Every year, we see new enhancements, integrations, and tools for effectively integrating technology into business practices. When used appropriately, technology can be used to simplify compliance, create efficiencies, improve recordkeeping, inform better decision-making, and deliver meaningful savings in time, effort, and cost. KTL uses Microsoft 365 (MS 365) and the Power Platform as a dynamic information management suite of tools that can be customized to provide streamlined, centralized information management, and consolidated reporting to all levels of the organization. Here are some of the top Microsoft 365 technology trends and advances KTL anticipates for 2026.

SharePoint Modernization

As KTL has previously reported, Microsoft has been slowly phasing out the classic SharePoint experience in favor the modern experience introduced in 2016. Microsoft is making these changes to the modern experience to provide enhanced functionality, better user experience, and improved site performance. In 2026, this includes removing SharePoint 2013 Workflow from existing tenants (April 2026) and fully retiring and ending support for both InfoPath (i.e., how you create forms) and SharePoint Designer (i.e., legacy SharePoint management and Workflows) (July 2026).

Transitioning from a classic SharePoint site to a modern one is not considered a “simple” process, because there is no one-to-one mapping between the functionality offered by classic web parts and what is offered on modern pages. However, not only is it worth doing, but those who don’t modernize will be slowly left with an unusable system.

Tip: Assess your existing site to determine priorities for modernization and then develop a plan to transition system elements. Consider opportunities for integrations and enhancements available through the modern experience. Leverage external resources to improve functionality, enhance user experience, and create better overall performance.

Paperless Checklists and Forms via Power Apps

Many organizations have a lot of great data at their fingertips, but being able to efficiently access and use it can be a challenge, especially if data is still being collected via paper forms. Mobile forms and digital checklists allow employees to quickly and easily collect data from a mobile device—from daily inspections (e.g., forklifts) to near-miss information—as it is happening in the plant/field. Data is submitted directly to the system and turned into valuable information that can then be further analyzed. Notifications for identified issues and program compliance can also be configured to create greater visibility, and dashboards can help identify concerns and trends to improve compliance and productivity.

With the retirement of old InfoPath forms (see above), Power Apps provides an upgraded forms experience. Power Apps forms are responsive and integrate with MS 365 and modern SharePoint. For example, Power Apps work seamlessly with Power Automate to support automated workflows based on form data.

Tip: Assess where you are still using paper forms and checklists to conduct routine inspections and gather data. Leverage Power Apps to build digital forms to better collect, manage, and use data.

Streamlined Wokflows with Power Automate

Power Automate provides the opportunity to take the routine processes and repetitive steps employees must complete to get the job done and streamline them, maximizing company time and resources, increasing operational efficiency, saving money, and improving overall business productivity.

Workflow automation reduces opportunities for human error and the potential mistakes, inaccuracies, and costs that can accompany it. It creates more efficiency by automatically making assignments and moving projects/documents/tasks along in the process. Being able to easily track a project or process through an automated system can subsequently improve productivity and ensure tasks are completed as planned. A clearly designed workflow helps employees understand their roles in the process and enables cross-functional collaboration. Real-time reporting and performance metrics can further be used to inform decisions and modify processes to improve performance.

Tip: Identify processes and routine tasks that can be automated. Design step-by-step workflows that can be automated in Power Automate to improve business efficiency.

New Premium Tools

Modern PowerApps Controls. A subset of Power Apps modern controls is now available, offering improved usability and templatization. Recent Canvas App control updates make apps more responsive, consistent across devices, and easier to maintain/update. Improvements to layouts, templating, and copy/paste of Power FX logic help speed up development. In addition, these modern controls integrate more cleanly with Microsoft themes.

Dataverse/Premium Capabilities. Most organizations do well with SharePoint and standard licenses. For larger inspection programs, incident tracking, or organizations with many locations, Dataverse and premium features offer advantages, including relational data, stronger security roles/groups, workflows between environments, higher quality reporting, and PDF generation.

Premium Connectors. Power Platform premium connectors extend the capabilities of the Power Platform by enabling secure, scalable connectivity to enterprise systems (e.g., SQL Server, SAP, Salesforce, Oracle, and other line‑of‑business applications). These premium features come at an additional cost but allow organizations to automate more complex processes and work with more data sources. The list of premium connectors—and thus the reach of the Power Platform—continues to expand every year, extending its capabilities and giving organizations additional ways to leverage the Power Platform.

Planner Premium. Many organizations have been using Microsoft Planner to assist their teams in task management and basic project management. Planner Premium moves beyond basic task tracking to true project execution, including timelines, Gannt charts, task dependencies, workload insights, milestones, and agile tools. Planner Premium supports more structured and complex projects, enabling organizations to improve visibility, balance workloads, track progress effectively, and manage work with greater control and accountability.

Tip: Work with an IT expert to evaluate where these advances can help improve your systems.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration

No discussion of technology trends would be complete without addressing AI. Over the past year, Microsoft has continued to expand its AI strategy with the introduction of MS Copilot, bringing AI directly into business workflows. Embedded across MS 365, Power Platform, and other Microsoft solutions, Copilot enables users to work smarter by automating routine tasks, gaining insights faster, and supporting better decision making.

In addition to productivity gains, Copilot and other AI tools are increasingly being used to enhance and transform business processes. AI can add complexity to workflows, enhance Power Apps, classify and route documents, apply optical character recognition, and more. Additionally, AI-driven analysis can be used to review historical workflow and operational data to identify trends and potential opportunities for improvement.

Tip: Identify areas where automation and data analysis can be done by AI. Keep in mind that over-automation without expert oversight can significantly increase error and legal exposure. Use caution exploring where you can use AI for more basic tasks that can be automated, as not all processes lend themselves to AI.

Looking Ahead

Integrating technology into business processes can help organizations stretch and empower every limited resource. The key is identifying those traditional processes that will benefit from technological integration and then using the right technology to create greater efficiencies and enhance business value. With technology advancing a rapid pace, now is the time to:

• Assess your current systems and processes. Where are there opportunities to automate? Where are systems outdated/no longer working? Where can you improve overall business efficiencies?
• Determine how you can integrate technology into your current operational practices to create continuous improvement and competitive advantage. Consider your organization’s immediate issues within the context of overall organizational objectives.
• Leverage partnerships with consulting partners with deep IT and compliance knowledge and practical implementation experience to help strategize; formulate an approach that leverages the appropriate technology, including new advances; and then design and build scalable systems and tools.