SnitchOps – Final Delivery

Posted on 25/01/2025 by SnitchOps

WHAT are we doing?

A turning point in Hogwarts’ history came when the Sorting Hat was temporarily stolen during a sorting ceremony, leaving the school in disarray.

This incident underscored the need for a robust, adaptable system that could provide an alternative for sorting and student reassignment. Therefore we have redefined the digital transformation in education through the Wayfinder Academy and its Logiquill portal.

Our platform seamlessly integrates intelligent automation, AI-driven insights, and personalized experiences to help magical students discover and thrive in the environments best suited to their unique talents and aspirations. More detailed elaboration on the why we truly believe we our solution show cases how the educational organizations can do more with less, and at the same time meets and exceeds the expectations of the dynamic and challenging environment, can be found in this DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION article Digital transformation | Arctic Cloud Developer Challenge Submissions

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

We got inspired by Education accelerator based on Dynamics 365, but scoped it down to the first step in a similar educational solution:

So for our story, we will be focusing on the application process for a typical educational solution that should cover both application process but also post application support for their students.

WHY are we doing it?

In addition to providing an alternative for when the Sorting Hat is not available, the Wayfinder Academy is guided by the belief that every magical student thrives best in an environment tailored to their unique talents, temperament, and aspirations. While the Hogwarts Sorting Hat is known for its wisdom, it acknowledges that circumstances change, and students may feel drawn to a different path. The Wayfinder Academy exists to facilitate such transitions with fairness, discretion, and a deep respect for each student’s magical potential.

With its further educational and mentorship support, our portal aims meet the evolving expectations of modern students and institutions, we aim to provide a robust, adaptable system that ensures every student finds their ideal path. By enhancing personalization, streamlining processes, and ensuring continuity even in unforeseen circumstances, we empower magical education to deliver unparalleled experiences.

HOW are we doing it?

As highlighted earlier we will be zooming into the application process. We took our starting point from above mentioned education accelerator and enhanced and infused this solution with AI, IOT components etc but also keeping in mind building a solid ground floor for our solution which consists of multiple technologies we are working with in our day to day life, including Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Power Pages, Power Automate, Power Apps, Microsoft Fabric and more.

Our solution consists of:

Front-end application based on Power Pages that provides a front-end experience for applicants

Back End based on model driven app called Owl management that will provide back office stuff with all needed functionality to follow up the application process

We used number of IOT devices connected to our back end system using Microsoft Fabric to streamline and personalize the interview process and give the back office more detailed overview of students performance during the interview(add pictures we used for pulsometer and diagrams etc

We created our own AI Agents using several services to enhance and personalize our agents and end-user experience (Interface with Johan as interviewer)

Finally we applied some advanced data gathering and analytics using Microsoft Fabrics which could be connected to relevant LLM models related to how translate pulse, facial etc reactions and other data that is processed during the interview process.

Through a combination of cutting-edge technology and magical precision:

Intelligent automation manages applications, data collection, and analysis.
AI-driven interviews, paired with emotional and physiological insights, create comprehensive student profiles.
Personalized coaching, interactive tools, and social engagement analytics ensure ongoing guidance and support.
By reducing manual effort and delivering tailored solutions, we bridge the gap between expectations and capabilities, setting a new standard in magical education.

Fabric Fera Verto

We believe we deserve to win the Fabric category as we have designed and implemented the following CREATED PIPELINES, MEDALION STRUCTURE, POWER BI ALERTS, DATA ACTIVATOR and POWER Automate AI builder We developed a solution to import data from external source, transform it using bronze, silver, gold model, create a report for gold data. We also created alerts for kpi inside powerbi report and created a data activator to trigger a power automate flow. Inside the flow we use ai to process data and send results to sharepoint.

We created deployment pipeline inside the fabric workspace. Used fabric api and devOps to create a schedule for this pipeline for alm process.

Data Activator

FABRIC CATEGORY: Data Activator and Power Automate AI builder Usage

Power BI report

Power BI alerts to warm you up!

We created powerbi report to view student metrics and be alerted when our kpi falls down a certain threshold.

Bronze-Silver-Gold Data

FABRIC BRONZE SILVER GOLD

We used notebooks to convert our imported bronze level data to silver level.

We seperated it to different tables with matching ids.

For the gold data we moved the data to a separate table. If we had time, we would separate in different data lakes the.

We created the notebook scripts but a bug prevented us to create gold data tables directly in lakehouse.

Fabric Pipelines

Automating Fabric Deployment with DevOps Scheduled Pipelines

We created a yaml in devOps that calls fabric api to trigger fabric pipeline to schedule our deployments.

Using gold data provided by fabric we created a powerbi report and embedded it to our Model driven app to view student metrics.

Using data activator from fabric we trigger a power automate flow to get uploaded data and use ai builder to process them. AI give us category for the data and we send this data to sharepoint.

Faruk the Fabricator Fun with Fabric

“The fabric doesn’t call me anything. He grimly does his work, then he sits motionless until it’s time to work again. We could all take a page from his book”

Pro-Code Potions

We were developing the Portal for the students, and while we used a lot of low code features, we have customised the Power Pages a lot with html, css and javascript.

We started with preparation of the javascript namespace that will contain common functions, like api calls:

More details: ACDC 2025: Pro code: Core.js | Arctic Cloud Developer Challenge Submissions
Next, we have heavily updated the Survey process for our students.

The aim is to link heart rate readings with emotion recognition, which should be accessible throughout the survey. Therefore, we couldn’t utilize the portal form’s low-code feature with separate pages.
For the answer of the student we provide a speech to text service integration from Azure cognitive services
PRO CODE category. Azure Speech recognition in Power Pages | Arctic Cloud Developer Challenge Submissions

Also we have an Azure function App that creates an Identities for the students and invites them to the corresponding Faculty Portal.
The Azure function also tracks the documents provided by students for onboarding.
For these purposes we created a timer triggered function that crawls the student documents. Also Azure function has functionality that notifies students about missing documents by SMS. More details you can find in our blog:

PRO CODE AND ALM MAGIC

Finally our hands got dirty with Sharepoint deep dive!

LinkMobility & Logiquill Love story

Heart Rate

We are using all available technologies on the market to bring more insightful sources to decision-makers. One of them is health data. We integrated the Pulse Oximeter device via Bluetooth using client-side HTML 5 Web Bluetooth API. This allows us to receive real-time heart rates and Oxygen Saturation data.
A screenshot of a computer

Description automatically generated

And we used IoT to connect our devices to the internet – https://acdc.blog/logicapps25/magic-mix-with-some-legacy-our-journey-implementing-iot-device/

Emotion recognition

Our platform uses most of the cutting-edge technologies available on the market, not only copilot or chat GPT for AI. In this article, I want to add more details about one of our approaches to mining extra insight from the student’s interview by analyzing the emotions.

So, we are using a video stream capture to record an interview session and extract the emotional dataset.

It allows us to receive one more dimension that will extend standard datasets of the student, such as feedback, historical data from previous schools, etc.

We use the imentiv.ai API to analyze the video and grab the final report. We then make the final dashboard in Power BI and embed it into OneLake. Screens screenshot of a video game

Description automatically generated

The app consists of two parts: a PoC to recognize the emotions in a photo from a webcam and an example of an emotion recognition report.

To build that PoC application, we decided to use the NodeJS stack. The engine is based on Bun, which is a modern and highly effective alternative to NodeJs. Compared to NodeJs, Bun was written with Rust.

Hypercare

After the student is allocated to the new Faculty, the Wayfinder Academy provides a hyper care by allowing students to verbally communicate with the voice digital twin of their mentor.

From the technology part, we are using:
1. LiveKit – to handle real-time audio communication. Students join room via the LiveKit SDK embedded in the Next.js frontend.

2. ChatGPT Voice Assistant – to process voice inputs using a pipeline:
– ASR (speech-to-text)

LLM (GPT-4) to generate intelligent responses

TTS text-to-speech

STT to process audio streams and convert them to text

3.Next.js application – serves as the frontend:

SSR ensures fast loading and API integration

connects students to LiveKit rooms and the assistant, displaying responses or playing them as audio

More details: PRO CODE CATEGORY update | Arctic Cloud Developer Challenge Submissions

We have utilized modern technologies for the integrations and customizations of the Portal for students and the back office, including react, next.js, HTML5, Bluetooth integration for HR, ChatGPT integration, Live Kit for live communication, Azure Durable Function, and live socket connections.

ALM Magic

WE believe we can win in this category or get high points due to the following implementations

We have three environments, DEV, TEST, and PROD, with different approval flows.

So, the production environment can be deployed only after the release manager has approved it.

We implemented an Export pipeline to simplify the contribution process.

Users can decide which solution to export and place in the GIT to track the change’s history.

For the functional consultants, we implemented the following flow:

The export procedure includes exporting the managed and unmanaged solution packages. All changes from the selected solution will be included in the PR, and the Solution Checker will start the validation process. A clean report from the Solution Checker is a prerequisite for the next step of the PR review, which requires the real human review step.

In the case of pro code customization, each component type has its steps for the PR validation, such as:

Run build to produce the artifacts:
Run unit test
Scan the code base with SonarQube (Quality Gate)

The Import pipeline will deploy the package with a specific type based on the environment, so deployment to PROD will always include only the managed version of the packages.

The import pipeline also includes extra steps to activate the flows after deployment, including calling the custom Power Shell script to activate the disabled flows in specific solutions.

We also use a custom version that reflects the build date and the build number at the end: 2025.01.25.13; from our previous experience, it looks more meaningful to the users.

Branching strategy:

We are using a trunk-based branching strategy. Short-lived branches contain as small changes as possible to make the review and validation process simple.

We implemented ALM for all the components in our platform:

Check out the list of the articles below:

ARM Templates: Another Magic with Power of the Shell: Automating Speech-to-Text Setup with ARM Templates.

Dataverse ALM – version policy, branching and environment strategies

GitHub Actions – Opensource custom connectors

Fabric – Automating Fabric Deployment

ALM for Azure function – PRO CODE AND ALM MAGIC

@Yurii Nazarenko
@Oleksii Kostenko

Magic Matrix

We believe we can get high scores in this category due to the following execution

To streamline the onboarding process of our students, we introduced four dedicated faculty sites:

🏛 Gryffindor
🏛 Hufflepuff
🏛 Ravenclaw
🏛 Slytherin

Each site acts as a collaborative space for students and teachers to upload, share, and manage documents efficiently.

To fully automate the onboarding workflow, we use an Azure Function App that:
✅ Invites students to their respective faculty sites after completing a survey.
✅ Provides a checklist for required documents (e.g., photos, transcripts).
✅ Automatically verifies documents and tracks missing files.
✅ Sends SMS notifications to students if required documents are missing.

More details of how we achieved that can be found in our posts:

Magic Matrix category final article

Low Code

We trust we deserve high points in Low code, as we have built a portal for students using Power Pages.

We were utilising the best no-code features available.

On a landing page, we did a quick and easy set up of the header with a logo of our academy, added the links to the pages.

The student first opens it and clicks a button “Find me a school” to start the process of finding a better school for them. The student is redirected to the Submit Request page:

The submit request page contains a form of the student that they should fill in:

On submit the student will be redirected to the My Requests page:

On the backend, the managers see the request:

And the activities are assigned to the Student using Power automate (trigger on student request update/create

Student will see all the activities on the My Activities page in Power Pages in the List:

When the Survey is assigned to the Student – user navigates to the Survey tab and the first question appears on the screen:

For back-office administration, we created an app called Owl Management:

This is a low-code, model-driven app where all functions for Wayfined Academy’s back office are handled, including student, faculty, application, inquiry, and survey management. And off course analytics to provide a helicopter view:

From the low-code perspective, we created a sitemap using both OOB sitemap and app editor.

We also highlighted how this was done previously with XRMToolBox’s Sitemap Editor which saved us, low code experts, from editing the sitemap directly in XML:

We paid tribute to a famous blog post that made waves in the community. Megan shared a clever hack on how to add some color to the system by using emojis, which really took the community by storm! Today, of course, we would prefer to implement this using JavaScript Web Resources attached to views, but we wanted to give a nod to this iconic hack! Here’s the link: Using Emojis in OptionSet Fields.

and the result;D

The app also includes Business Process Flows, Staging, Branching, and more—all done with low-code:

And the activities are assigned to the Student using Power automate (trigger on student request update/create

Student will see all the activities on the My Activities page in Power Pages in the List:

When the Survey is assigned to the Student – user navigates to the Survey tab and the first question appears on the screen:

LOW CODE: Power Pages implementation | Arctic Cloud Developer Challenge Submissions

LOW CODE: Power Pages Implementation PART 2 | Arctic Cloud Developer Challenge Submissions

Go With The Flow

Posted on 25/01/2025 by SnitchOps

For our students we are providing a guidance when we start working with their request.

After they submitted a form – the activities are created for them.

They can find it in the My Activities page:

Then they have to finish all the activities and be allocated to a faculty.

For example, when user clicks on the Interview scheduled activity – they will be navigated to the Survey page and can start answering to the questions.

#GoWithTheFlow

FABRIC CATEGORY: Data Activator and Power Automate AI builder Usage

Posted on 25/01/2025 by SnitchOps

Any person can run power automate flows from dataverse. But only the Fabricator can trigger them from fabric lakehouse data changes using data activator in workspace.

Here we combined the power of fabric with flexibility of power automate to manage our image collection process.

We firstly created data activator and selected our data sources, so activator knows when and where to trigger.

We configured it so it will only trigger when an image file is added to our Images folder for students.

Define action and create flow to run.

Here we define an action and it gives us endpoint to be used as flow trigger. We will come back to here at last step.

We need to create a rule to call the action we defined. This rule allow us to add additional conditions to our filter if needed, let us choose which action to call. Also we can add additional parameters to be sent to power automate flow.

And lastly our power automate flow: The endpoint we received before needs to be set for connection of trigger.

We are using power platforms ai builder to recognize the data and categorize it for further usage.

We send our response to sharepoint for further operations.

As Fabricator it is important to automate our business and keep it tidy and neat. This is the way of the fabricator.

Magic Matrix category final article

Posted on 25/01/2025 by SnitchOps

SO as you know that yesterday we created a functionality that tracks the documents that has to be provided by students for onboarding. But now to streamline the onboarding process, we introduced four dedicated faculty sites:
🏛 Gryffindor
🏛 Hufflepuff
🏛 Ravenclaw
🏛 Slytherin

Each site acts as a collaborative space for students and teachers, where they can upload, share, and manage documents efficiently.

To fully automate the onboarding workflow, we use an Azure Function App that:
✅ Invites students to their respective faculty site after completing a survey.
✅ Provides a checklist for required documents (e.g., photos, transcripts).
✅ Automatically verifies documents and tracks missing files.
✅ Sends SMS notifications to students if required documents are missing.

The Business Logic Flow

The onboarding process is fully automated using Azure Durable Functions and SharePoint.

Step 1: Student Completes the Wayfinder Portal Survey

Once a student submits their faculty preference and personal details, a HTTP request is sent to an Azure Function with their data.
Based on the selected faculty, the function determines the corresponding SharePoint site.

Step 2: Azure Function Invites the Student

An HTTP-triggered Azure Function is responsible for processing the onboarding request.

Step 3: Orchestrator Function Handles Onboarding Workflow

The orchestrator function manages the entire student onboarding process.

The orchestrator first invites the student to their faculty site.
Then, it creates a checklist for tracking required documents.

Step 4: Student Invitation to SharePoint

The invitation activity sends an email invite with a faculty-specific SharePoint link.

Uses FacultySitesDictionary to find the correct SharePoint site:

· Sends an invitation email with the SharePoint link.

Step 5: Checklist is Created for Document Upload

Each student receives a checklist for tracking the required onboarding documents.

📌 Add Student Checklist

Step 6: Automated Document Validation

An Azure Function runs on a schedule to validate student document submissions.

📌 Timer-Triggered Function

📲 This ensures students complete their onboarding without manual intervention.

Faculty Administrators’ Perspective

✅ No manual student onboarding – Everything happens automatically.
✅ Real-time checklist tracking – Admins see which students have missing documents.
✅ Less communication overhead – Automated SMS reminders handle follow-ups.

Summary of Key Features

Feature	Technology
Student invitation	Azure Function (HTTP Trigger)
Faculty-specific SharePoint sites	SharePoint Online
Checklist tracking	SharePoint Lists
Document verification	Azure Durable Function
Scheduled validation	Timer-Triggered Function
SMS notifications	LinkMobility API

🚀 Conclusion

This fully automated system significantly improves faculty onboarding by:
✅ Eliminating manual work for administrators.
✅ Ensuring real-time checklist tracking for students.
✅ Automatically notifying students about missing documents.

This scalable architecture using Azure Functions, SharePoint, and Durable Functions ensures smooth student onboarding with minimal effort.

Stay tuned for our next post, where we dive deeper into SharePoint automation! 🚀

LOW CODE: Power Pages Implementation PART 2

Posted on 25/01/2025 by SnitchOps

First part of this article you find here LOW CODE: Power Pages implementation | Arctic Cloud Developer Challenge Submissions

For back-office administration, we created an app called Owl Management:

From the low-code perspective, we created a sitemap using both OOB sitemap and app editor.

We also highlighted how this was done previously with XRMToolBox’s Sitemap Editor which saved us, low code experts, from editing the sitemap directly in XML:

and the result;D

The app also includes Business Process Flows, Staging, Branching, and more—all done with low-code:

And the activities are assigned to the Student using Power automate (trigger on student request update/create

Student will see all the activities on the My Activities page in Power Pages in the List:

When the Survey is assigned to the Student – user navigates to the Survey tab and the first question appears on the screen:

RESCO

Posted on 25/01/2025 by SnitchOps

We used a Resco Kanban board PCF to visualize the Activities assigned to the students in the Model-Driven Apps.

A Kanban board PCF control visualizes workflow progress by displaying tasks in different stages of completion. It can be used for project management, process optimization, and enhancing team collaboration.

We added the new tab to the form Activity Overview.

Advantages of Kanban Board PCF Components:

Visual Task Management
- A Kanban board provides a clear and intuitive visual representation of tasks and their statuses. This helps users quickly understand workload distribution and progress at a glance.
Drag-and-Drop Functionality
- PCF components support interactive features like drag-and-drop, making it easier to update task statuses without manually editing fields or navigating between forms.
Real-Time Updates
- The Kanban board can fetch and display data in real-time from the Dataverse, ensuring that users are always working with the latest information.
Improved Collaboration
- Teams can use the board to assign, track, and prioritize tasks collaboratively, leading to better alignment and accountability.
Increased Efficiency
- By reducing the need for context-switching (e.g., switching between forms or views), a Kanban board improves task management efficiency within the Power Apps environment.
Enhanced User Experience
- The interactive and user-friendly interface of a PCF-based Kanban board enhances user engagement and adoption, especially for non-technical users.
Task Prioritization and Tracking
- The ability to sort tasks into columns (e.g., “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Done”) helps prioritize work and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
Supports Agile Methodologies
- Ideal for teams using Agile or Scrum methodologies, allowing them to visualize backlogs, sprints, and task progress directly in the Dataverse.

GO WITH THE FLOW

Posted on 25/01/2025 by SnitchOps

Go with the flow – Our application process for back office

Digital transformation

Posted on 25/01/2025 by SnitchOps

Wayfinder Academy: Redefining Digital Transformation in Magical Education

In an ever-evolving world where magic and technology coexist, Wayfinder Academy and its Logiquill portal represent the forefront of digital transformation within the magical education sector. By seamlessly integrating intelligent automation, data-driven insights, and a personalized approach to student guidance, we’ve set a new standard for how magical institutions can enhance their operations while meeting the expectations of the modern student.

A Magical Solution for Dynamic Needs

The mission of Wayfinder Academy is clear: to ensure that every magical student finds an environment that nurtures their unique talents, temperament, and aspirations. Our innovative processes are built on the belief that students thrive when matched with the right school, and we’ve developed a groundbreaking redundancy plan to ensure this mission continues uninterrupted—even under the most unexpected circumstances.

A turning point in Hogwarts’ history came when the Sorting Hat was temporarily stolen during a sorting ceremony, leaving the school in disarray.

This incident underscored the need for a robust, adaptable system that could provide an alternative for sorting and student reassignment. Enter the Wayfinder Academy, with its Logiquill portal: a solution that combines magical precision with technological advancements to guide students toward their ideal paths.

Intelligent Automation: A Transformative Approach

Our process begins with the student’s application submission via the Logiquill portal. From the moment the application is received, intelligent automation takes center stage:

Data Collection: Students upload memorable photos and historical records are requested from their current school. These data points form the foundation of our analysis.
AI-Driven Interviews: Each student participates in a digital interview with a virtual “digital twin” of one of our esteemed teachers. During this session, a pulsometer captures emotional responses and stress metrics, creating a comprehensive profile.
Real-Time Analysis: Emotional and physiological data, along with responses, are stored in our dataverse. Advanced algorithms interpret these inputs to assign attributes and recommend the best faculty placement.
Personalized Results: Students receive an animated, interactive experience—an owl delivers their results, followed by a magical feather writing their new faculty assignment. They also gain access to detailed reasoning and insights through the portal.

Meeting Expectations with Seamless Integration

The Logiquill portal is more than a sorting tool—it’s a hub for continuous support and engagement. Students are offered a personalized coaching program, featuring:

Monthly Letters: Tailored tips for successful integration into their new faculty.
Virtual Mentorship: Access to digital twins of professors who provide one-on-one guidance.
Interactive Forums: A space for students to connect, share ideas, and discuss events.

Our platform’s capabilities extend beyond sorting and mentorship. By linking Meta, LinkedIn, and Instagram accounts, the portal analyzes social engagement to generate actionable insights, track progress, and enhance the overall experience.

Delivering More with Less Through Innovation

The Wayfinder Academy exemplifies how magical institutions can deliver exceptional experiences while maximizing efficiency. Our approach achieves this by:

Reducing Manual Effort: Automated processes streamline application review, data analysis, and faculty recommendations.
Enhancing Personalization: AI and real-time data ensure every student receives individualized guidance tailored to their needs.
Driving Continuous Improvement: Insights derived from forum discussions and social media analysis enable proactive support and dynamic enhancements to our services.

A Bridge Between Expectation and Capability

The integration of intelligent automation into magical education through the Wayfinder Academy and Logiquill portal is a testament to the potential of digital transformation. By weaving a spell that bridges the gap between customer expectations and operational capabilities, we’ve created a solution that empowers students and institutions alike.

Wayfinder Academy is not just reshaping how magical students find their paths—it’s setting a new precedent for innovation, personalization, and efficiency in education. With every detail meticulously designed, we’re proud to demonstrate how businesses can achieve more with less while delivering unparalleled experiences to their communities.

ONE FLOW

Posted on 25/01/2025 by SnitchOps

We are using the OneFlow custom connector in Power Automate to create and sign the contract in case of an approved request to change the school.

A copy of the signed contract will also be uploaded to SharePoint .

LOW CODE: Power Pages implementation

Posted on 25/01/2025 by SnitchOps

We have built a portal for students using Power Pages.

We were utilising the best no-code features available.

On a landing page, we did a quick and easy set up of the header with a logo of our academy, added the links to the pages.

The student first opens it and clicks a button “Find me a school” to start the process of finding a better school for them. The student is redirected to the Submit Request page: