If you oversee a long-standing SharePoint on-premises deployment, it is crucial to revisit the use of legacy tools, specifically InfoPath forms and SharePoint Designer workflows. 

While these tools were effective in their time, there are now many reasons to consider modernizing the solutions crafted with these tools. You can do so by re-engineering them using Microsoft’s Power Platform. 

The Challenge with InfoPath Forms Today 

InfoPath was a go-to solution for designing forms in SharePoint. However, Microsoft officially deprecated the tool in 2014.  

While your InfoPath forms may still function, in today’s digital world they have several drawbacks: 

  • They are not optimized for mobile devices. 
  • They do not seamlessly integrate with a wide range of Microsoft 365 tools and external data sources. 
  • There are compatibility issues with today’s browsers. 
  • All support for InfoPath Form Services will end in July 2026. 

The Challenge with SharePoint Designer Workflows Today 

SharePoint Designer is becoming increasingly outdated; mainstream support officially ended in April of 2017. SharePoint Designer’s integration with SharePoint 2019 is limited in its feature set and it is not recommended for customizing modern sites in SharePoint Online. 

Compared to modern workflow tools, like Power Automate, SharePoint Designer Workflows: 

  • Lack advanced features and flexibility such as adding AI to workflows. 
  • May have security vulnerabilities. 
  • Cannot be easily transitioned to newer platforms. 

The Clock is Ticking 

Come July 2026: 

  • SharePoint Server Subscriptions end SharePoint 2010-based workflow support 
  • SharePoint Designer 2013 Application support ends 
  • SharePoint Designer 2013 workflow creation and execution will be turned off for existing tenants; workflows will only be available as raw XML files 

The Power Platform 

Microsoft Power Platform is a suite of tools designed to help you create, automate, analyze, and interact with data and processes in a more modern and efficient way.  

If you’re familiar with InfoPath and SharePoint Designer Workflows, you’ll find the Power Platform to be a powerful upgrade. It consists of three main components: 

  1. Power Apps: This tool allows you to build custom applications without needing extensive coding skills. You can create custom apps that connect to various data sources, including SharePoint, without needing extensive coding skills.
  2. Power Automate: Power Automate helps you automate workflows across different applications and services. It offers more advanced features and integrations compared to SharePoint Designer Workflows [2].
  3. Power BI: A business analytics tool that enables you to visualize and analyze data from multiple sources with the creation of interactive reports and dashboards. 

These tools are built on a low-code/no-code platform, making them accessible to both non-developers and professional developers. They integrate seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics 365, and many third-party services [1]. 

Would you like to explore any specific component of the Power Platform in more detail? 

Recommended Steps 

Most organizations find themselves evaluating their on-premises SharePoint customizations and InfoPath solutions in anticipation of a SharePoint Online migration. 

Power Apps and Power Automate solutions can work with SharePoint on-premises, but there are additional steps required to secure data transfer between the on-premises SharePoint environment and Microsoft’s cloud services. 

These are the high level important steps if you have these legacy solutions in place and are preparing to move to SharePoint Online. 

  1. Planning and Assessment: Before migration, conduct a thorough assessment of your SharePoint environment. Identify all InfoPath forms and SharePoint Designer workflows in use, and prioritize which ones need to be re-engineered or replaced. 
  1. Migration Tools: Utilize tools like the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) or third-party migration solutions to move your content and configurations to SharePoint Online. These tools can help streamline the process and ensure data integrity. 
  1. Testing and Validation: After migration, test all forms and workflows to ensure they function as expected in the new environment. This step is crucial to minimize disruptions to business processes. 
  1. Training and Adoption: Provide training to users and administrators on the new tools (Power Apps and Power Automate) to ensure a smooth transition and adoption of the modernized solutions. 

At Marque 360, we build Power Platform solutions to meet unique business needs and can accelerate the re-engineering of your digital forms and workflows using Microsoft Power Platform. Contact us today to learn more about our consulting and support services.