Leveraging Power Platform for a seamless vendor onboarding experience

Streamlining Vendor Onboarding with Microsoft Power Platform

For professional services firms, vendor onboarding is more than just a routine administrative task—it’s a critical process that impacts compliance, risk management, and operational efficiency. Given the reliance on external consultants, subcontractors, and specialized service providers, firms must ensure seamless and secure vendor integration while navigating regulatory requirements and complex approval workflows. However, traditional onboarding processes are often bogged down by manual data entry, fragmented communications, and inconsistent verification steps, leading to delays and increased risk exposure.

By leveraging Microsoft Power Platform, professional services firms can automate and streamline vendor onboarding, ensuring greater accuracy, compliance, and efficiency. The blog below details how RSM has helped firms optimize this process, enabling seamless integration into financial systems while reducing administrative burdens.

The Power Platform Advantage

Microsoft Power Platform offers a low-code, scalable solution to optimize the vendor onboarding process. Being extremely flexible with limited development required, solutions can be tailored to meet specific business needs and can evolve over time as needs change. With Model-Driven Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power Pages, firms can implement a seamless, end-to-end process that enhances visibility, accountability, and compliance while minimizing administrative overhead.

How It Works: A Seamless Onboarding Journey

RSM’s Microsoft consulting practice helps professional services firms design and implement a vendor onboarding process using Power Platform. The workflow consists of three key steps:

     1. Vendor Request Submission (Power App)

• • Employees initiate a request for a new vendor using a Model-Driven Power App.
  • The request includes key details such as vendor name, category, and business justification.

Figure 1: The request entry screen provides a user-friendly form for firm employees to enter new vendor requests. Questions can be tailored to meet specific business needs and compliance requirements.

1. • Once submitted, the request enters an approval flow managed through the Power App and Power Automate. Email notification can be enabled to notify approvers.
   • Approvers can view request details and approve or reject the new vendor request in the Power App, adding comments when necessary.

Figure 2: Approvers can view all pending requests in an approval queue, then select a specific request to view the request details.

     2. Vendor Information Collection (Power Page)

• • Upon approval, the vendor receives a secure link to a Power Page where they provide necessary details, including contact information, tax details, banking information, and compliance documents.
  • This self-service portal ensures data accuracy and compliance while reducing back-and-forth communication.

Figure 3: The Power Page provides a security portal for vendors to enter their company information. Its design and layout can be fully customized to align with firm branding, ensuring a seamless and professional onboarding experience.

     3. Final Approval and Integration (Power App & D365 F&O)

• • The submitted vendor details are reviewed and approved within the Power App.
  • Upon approval, the information is seamlessly imported into Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (or your ERP system of choice) as a new vendor record.
  • Automated notifications confirm the successful onboarding, allowing the firm to begin transactions with this new vendor immediately.

Benefits of a Power Platform Vendor Onboarding Solution

• Efficiency Gains – Reduces manual entry and approval bottlenecks, accelerating the onboarding process.
• Data Accuracy & Compliance – Ensures vendors submit complete and validated information, reducing errors and compliance risks.
• Seamless Integration – Automates data transfer from Power Platform into D365 F&O, eliminating redundant data entry.
• Enhanced Visibility – Provides a centralized view of vendor onboarding progress, approvals, and statuses.

Figure 4: On the All Vendor Requests screen, users can easily track the approval progress of vendor requests. With clear visibility into assigned approvers, assignment dates, and approval timestamps, the system provides a seamless way to monitor each vendor’s status in the onboarding workflow.

How RSM Delivers Seamless Vendor Onboarding Solutions

RSM’s Microsoft consulting practice specializes in helping professional services firms implement tailored Power Platform solutions. Our expertise in Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages, and D365 F&O ensures a smooth vendor onboarding experience that aligns with your firm’s operational goals.

By leveraging Power Platform, firms can modernize vendor onboarding, enhance operational efficiency, and focus on strategic initiatives rather than administrative tasks. Contact RSM today to learn how we can help your firm optimize vendor onboarding with Microsoft Power Platform.

Aaron Penick

Aaron Penick is a Senior Associate in RSM’s Business Applications practice, specializing in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations and the Power Platform. With a strong technical background and a problem-solving mindset, he helps clients navigate complex digital transformations by delivering scalable, innovative solutions. Aaron works closely with organizations across industries, leveraging his expertise in ERP systems and business process optimization to enhance operational efficiency. Dedicated to maximizing the value of technology investments, he focuses on driving long-term success for his clients through tailored, high-impact solutions.

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