In recent years, I’ve seen many organizations rush into automating processes without a clear strategy. It makes sense: tools like Power Automate, AI Builder, or Logic Apps make it easy, and the promise of saving time and reducing errors is tempting.

But in managed services, especially in critical environments like the insurance sector, automation isn’t just about pressing a button and forgetting about it. It must be done thoughtfully, with governance, and always with the operational impact in mind.

Automation doesn’t mean disconnection

Automating properly isn’t just “making something work on its own,” but ensuring that it works well, in a controlled way, and without creating risks. And that requires planning.

After managing different Microsoft 365 environments, I’ve learned some best practices I always recommend:

Start with the most time-consuming tasks: automate repetitive or manual tasks that truly affect team efficiency.
Do preventive maintenance: review flows periodically, because the business changes… and automation should evolve with it.
Measure, alert, and log: an automation without control is a black box. You need to know if it worked, when, and with what result.
Every flow needs an owner: without someone responsible, errors can go unnoticed… until they impact the business.

Real case: automatic claims management in an insurance company

Working with an insurance company, we came across a very common situation: the process of opening and tracking claims was manual, slow, and prone to human error.

The customer service team received claims by email, copied them into an Excel sheet, forwarded them to adjusters, and when the case was closed, they updated the file… if they remembered. Sounds familiar, right?

We designed an automated and controlled solution with Microsoft 365:

1. Digital form in Microsoft Forms where the agent entered claim details during the call.
2. Power Automate collected the form and:

Created the claim in a Microsoft Lists register with status tracking.
Assigned the appropriate adjuster depending on the type of claim.
Sent automatic notifications to the customer and the legal team when necessary.

3. Power BI for real-time visualization of workload, SLA compliance, and bottlenecks.

The result?

Over 40% reduction in handling time per claim.

Elimination of errors from manual data transfer.
Full traceability of the claim lifecycle.
Happier customers, as they were better informed from the very start.

Governance as the foundation

Automating without governance is like building on sand: it may work for a while, but it isn’t stable. Automation in environments like Microsoft 365 must be part of a well-defined service strategy, with clear control processes, assigned responsibilities, and visibility into what’s happening.

In the case of the insurance company mentioned earlier, once the claims flow was implemented, they added a practical governance layer to ensure the solution’s sustainability in the medium and long term:

1. Centralized inventory of flows

We built a Microsoft List in Teams where every automated flow was registered, including purpose, owner, criticality, last modification, and direct link. This gave us complete visibility and reduced dependency on “the person who built it.”

2. Maintenance and review policy

Each quarter, during the service review meeting, key flows were assessed with questions like: Are they still useful? Have errors appeared? Has any legal or internal process changed that requires updates?

3. Integration with the security model

Audit logging was enabled with Microsoft Purview, sensitive actions were restricted to controlled service accounts, and all data processing aspects were documented to ensure GDPR compliance.

4. Versioning and controlled environment

Every modification was tested in an isolated environment and versioned to avoid regressions or production errors. We even backed up some flows in GitHub to achieve more advanced technical traceability.

Thanks to these measures, the flow stopped being just “something that works” and became a living part of the service: reliable, controlled, and adaptable to business growth.

In summary

Automation is more than a trend: it’s a necessity. But if we want it to truly help the business, we must do it strategically, responsibly, and with common sense.

Smart automation doesn’t replace humans: it frees them to focus on what really matters.