@jlindstrom Well, we are the COE and I am the primary SME on applications/automation built on the o365 Power Platform for our organization. All I meant is that I immediately questioned all parts of the COE Starter Kit and even the methods presented within it because of the various items that appear to be baited hooks for CDS uptake. It is tiresome and perhaps the #1 thing I hate about Microsoft's approach (for a platform that I have a great deal of respect for).
I simply cannot rely upon most moves from Microsoft because they nearly always have assumptions based upon the CDS. And this isn't simply because I feel the CDS is a money grab (which it is), but that their "data first" design remains a great failing in the Low Code community. It forces the building of data models before delivery. It relies that we have datasets that are semi-static. Building PowerApps in this method is driving toward the consumption and uptake of the CDS to integrate in ERP/CRM pre-built data models to feed AI models. This is simply, for problems I do not have, or problems our organization is not ready to tackle.
What our organization (and most others) struggle with is getting people to release their death grip on data that exists within Excel. The easiest path is to help them build out their projects and smooth out the data acquisition phase for end-users, then to deliver that data "somewhere". Somewhere can include exports to Excel so they can continue their existing processes, but meanwhile we can/will build out Power BI dashboards, as well as standardizing on JSON blobs for basic storage until the process matures. And we do this, because the data that they captured in Excel is WRONG or INCOMPLETE because of the poor tools they had at their disposal. Relying upon that as a starting point causes similar failures to the original pattern/process.
All of the approaches for Low/No code (it isn't just Microsoft) seem to follow the same old tired routine of us sitting around and doing lots of information gathering and design meetings before a single control hits the page to build data models. It forces the controls of the traditional development delivery model on top of it. Traditional models should be questioned at all phases for the design of processes to scope/design/deliver/support because of the drastic changes to where risk impacts low/no code delivery. Sometimes these changes are just about the level of review, while others absolutely involve the re-ordering of processes.
It is painful to me that every single Microsoft resource I engage with is driving me toward the CDS so strongly, that I now doubt the validity of their advice or guidance.
