Power Platform Project Documentation
From planning to training: how to structure complete documentation for Microsoft Power Platform projects.
General Overview
Project documentation is a key pillar for the success of any Microsoft Power Platform implementation. It ensures that requirements, architecture, design, testing, and training are structured in a coherent, verifiable, and traceable way. In complex enterprise contexts, such as those described in the Contoso Inc. and Proseware Inc. case studies, solid documentation is essential to manage long-term projects with numerous stakeholders.
According to Microsoft best practices, documentation is integrated with tools such as Azure DevOps and Microsoft Project, which allow full traceability of every activity, phase, and deliverable. The recommended approach is iterative, where each analysis, design, and testing phase generates updated and shared documents.
Main Documentation Components
- Project Plan: defines timeline, phases, resources, and milestones.
- Requirements Document: collects and classifies functional and non-functional needs.
- Solution Architecture: describes the overall technical structure, including data models and integrations.
- Technical Design: details configurations, UI, security, and custom development.
- Testing Documents: include strategy, test cases, and results.
- Training Materials: educate users and administrators on the solution.
Project Plan
The project plan is the main management document. It defines objectives, timelines, phases, and resources of the project. Each activity is visually represented in a Gantt chart, highlighting relationships between phases and milestones. In the Power Platform context, the plan includes specific activities such as environment setup, Dataverse customization, and Power Automate flow creation.
As demonstrated in the Contoso Inc. example, the average duration of an enterprise project is about 18 months. Planning is often done in Project for the Web or Azure DevOps, where tasks are linked to development and testing artifacts.
Requirements Document
The requirements document originates from the analysis phase and forms the foundation for solution design. It includes a structured table with ID, name, type, priority, and Fit-Gap assessment for each requirement. This document evolves throughout the project and is updated at every iteration.
| ID | Requirement Name | Type | Priority | Fit-Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REQ-001 | Integration with Azure AD | Non-functional | High | Fit |
| REQ-002 | Customer Management in Dataverse | Functional | High | Gap |
| REQ-003 | Email Automation with Power Automate | Functional | Medium | Fit |
The requirements document is also used for effort estimation and resource planning. In Azure DevOps, each requirement is linked to a work item to ensure full traceability from requirement to delivery.
Architecture and Technical Design
The solution architecture is a high-level document defining overall composition, integrations, and security. It includes elements such as:
- Data Architecture: Dataverse model schema, relationships, tables, and columns.
- Security Architecture: authentication and authorization, roles, and DLP policies.
- Integration Architecture: overview of external systems integrated with Azure and Dynamics 365.
- Data Migration Architecture: consolidation strategies and tools (Data Factory, SSIS, Power Query).
The technical design document, on the other hand, provides detailed descriptions of UI, automations, PCF, and custom connectors, describing every developed artifact. It is the main reference for development and testing teams.
Testing Documents
The testing section includes the testing strategy, test cases, and results. Each test case describes inputs, conditions, procedures, and expected results. Tests include unit testing, functional testing, integration testing, and UAT (User Acceptance Testing).
Azure DevOps Test Plans is the most commonly used tool to manage scripts and results. The goal is to ensure quality, stability, and compliance with initial requirements.
Training Materials
Training documentation is essential for successful solution adoption. It includes user manuals, video tutorials, and online courses. The materials are designed for end users, administrators, and super-users, covering functionality, security, and operational best practices.
Microsoft recommends using resources such as Microsoft Learn and Microsoft Docs to complement customized training content.
Frequently Asked Questions about Power Platform Documentation
What is the difference between an architecture document and a design document?
The architecture describes the overall solution structure, while the technical design details configuration and developed artifacts. The first is strategic, the second operational.
Which Microsoft tools support documentation creation?
Azure DevOps, Microsoft Project, and SharePoint are the main tools for managing project documentation and collaboration.
Who is responsible for updating the documents?
Each document has an owner: the project manager for the plan, the business analyst for requirements, the solution architect for architecture, the test lead for testing, and the training lead for training content.