We have a great new update coming to MS Forms.
But there’s a catch…
Firstly, MS forms can sync the results of your form with Excel, and that is excellent. If you have already set up this sync, heed my advice. There is a new sync update coming out that requires us to take action to update our Excel worksheet and get the newest version. If we fail to do so, the connection between MS Forms and Excel will stop working.
Further Context about MS Forms and Excel
If you’re like me, you pretty much have an intake form for everything using Microsoft Forms. And in case you’re new to this app, Microsoft (capital ‘F’) Forms is not just limited to basic quizzes, or a volunteer signup sheet (although it can be that simple) which is part of it’s beauty. Like all the M365 apps, it doesn’t just stop with that single app, there are plenty of first party back-end integrations available to extend this MS Forms to do more! Across all the end users I support, we have plenty of processes dependent on this tool. In in this case specifically I know some who use the Excel file generated from MS Forms to act as a trigger to kickoff automated, flow controlled, business processes. And that is actually where things get interesting. These M365 apps, are certainly a great value. Like anything, the more you put yourself in a position to rely on them, the more important it becomes to know your underbelly. And in this case, a little change management is in order. It would behoove you to read the FAQ below pasted from the Forms blog. Per the linked article in the references, we have till January of next year to act. Happy Form-ing all!
FAQ (pasted from Microsoft)
Q: What will happen if I don’t update to the new solution?
A: The old data sync service will stop on Oct 20th, 2024. After this point, any new form responses will still be saved in your form, but they will no longer sync to your workbook. As soon as you update your workbook to the new data sync solution, these new responses (and the older ones) will sync to a new sheet in your workbook.
Q: What’s the difference between the old version and new version?
A:
• The new syncing solution is more reliable and has improved performance.
• Currently, the new solution will only sync new responses to Excel for the web. But we are actively working on adding the new syncing solution to the Windows and Mac desktop apps.
• With the new syncing solution, you must open the Excel app to receive new responses. Otherwise, they will not sync to the workbook.
Q: Can I receive new responses without opening my workbook? What if I have a Power Automate Flow based on the data sync?
A: With the new syncing solution, new form responses will only sync to the workbook when it is opened in Excel for the web (with desktop support coming soon). If you have a Power Automate Flow connected to the workbook, it will no longer receive new responses until the workbook is manually opened. In this case, we recommend updating your workflow to use the Forms Connector. Create an automated workflow for Microsoft Forms – Microsoft Support
Q: How do I know if the form is using the older version or the new one?
A: In the new solution, we also updated the UI to open responses in Excel in Forms “responses” tab.
(More FAQs are posed on the reference section below)
Reference
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So here’s the thing: Microsoft released an update that “syncs” Forms data with Excel (something that already existed, but let’s ignore that for now), where the sync only happens after opening the Excel file to “refresh” the data. Am I the only one who sees this as a step backward, at least from a user/customer perspective? What used to be an automatic feature in Forms now requires me to set up an automation flow in Power Automate to perform this task. Sorry, but this was an intelligently dumb idea.
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I agree with you. The more I think about it, the more of a liability Forms is becoming as an intake automation platform. Hear me out…
As of right now, there is no admin panel where I, as an M365 administrator, can see all the forms created. I can only respond once something breaks. So to your point, I would use this as a jumping point to pivot towards something like a Power App form for any type of automation. There’s a learning curve, and my opinion may come across as an emotional reaction. But in reality, Microsoft is actually investing lots in governed solutions like the power platform.
The exception – Sure, if you have a simple sign up sheet. Build a Forms > Excel Automation for something non-mission critical. But for any standard business process automation MS Forms is not the tool one should leverage. I had to learn the hard way.
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I think you’re right, about jump into power apps to make one more efficient “form” to get what I need.
Since this year is ending, I’ll have to improve my power apps knowledge and do what I have to do.
Thank you for the tip!
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