{"id":7766,"date":"2022-01-12T09:07:56","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T17:07:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/?p=7766"},"modified":"2026-04-06T09:13:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T16:13:26","slug":"rethinking-supplier-content-at-microsoft-with-microsoft-power-automate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/rethinking-supplier-content-at-microsoft-with-microsoft-power-automate\/","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking supplier content at Microsoft with Microsoft Power Automate"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MicrosoftWe periodically update our stories, but we can\u2019t verify that they represent the full picture of our current situation at Microsoft. We leave them on the site so you can see what our thinking and experience was at the time.<\/em><\/p>\n

Connecting and communicating with a global network of suppliers, vendors, and business partners is no small task. Microsoft is tackling this challenge internally with Microsoft Power Automate, a cloud-based app that creates automated workflows.<\/p>\n

The result?<\/p>\n

Content that previously took the company days or weeks to deliver can now be published in minutes.<\/p>\n

Microsoft SupplierWeb is a centralized account management tool for global suppliers who do business with Microsoft. This portal is where suppliers go to stay up to date on important information, such as compliance expectations and certification requirements. SupplierWeb is also how Microsoft communicates critical announcements that impact daily activities, such as COVID-19 updates and changes to expectations for onsite presence.<\/p>\n

\u201cHistorically, we\u2019ve had a really difficult time getting information to our suppliers,\u201d says Jesica Lancaster, a senior operations manager on Microsoft\u2019s Procurement team.<\/p>\n

Publishing content for a global audience was a time-consuming process that required a coordinated effort with the engineering team for every new message or announcement posted to the portal. This created two problems: it took time away from engineering tasks and delayed necessary communication to suppliers.<\/p>\n

All we needed was a way to securely connect the apps.<\/p>\n

\u2014Wilson Reddy Gajarla, principal engineering manager, Commerce and Ecosystem team<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That\u2019s where the Microsoft Commerce and Ecosystem team comes in\u2014it\u2019s the organization at the company that supports the SupplierWeb application, and it had the tools needed to solve both challenges.<\/p>\n

[Find out how Microsoft streamlined payment processes with Power Automate.<\/em><\/a> Learn how to access SharePoint content using Graph API.<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n

Integrating collaboration tools to maximize workflow<\/h2>\n
\"Lancaster
Jesica Lancaster and Wilson Reddy Gajarla worked together with their teams to use Microsoft Power Automate to transform how suppliers, vendors, and business partners manage content internally at Microsoft. (Photos by Jesica Lancaster and Wilson Reddy Gajarla)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The content managers who use the Microsoft SupplierWeb application to reach supplier audiences relied on Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Teams to collaborate and create the appropriate messaging. The opportunity was to use Microsoft Power Automate to manage the manual and repetitive tasks required to do this work.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll we needed was a way to securely connect the apps,\u201d says Wilson Reddy Gajarla, a principal engineering manager for the Commerce and Ecosystem team.<\/p>\n

By using Microsoft Graph API, a RESTful web API that enables access to Microsoft Cloud services, the engineering team set permissions to connect Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Power Automate.<\/p>\n

\u201cGraph API has granular-level permission to access the SharePoint Online site, which allows secure integration with other enterprise applications,\u201d Gajarla says.<\/p>\n

Once an app is registered with Graph API, you can set permissions to allow web applications\u2014in this case, Microsoft Power Automate\u2014to access Microsoft SharePoint content.<\/p>\n

After the initial setup is done, content managers can simply craft a message, add it to a Microsoft SharePoint list, and use Microsoft Power Automate to publish supplier content in up to 24 different languages, all without having to involve the engineering team.<\/p>\n

Creating better outcomes with Microsoft Power Automate<\/h2>\n

Integrating collaboration tools opened a whole new world for content managers, product managers, and business partners. With Microsoft Power Automate handling the repetitive but essential tasks, Microsoft saw the following benefits:<\/p>\n