service+ use cases.

You can find more info about joining the pilot program at the end of this article.

How beacons can be used in the field

In the following paragraphs, we will explore the potential of beacons in everyday situations.

If a field worker has a mobile app that can read and interpret signals from the beacons, it can save him (and his back-office colleagues) a lot of hassle.

Asset localization

The first practical use of beacons is asset localization.

An example of an asset is an air conditioning system. Large buildings have tens or even hundreds of air conditioning units. When a service technician inspects and services one of these devices, he needs to get to it, read or scan its barcode, find its IDs, and start filling in the work order.

It is not always easy to find the asset. The technician may not be familiar with the site; a third party could have done the installation. The asset may be hidden behind a ceiling construction. We know from experience that in complex sites, e.g., large plants with a lot of piping, it can take up to a few hours to localize a single asset.

If we stick a beacon to each asset, the field worker can perform a simple scan on his mobile app and see all assets on the site. With a list of assets, their distance, and direction, he can quickly identify the asset he is looking for. The time saved can be remarkable.

Identification of an asset and related documents

Once the field worker has located the asset, he must start an asset-related inspection, or field service work order.

The beacon transmits a unique ID together with other asset-specific information. The mobile application on his smartphone receives this information set and simply runs and pre-fills the related Inspection or Field Service work order with all the data. Moreover, this can all be done with only one click. This can save significant time and avoid incorrect data input.

Making sure the technician is at the site

The next area where beacons can come in handy is monitoring the presence of a field technician at the asset. When it comes to medical equipment or devices that comply with regulations, it is crucial to ensure the technician has been at the site and inspected the correct device.

With beacons, you can monitor the time the field service technician has spent in close proximity to the asset.

Sign up for a Resco ALIS pilot

As you can see, beacons can improve the work of field service technicians in multiple ways. There are many options for exploring their potential. That’s why we need you, our valued customers and partners, to tell us what is most valuable for you.

Right now, we are looking for companies that will join the first Labs pilot program. We will tailor the hardware and software to their use cases. If you can imagine beacons working for you, get in touch, and we can discuss how we can meet your needs.

[rs-marketo-form id=”3464″ class=”min-height-unset p-32″ style=”min-height: none!important;” prefill=”true”]

Interested? Let’s talk:

[/rs-marketo-form] [rs-marketo-response id=”3464″]

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Príspevok In resco.Labs, we are experimenting with BLE devices that will guide field workers zobrazený najskôr Resco.

It is going to be a little technical, but the reward is worth it, so let’s dive right in.

What scenario you can cover with this flow

Back-office user manually selects any number of rows in Account table. Then clicks on “Generate Report button” and Accounts Overview PDF is automatically generated and saved on SharePoint.

Prerequisites

• The setup can be done only by an admin
• Report Template is created in the organization
• You have these licenses:
  • Power Automate license for the admin
  • Resco license
  • Dataverse Admin License

Step 1: Create a new flow and a trigger

First, go to make.poweautomate.com and click on the “New flow” and “Automated cloud flow” options.

You can name your flow now or just click on “Skip” (you can name it later).

For a trigger, enter “http request” into the search bar and choose the “When an HTTP request is received” option.

For a Request Body JSON Schema, insert this JSON:

{

“type”: “object”,

“properties”: {

“GUIDS”: {

“type”: “string”

}

}

}

The provided JSON is a representation of an object with one property called “GUIDS”.

Within the code, we define what this trigger should expect to receive from the button we’ll create later in PowerApps.

Let’s break it down further:

“type” & “object”: This indicates that the root element of the JSON is an object.

“properties”: This keyword is used to define the properties of the object.

“GUIDS”: This is the name of the property. In this case, it represents a globally unique identifier (GUID).

“type” & “string”: This specifies that the value of the “GUIDS” property should be a string. A string is a sequence of characters, such as letters, numbers, and symbols.

Step 2: Create a variable

The next step we will need is a variable. Go ahead and click “Next step” and search for an “Initialize variable”.

Select an appropriate name for the variable. In this case, we are going to name it “varGuids”, select its Type as “String” and Value is going to be “GUIDS” from previous step/trigger.

Your variable should look like this:

Step 3: Compose – edit format of GUIDS

Right now, we have received our GUIDS of records we selected in the view.

The only thing that keeps us from using a Resco Reports connector in our flow now is that the connector expects those GUIDS to be in the slightly different format – in comma-delimited list of record IDs.

That’s why our next action is a step called “Compose”, where we take those GUIDS and use an action to get a subset of characters of a given string.

Click on “Add new action” search for “Compose” action, then click on “Inputs”, switch to “Expressions” and start typing function called substring.

Add the () after the function, switch to “Dynamic content” and choose the variable “varGuids”.

Add “1” after the variable, and add another function called “sub()”, where we define the length of substring. In the () add another function called “length()” and inside of () there will be our varGuids variable again.

After this, just add “2”.

The whole expression should look like this:

substring(variables(‘varGuids’),1,sub(length(variables(‘varGuids’)),2))

Step 4: Resco connector – the star of the show

When we got this out of the way, we can now proceed to adding Resco Reports connector as an action.

Type in “Resco Reports” to the search bar and choose the “Generate a report on multiple rows” action.

You might be asked to provide you Dataverse resource URL, please do so.

After you provided you Dataverse URL, you can now setup Resco Reports action.

In Report ID, choose the correct Report from your organization that you defined in Report Designer.

In this case, it has to be a report for list of records.

For the comma-delimited list of record IDs, choose “Outputs” from the “Compose” action, and then your preferred format. You can chose PDF, HTML, Word or Excel.

The action should look something like this:

Step 5: SharePoint configuration

The next action we need to do is to create a file in SharePoint.

Type in “Create a file” and choose the action related to SharePoint.

In this step, you will define your SharePoint site and the folder path from your site. You can set up a file name as well.

The only thing that you must have the same as in our example is the file content. Choose the “Report content” option from the “Generate a report on multiple row” step in our flow.

The step should look like this:

And now you have it. You can now select multiple records on the list view, click the button, and your report for those records will be generated and saved to your SharePoint site.

Step 6: Create and define the button

We have successfully created a flow, all we need to do now is to add a button to the view.

Navigate to the make.powerapps.com again, go to the “Solutions” and choose a solution you want to add a button in. Click on three dots and hit “Edit”.

Create a JS file in your computer with this script:

function GenerateReport(selectedIds) {

var formattedGuids = “{” + selectedIds + “}”;

var req = new XMLHttpRequest();

var url = “[INSERT URL OF YOUR FLOW HERE]“;

req.open(“POST”, url, true);

req.setRequestHeader(‘Content-Type’, ‘application/json’);

req.send(JSON.stringify({

“GUIDS”: formattedGuids}));

Xrm.Utility.alertDialog(“Single PDF report will be generated from the selected rows. It will be saved in SharePoint.”);

}

Do not forget to paste you flow URL from the trigger of the flow.

The next thing we want to do is to create a web resource, which we will use in the configuration of the button on the list view. Click on “New”, then select “More” and “Web resource”.

Choose the JS file we created earlier, type in the Display name. Type should be automatically changed to JavaScript (JS). Click “Save”.

Navigate to the apps, choose the app you want to add a button in and click on “Edit”.

Find a view where you want to place your button, click on three dots and then on “Edit command bar”.

Select the main grid and click on “Edit”.

On the upper left side, click on “+New” and choose “Command”.

The next settings for button are up to you, but here are some examples:

• For the label, type in “Generate Report”.
• For Icon, choose “Use Icon” and “PdfIconFile”.

Important part about configuring the command starts here:

For the Action, select “Run JavaScript”, for the Library, choose the JS file that we added to a WebResourse.

Next, type in the name of the function from the JavaScript web resource, in this case “GenerateReport”.

Click on “Add parameter” and choose “SelectedControlSelectedItemsIds” from a dropdown list.

Since it’s a button for generating a report for multiple records, we don’t want it to be visible unless at least one item is selected on the list.

Therefore, for a visibility, click on the dropdown, and select “Show on condition from formula” and then click on “Open formula bar”.

Paste following function to a formula bar:

CountRows(Self.Selected.AllItems)>0

Make sure to Save and Publish it.

How to get in touch

And that’s a wrap! In this blog, we demonstrated how to create a flow, which generates the Resco Report for multiple records in your Dataverse org and saves this report in your SharePoint.

You can trigger this flow by clicking on your custom button.

If you want to learn more, or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me and I’ll be happy to follow up.

Príspevok Save time and effort: Create PDF report for multiple rows in Dynamics 365 with Resco Reports connector zobrazený najskôr Resco.