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GUIDs in Legal Operations: Why They Matter and How to Use Them in Power Platform and SharePoint

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GUIDs in Legal Operations: Why They Matter and How to Use Them in Power Platform and SharePoint

What is a GUID?

A GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) is a 128-bit value used to uniquely identify objects across systems and environments. It typically looks like this:

3f2504e0-4f89-11d3-9a0c-0305e82c3301

GUIDs are designed to be unique across space and time, making them ideal for scenarios where you need to ensure that no two identifiers collide—even across different systems or organizations.

Why Are GUIDs Useful?

  • Uniqueness: They virtually eliminate the risk of duplicate IDs.
  • System Independence: GUIDs are not tied to a specific database or platform.
  • Scalability: Perfect for distributed systems where multiple apps or services create records simultaneously.
  • Interoperability: Useful when integrating multiple systems (e.g., SharePoint, Dataverse, external databases).

GUIDs in Power Platform and SharePoint

When building apps, workflows, and databases for legal operations, GUIDs can be a game-changer. Here’s why:

  • Matter Management Systems: Each matter needs a unique, immutable identifier.
  • Contract Lifecycle Management: Contracts often move across multiple systems; GUIDs ensure consistent tracking.
  • Compliance Workflows: GUIDs help maintain audit trails across Power Automate flows and SharePoint lists.

Why Not Just Use SharePoint List IDs?

SharePoint automatically assigns an integer ID to each list item. While convenient, these IDs:

  • Are unique only within a single list, not across lists or environments.
  • Can change during migrations or when copying data.
  • Are predictable, which can be a security concern in some scenarios.

GUID Advantages Over SharePoint IDs:

  • Global Uniqueness: Works across multiple lists, sites, and environments.
  • Portability: Survives data migrations and integrations.
  • Immutable: Once assigned, it doesn’t change.

How to Generate GUIDs in Power Platform

Power Apps and Power Automate make it easy:

  • Power Apps: Use the GUID() function to generate a new GUID.
  • Power Automate: Use the guid() expression in your flow.
  • Dataverse: Automatically assigns GUIDs to records, which you can leverage in your apps.

Pros and Cons of Using GUIDs

Pros:

  • Guaranteed uniqueness across systems.
  • Ideal for integrations (e.g., Power Apps to Dataverse to SharePoint).
  • Improves data integrity and traceability.
  • Prevents ID conflicts during migrations.

Cons:

  • GUIDs are long and not user-friendly.
  • Slightly larger storage footprint compared to integers.
  • Not as efficient as numeric IDs for ordering.
  • Requires explicit generation and management in some systems.

Best Practice: Assign GUIDs to All Important Business Objects

For legal operations, where accuracy, traceability, and compliance are critical, GUIDs provide a robust foundation. Whether you’re building a matter or contract management app, automating workflows, or integrating systems, GUIDs ensure your identifiers remain consistent and reliable.

Action Step: Start incorporating GUIDs into your Power Platform and SharePoint solutions today. Use them as primary keys for critical objects like law firms/legal service providers, matters, contracts, invoices, intake requests, RFPs.... The list goes on and on and on.