How do I access my Microsoft 365 tools, SharePoint lists, Excel, Power Automate, and Power BI?

Dear @Jackson Rose, 

Thanks for submitting your concern.  

From what you described, you’re looking to access the Microsoft 365 tools that can support a guided procurement decision experience. Since you did not specify whether you are an IT administrator or an end‑user, please review the information below to find the guidance that best fits your scenario: 

Scenario 1: Accessing Microsoft 365 web apps 

Sign your work account at office.com > Apps > Choose All apps to see all web apps included with your license. 

If the app appears here, it means the service is available to your account. 

Scenario 2: Creating or accessing a SharePoint List 

To work with SharePoint Lists used in your procurement process: 

Open SharePoint from the Apps page. 

Navigate to an existing site or create a new SharePoint site. 

Select Create and choose List. 

The same list can also be opened and edited from the Microsoft Lists web app. Changes made in either SharePoint or Microsoft Lists will stay in sync automatically. 

Create a list - Microsoft Support 

Scenario 3: The apps don't appear in the Apps List 

If an app such as Power Automate or Power BI is missing: 

Confirm the required license or service is assigned to your account. 

If the license was recently assigned, allow some time for it to fully propagate. 

Check whether the app or service has been disabled at the user or tenant level. 

If the issue continues, the Microsoft 365 administrator can review license assignments and enabled services in the Microsoft 365 admin center. 

Scenario 4: Access Denied to a SharePoint site or list 

If you can open SharePoint but receive an access denied message for a specific site or list: 

• Confirm that you have permission to that specific SharePoint site or list. 
• Request access from the site owner if needed. 

Signing in to SharePoint doesn't automatically grant access to all sites within the organization. 

Scenario 5: Power BI opens but content cannot be viewed or shared 

Power BI capabilities depend on the assigned license type: 

With a Free license, content can be created and viewed only for personal use 

Sharing or collaborating typically requires Power BI Pro or Premium Per User 

Free users may view shared content only if it is published in a Premium capacity workspace 

Reviewing your Power BI license will help clarify which features are available. 

Licenses and Subscriptions for Business Users - Power BI | Microsoft Learn 

• Additionally, if you would like to explore Power BI or Power Automate settings in more depth or configure them to better suit your needs, I recommend posting your question directly in the Power BI Community and the Power Automate Community. These forums are supported by specialists and product team members who can review your scenario more closely and provide step by step guidance. 

As a community moderator, my access is limited to Office 365 apps and I am unable to perform deeper backend analysis. My primary role is to help guide users to the most appropriate resources so they can receive support as efficiently as possible. 

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions or need further support, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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To guide staff through procurement decisions using Microsoft 365 tools, use SharePoint, Lists, Excel, Power Automate, Power BI, and Teams together as an integrated solution.

1. Access Microsoft 365 apps

• Go to Microsoft365.com.
• Use Recommended and Quick access to open recent work, or My Content to see all files.
• Use Create to start new documents, workbooks, or Lists; content is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint.
• Launch apps such as Excel, SharePoint, Power Automate, Power BI, and Teams from the app launcher.

2. Capture procurement questions in SharePoint Lists

• In SharePoint, create a list to store procurement requests.
• Add columns for the decision inputs, for example:
  • Estimated value
  • Budget status
  • Contract term
  • Routine vs exceptional
  • Contract amendment/extension (Yes/No)
• Use modern list formatting to present items in a business-friendly way so staff can easily see status and key fields.

3. Use document libraries and contract processing

• Store contracts and related documents in a SharePoint document library.
• Apply a document processing model to classify contracts and extract key data (for example, Client, Contractor, Fee amount) so they can be surfaced alongside list data.

4. Guide decisions and approvals with Power Automate

• In Power Automate, create flows that:
  • Trigger when a new procurement item is added to the SharePoint list or when a contract is uploaded.
  • Read the fields such as estimated value, budget status, contract term, and amendment/extension flag.
  • Route the item through an approval process based on those values (for example, different approvers for high-value or exceptional procurements).
  • Post updates to a Teams channel and update status fields in the list.
• Use templates such as “route finished documents to a team for approval” and adapt them to procurement.

5. Use Teams as the collaboration hub

• Create a Teams channel linked to the SharePoint site.
• Add tabs for:
  • The procurement SharePoint list (decision questions and status).
  • The contracts document library.
  • Power BI reports (see next step).
• Stakeholders can review, approve, or reject procurement items and contracts directly in Teams; Power Automate flows can notify them when action is needed.

6. Analyze procurement data with Excel and Power BI

• Use Excel connected to the SharePoint list to:
  • Gather and visualize procurement data (values, terms, routine vs exceptional, amendments).
  • Create charts and tables to monitor volumes, spend, and cycle times.
• Use Power BI for richer BI capabilities in the cloud, publishing dashboards that summarize procurement activity and outcomes across the organization.

7. Centralize access to quotes and contracts

• Store quotes, contracts, and related documentation in SharePoint so staff can:
  • Access them from a central location on any device.
  • Share with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Use links instead of email attachments when sharing POs or contract documents.

This combination lets staff answer a small set of standard questions in a SharePoint list, automatically route items with Power Automate, collaborate and approve in Teams, and analyze procurement performance with Excel and Power BI.

References:

• Manage contracts using a Microsoft 365 solution
• Make confident purchase decisions from anywhere
• Business apps and business process automation
• BI capabilities in Excel and Office 365
• Get started at Microsoft365.com