Still chasing approvals by email and typing the same details into three places?
Sope replaces manual paper forms, email approvals and double handling with simple Power Automate and Power Apps workflows. Requests move faster, and your team gets time back for the work that matters.
Sound familiar?
Our business processes, like leave and purchase requests, still run on paper forms and email.
We're entering the same details into three or four different documents.
We don't have a proper approval process, so sign-offs sit in someone's inbox until we chase them.
One person is keeping all the admin running.
We can't see where a job is up to without checking the folder.
Nobody gets reminded when a contract is about to expire.
What you've tried before and why it hasn't worked
Most internal teams have already tried to patch manual processes with spreadsheets, shared inboxes or a new app. The fixes don't stick because each one adds another place to check, while the process itself stays manual.
Spreadsheets and shared inboxes
Every new request adds another row, email thread or attachment. Over time there's no clear order and no single owner, and managers can't see what's waiting on whom.
Off-the-shelf workflow software
Standalone form builders, approval apps and task tools each add another subscription for finance to fund, another system for staff to learn, and another connection for IT to look after. As the tools pile up, so do the costs.
“Our IT team will build something.”
Internal IT teams know the tools, but they're also handling access requests, support tickets and day-to-day fixes. That can make it hard to map a process end to end and deliver it in the timeframe the business needs.
So what actually fixes the chasing, retyping and manual work for good?
Automating the process with Power Apps and Power Automate inside the Microsoft 365 you already have. Designed around how your team actually works, and delivered by external automation specialists with the time to see it through.
Requests scattered across spreadsheets and inboxes
Each request entered once, then routed and tracked automatically
A Power Apps form captures each request once, and Power Automate routes it to the right approver, who can approve it straight from their phone or desktop. It sends reminders and records every step of the way, so managers can see what's waiting on whom without manual chasing.
Different automation tool subscriptions to fund
Power Automate and Power Apps, already part of your Microsoft 365
Standard Power Automate and Power Apps workflows are included in most Microsoft 365 plans, so your processes run alongside SharePoint, Teams and Outlook, with minimal extra systems to fund and learn.
An internal team without the capacity
Specialists who map it and build it in the timeframe you need
A Sope automation specialist maps the process with the people who do the work, then builds and tests the workflow with your team. We work alongside your internal IT team or managed service provider throughout, then train your process owners and hand it over with documentation.
How Sope helps you cut out the chasing, retyping and manual work
Start with advice on one process, or have Sope automate it end to end.
- 1
Map your current processes
We sit with the people who do the work and map every form, email, spreadsheet and approval, noting where details get retyped and requests stall.
You get: a process map showing where time is lost to double handling and chasing, and what to automate first.
- 2
Agree on your new process design
We agree what your new Power Apps form captures, who approves each step, when reminders go out and who owns the process, so nothing relies on one person remembering.
You get: a written design your team approves before we build, so there are no surprises.
- 3
Build and test your new business process
We build the Power Apps form and Power Automate workflow, connect it to SharePoint and Teams, and test it with real requests from your team.
You get: a working process where each request is entered once, approvers get reminded, and everyone can see where it's up to.
- 4
Train your team and hand over
We train the people who own the process, show them how to update approvers, fields and reminders, and document how it all works.
You get: your team can run and update it themselves, without one person keeping all the admin running.
Whose manual work have we automated?
150+ organisations across many industries in Australia and New Zealand, from approvals for global manufacturers to forms for small community providers.
Mondelēz
Capital project approvals cut from 4–6 weeks to 3–4 days.
Read the case study
Barossa Enterprises
Reporting time cut by at least 50% with a Plan Management app.
Read the case study
Opal (formerly Australian Paper)
Every new product idea tracked from first form to trial, with approvals at each stage-gate automated.
Read the case study
Melbourne & Olympic Parks
Staff onboarding without double handling, alongside one source of truth for policies and procedures, kept current through SharePoint approval workflows.
Read the case study
Frequently asked questions
What can Power Automate do for a business?
Power Automate automates the repetitive steps between the apps your team already uses, such as routing approvals, sending reminders and saving form data into SharePoint. Common examples are purchase and leave approvals, new starter onboarding and contract expiry reminders. See our business apps and forms service.
What's the difference between Power Apps and Power Automate?
Power Apps is for the forms and simple apps people fill in on a phone or computer. Power Automate runs the process behind them, like routing an approval or sending a reminder. Most solutions use both.
Do we need extra licences for Power Automate?
Often not. Many standard workflows run on the Power Automate included with Microsoft 365. Premium connectors and some advanced features may need extra licences, and we'll tell you upfront if yours does.
Can you automate processes that use our other business systems?
Often, yes. Power Automate has connectors for hundreds of common business systems, though some need premium licences. We check what's possible with your systems when we map the process.
Which processes should we automate first?
Start with one that's frequent, rule-based and painful, such as approvals or forms that get typed in twice. We help you pick and map one, prove the time saved, then move to the next. Have a chat with us.
We already have an internal IT team. Why would we need a consultant?
Most internal teams are busy keeping the business running day to day. We bring specialist Power Automate and Power Apps skills and extra delivery capacity, working alongside your team rather than around them.
Can Sope work alongside our managed service provider?
Yes. We regularly work alongside MSPs, focusing on the specialist workflow and SharePoint work while your MSP looks after the rest.
Can our team maintain the workflows after you build them?
Yes. We document each workflow and train your owners so they can make changes. Ongoing Microsoft 365 automation support is available with SopeCare if you want it.
Join the hundreds of companies who swear by Sope for business process automation
“Staff have found it so much easier to locate information and collaborate seamlessly. It's revolutionised our document management system, providing a single source of truth for the organisation.”
“It’s something they have years and years of experience in. They have the right partnerships and relationships, and they could work in the direction we wanted to go.”
"I rank our implementation as one of the easiest technology projects that I have participated in."
Which process is slowing your team down?
Tell us what's going on, and an automation specialist will get back to you. You can also book a time straight away after submitting the form.
No obligations. Free consultation.