Power Apps Case Study: How We Automated Work Time Tracking for Oerlikon

Overview

Oerlikon — a global technology group and a leader in surface engineering and advanced materials, also known for manufacturing anti-aircraft weapon systems — faced challenges in efficiently managing project time tracking across its international operations. To address these issues, we developed a tailored Power Apps solution that streamlined work time registration, automated approval processes, and provided real-time data for management and reporting.

Oerlikon is a Swiss-based innovation leader with around 12,000 employees in 150 locations worldwide, active in areas like advanced materials, precision engineering, and anti-aircraft systems. The company is undergoing a digital transformation of its internal processes, replacing legacy systems with solutions based on Microsoft 365 and Power Platform.

OERLIKON HSE APP

Application supports the following areas:

Incident management (IM)

Task management (TM)

Safety observations tours (SOT)

Near Miss Unsafe Situation (NMUS)

Challenge

Oerlikon needed a scalable tool to:

Replace time-consuming, Excel-based time tracking
Allow time and leave registration from any device
Handle multi-step approvals
Integrate with Power BI and internal tools
Reduce costs by phasing out third-party workflow software
Ensure future development capacity amid rising internal demand

Solution

TTMS delivered a custom Power Apps application that addressed all of Oerlikon’s core needs. Key features:

For Employees:

Logging hours by task and project
Registering time off
Copying past entries to speed up workflows
Access via mobile and desktop
Real-time approval tracking

For Managers:

Time entry approval workflows (1–3 levels)
Advanced filtering and data views by team, project, or period
Export-ready reports integrated with Power BI
Streamlined communication with employees via built-in notifications

The app was built using the Microsoft ecosystem and connected directly to Power BI and Dataverse to ensure scalability, security, and rapid implementation.

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Result

✅ 60% less time spent on managing work hour approvals
✅ Smooth transition from legacy tools to integrated Microsoft environment
✅ Increased control, visibility, and adoption among users
✅ Aligned with Oerlikon’s long-term strategy to enable citizen developers
✅ Future-proof architecture ready for scale

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Other Examples

PowerApps could be used in many departments, for example:

The application as a plugin to Teams for employees so that they can conveniently report their holidays.
Onboarding application for new employees.
Application for the circulation of order documents in the sales department with a multi-level order approval system.