Microsoft’s Power Platform has made it easier than ever for businesses to build and automate processes with low-code solutions. But even with its robust capabilities, developers often run into roadblocks—whether it’s ensuring security, maintaining proper documentation, or following best practices.
That’s where the Power Customer Advisory Team (Power CAT) comes in. To simplify development and improve efficiency, Power CAT has introduced a set of tools that help developers work smarter. Whether you’re an experienced pro or just getting started, these tools provide a structured way to build, refine, and maintain your Power Platform solutions with greater ease and security.
Power CAT Tools are a set of developer-focused utilities designed to improve code quality, enhance security, streamline API testing, and simplify documentation using AI. They help businesses build stronger, more scalable, and well-documented solutions within the Power Platform.
These tools go beyond just automation—they provide valuable security insights and enforce best practices, ensuring that organizations can innovate while maintaining compliance and governance. For businesses that rely on Power Platform, Power CAT Tools are an essential resource for building efficient and secure applications.
Writing good code isn’t just about getting it to work—it’s about making sure it stays efficient, readable, and easy to maintain. Instead of manually combing through lines of code, Power CAT’s Automated Code Review tool does the heavy lifting for you. It scans your code, spots inefficiencies, and suggests improvements, helping teams avoid technical debt and keep their solutions running smoothly.
Writing documentation can be one of the most tedious parts of development, but it’s also one of the most important. DocuPilot helps by automating the process, generating technical documentation based on your solution’s structure. This saves developers time and ensures key details aren’t missed.
Security breaches can be costly and damaging, which is why identifying risks early is so important. The Security Risk Assessment tool scans your system for potential vulnerabilities—whether it’s weak permissions, unauthorized access, or possible data leaks—so you can fix them before they turn into bigger problems.
For businesses that store sensitive customer data, staying ahead of security threats isn’t just a precaution—it’s a responsibility. By taking a proactive approach, companies can prevent breaches, maintain compliance, and protect both their reputation and customer trust.
When working with APIs, things don’t always go as planned. The API Playground gives developers a space to test their API calls before pushing them live, helping them catch issues early and avoid disruptions. Instead of troubleshooting problems after deployment, they can fine-tune integrations beforehand, making everything run more smoothly.
On the other hand, Plugin Monitoring helps track how plugins are performing in real time. If something is slowing down the system or causing errors, this tool makes it easier to spot the issue and fix it quickly. By keeping APIs and plugins in check, businesses can maintain efficiency and avoid unnecessary downtime.
Building AI-driven applications is one thing—making sure they work as expected is another. The Power CAT Copilot Studio Kit helps developers test AI-generated responses to improve accuracy and performance. It includes tools like Response Match, Topic Match, and Generative Answers Testing, allowing teams to fine-tune AI models and ensure they respond appropriately in different scenarios.
However, the kit currently has some limitations. It doesn’t fully support testing for adaptive cards and interactive dialogues, which means it’s better suited for simpler AI workflows rather than highly complex interactions. Despite this, it remains a valuable tool for refining AI-driven applications and enhancing user experiences.
Let’s say a company is building a custom CRM system on Power Platform. They need to ensure it’s efficient, secure, and easy to maintain. Here’s how Power CAT tools help them throughout the process:
By using these tools, the company builds a strong, well-documented, and secure CRM system—without unnecessary delays or roadblocks.
No tool is perfect, and Power CAT Tools are no exception. DocuPilot does a decent job of generating documentation, but it skims over important details like Dataverse tables and column structures, which can be frustrating for teams that rely on deeper insights. On the AI side, the Power CAT Copilot Studio Kit makes testing easier, but it doesn’t yet support complex interactions like adaptive cards or multi-step conversations, making it less effective for advanced chatbot scenarios.
That said, these gaps aren’t deal-breakers—they’re just areas for improvement. As Microsoft continues to refine Power CAT Tools, we can expect smarter features, better integrations, and more flexibility in future updates. The foundation is strong, and with time, these tools will only get better at simplifying development and improving security across the Power Platform.
Power CAT Tools are proving to be a huge advantage for developers working with Power Platform. They simplify everything from code reviews and security checks to documentation and API management, taking a lot of the manual effort out of the equation. By catching potential issues early and enforcing best practices, these tools help teams build more reliable, scalable, and secure solutions with less hassle.
That being said, there’s still room for improvement. Some areas—like deeper insights into Dataverse structures or more advanced AI testing—could use enhancements. But considering how Microsoft continues to refine and expand its toolset, it’s safe to say these features will only get better with time.
For any business or development team using Power Platform, Power CAT Tools are worth exploring. They save time, improve security, and let developers focus on creating solutions that truly drive business value—instead of getting stuck in technical roadblocks.