Return to Work Safely with Microsoft’s Power App

Return to work plans began immediately after many states announced reopening in May, while other businesses have postponed return to work dates into 2021 while they establish COVID-19 safety protocols. To assist organizations with these initiatives, Microsoft has released several Power Apps that are free to use for customers with licenses for Power Apps and Power BI, Microsoft’s data and analytics platform.

If you’re a facility manager, safety manager, human resources specialist, or a part of your organization’s return to work task force, you might be interested in looking more closely at the features and capabilities of Microsoft’s Return to Work Solution.

Microsoft’s Return to Work Solution

Comprised of four ready-build apps for location readiness, location management, employee health and safety, as well as workplace care management, the solution leverages Microsoft technology to build a safer work environment for your employees. While the apps can be used out-of-the-box, it’s important to note they can also be customized to meet specific return-to-work needs. Scroll through our blog or click here to learn more about the apps.

Location Readiness

The location readiness dashboard provides a view for leaders to see current health and safety data related to COVID-19 conditions within their facilities. The dashboards combine employee, local health department, and government data to illustrate key metrics for reopening. Mapping capabilities show facility locations and trajectory towards “readiness” in combination with capabilities to track employee sentiment by location and post-reopening health and safety data.

Location Management

Facility managers can maintain reopening guidelines by building with a specific location using checklists associated with each phase. When a location is ready to change phase, the facility manager can apply for a transition which is managed and tracked through a review and approval process. New phases include new metrics that each location must clear for advancement.

Employee Health and Safety App

Employees can use an app to identify open buildings and self-attest symptoms prior to returning to their work location. Once employees complete the daily health survey, they are provided a pass that provides 24-hour clearance to enter the building or alternative instructions. Managers can use this app to search status by employee.

Workplace Care Management

The main goal of Workplace care management is to provide a mechanism for organizations to use to track cases when employees have symptoms to report and assist with contact tracing. Case managers open cases when they are alerted of health event via and email from an employee’s health and safety lead. The reported case workflow continues to capture data such as employee screening, risk assessment, health department notifications, and target return to work date. During this time employee the case is “in-process” employee access to building locations is revoked.

To Learn More

Microsoft’s Return to Work Solution is just another example of how Power Apps is solving real world challenges in a scalable way. Whether you’re a small business, a factory, a school, or an organization with many locations and field offices the apps covered in this blog can help streamline processes and protocols required for your business to reopen in a safe manner.

In addition to the summary we shared here, we’re also giving you access to a Return to Work Quick Start Guide highlighting workplace transformation guidelines that will help you prepare a successful reopening for your business.

If you need assistance selecting return-to-work technology, contact us to schedule a discovery call.