Create the canvas app

Create a canvas application in Power Apps and connect it to the SharePoint list containing your inspection records.

• Create the app in the correct Power Platform environment.
• Add the SharePoint data connection.
• Select the site and the Site Inspections list.
• Use responsive containers where practical.

Add a browse screen

Give inspectors a simple landing screen showing recent inspections and a button for starting a new one.

NewForm(frmInspection);
Navigate(
    scrInspection,
    ScreenTransition.Fade
)

NewForm() changes the form into new-record mode before the user reaches the inspection screen.

Configure the inspection form

Add an Edit Form control named frmInspection and set its data source to the SharePoint list.

'Site Inspections'

galInspections.Selected

Add the required SharePoint fields to the form and arrange them into logical sections such as general information, checklist, comments and evidence.

Default the inspector and date

Where appropriate, reduce unnecessary data entry by defaulting information that Power Apps already knows.

For a date picker used for a new inspection, a common default is:

Today()

For a SharePoint Person field, retain the generated Combo Box structure unless you have a specific reason to customise it. Person fields require a record rather than plain text.

Add structured checklist responses

Avoid putting important inspection answers into one large comments field. Use structured response fields that can later be filtered and reported.

For example, a SharePoint Choice column might contain:

Yes
No
N/A

This allows the organisation to answer questions such as:

• Which sites have failed fire-exit checks?
• How many inspections contained a failed item?
• Which checklist categories fail most often?

Add evidence attachments

Add the SharePoint Attachments field to frmInspection. This allows inspectors to attach supporting files to the inspection record.

This approach can be useful for photographs of defects, supporting documentation or other inspection evidence.

Validate before submission

The app should make incomplete inspections difficult to submit.

If the required properties on the form are configured correctly, the form's Valid property provides a useful validation check.

If(
    frmInspection.Valid,
    SubmitForm(frmInspection),
    Notify(
        "Please complete all required inspection fields.",
        NotificationType.Warning
    )
)

This uses the form's built-in validation before calling SubmitForm().

Handle successful submissions

Rather than placing navigation immediately after SubmitForm(), use the form's OnSuccess property. That ensures the success behaviour occurs after Power Apps has successfully saved the record.

Notify(
    "Inspection saved successfully.",
    NotificationType.Success
);

Navigate(
    scrHome,
    ScreenTransition.Fade
)

Notify(
    "The inspection could not be saved. " &
    frmInspection.Error,
    NotificationType.Error
)

Add edit and cancel behaviour

Existing inspections can use the same form in edit mode.

EditForm(frmInspection);

Navigate(
    scrInspection,
    ScreenTransition.Fade
)

ResetForm(frmInspection);

Navigate(
    scrHome,
    ScreenTransition.Fade
)

ResetForm() discards unsaved changes in the form before returning the user to the previous screen.

Create corrective actions

For a more scalable solution, create a second SharePoint list called Inspection Actions.

Suggested fields include:

• Inspection ID
• Action description
• Action owner
• Target date
• Status
• Completion notes

Separating actions from inspections allows one inspection to have several corrective actions without adding repeated action columns to the inspection list.

Filter the inspection gallery carefully

As the list grows, pay attention to Power Apps delegation. Not every Power Fx operation can be delegated to every data source.

A straightforward example for filtering by site might look like:

Filter(
    'Site Inspections',
    Site.Value = cmbSiteFilter.Selected.Value
)

Test before publishing

Test the application as a business process, not simply as a collection of controls.

• Create a new inspection.
• Save an inspection containing attachments.
• Edit an existing inspection.
• Test required-field validation.
• Test with a standard user account.
• Confirm SharePoint permissions.
• Test the app on the intended phone or tablet.
• Confirm reports receive the expected data.