Starting point
Maintenance reminders used to be sent by hand. Customer data sat in two separate Excel files, with several devices per row and inconsistent name fields.
Approach
- Merge the dataCombined both files with Power Query (Append Queries) and split them into one row per device, sorted by customer number.
- Clean the dataSplit names into first and last name and formatted the range as a proper table. A false “over 5,000 rows” import error turned out to be ghost rows and was fixed.
- SharePoint as data sourceEach row in the SharePoint list represents one device for one customer, with a status column tracking the reminder stage.
- Build the email seriesSeveral flows send a three-step series. OData filters on the status column decide who gets which email; deadlines are calculated with addDays.
- DesignTable-based HTML in the company’s design so the emails render properly in Outlook, with dynamic content from Compose steps.
Outcome
- Reminders go out on time, without mail merges or manual work
- For every device it’s visible which stage has been reached
- For the first time, the data lives clean in one list
Technical details
Choice columns need the .Value suffix in expressions and Status/Value eq '…' in OData filters – a common source of errors with Power Automate and SharePoint.