Power Automate vs custom automation: which suits a 50-person firm?

Two approaches, not two sides

Power Automate is Microsoft’s low-code automation tool. It connects a large range of apps and services, and for organisations already on Microsoft 365 it can be a natural starting point. Custom automation means software or workflows designed and built around your specific process, sometimes using low-code tools underneath, sometimes using code.

This is not a contest with a single winner. The better question is which approach suits each process you want to improve, and who in your business will look after it.

Where Power Automate tends to fit well

• Your team already works in Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint and Outlook.
• The task is straightforward: notifications, approvals, saving attachments, simple data copying.
• You have someone internally who is comfortable building and maintaining flows.
• You want to try ideas quickly without a formal development project.
• Licensing and governance can sit alongside your existing Microsoft arrangements.

Where custom automation tends to fit well

• The process has branching logic, exceptions or business rules that are awkward to express in a flow builder.
• It touches several systems, including older or industry-specific software with limited connectors.
• You need document reading, classification or other AI steps with human review built in.
• Volumes or data sensitivity call for tighter control, testing and logging.
• You want a tailored interface for staff rather than a chain of background flows.

How to compare them for your situation

1. List the systems the process touches and check whether each has a dependable connector or interface.
2. Describe the exceptions honestly. If there are many, ask how each approach would handle them.
3. Decide who will maintain it in two years’ time, and whether they have the skills and time.
4. Consider monitoring: how will you know when a flow fails, and who gets told?
5. Ask about ownership, licensing and what happens if a supplier changes terms.
6. Request an estimate of effort for a small pilot using each approach, rather than judging in the abstract.

Costs and risks to think about

Neither option is free of cost. Low-code tools involve licences, build time and ongoing upkeep, and many flows built by different people can become hard to track. Custom work involves design and development effort up front, plus maintenance, but can reduce reliance on workarounds. Get current licensing details directly from the supplier, as they change.

The hidden cost in both cases is neglect. Whichever route you take, assign an owner, keep documentation and review the automation when the underlying process or software changes.

A practical middle path

Many mid-sized firms end up with a mix. Simple, low-risk flows stay in a low-code tool maintained by a capable internal person. The more complex or business-critical processes are built to a proper specification, tested and monitored. An independent assessment can help you sort processes into those buckets without any bias towards a particular product.

Frequently asked questions