Reading time minutes

What are the benefits of a low-code platform?

Low-code, or the democratization of software development, is how businesses of all sizes experience greater agility at reduced costs.

Two female colleagues looking at a laptop

To make informed decisions and serve customers, employees need the right tools and access to crucial information in the right context. But when business-critical information is scattered across multiple off-the-shelf and custom-coded applications and systems, your workers are less efficient and your customers’ experiences suffer.

When it comes to your enterprise application strategy, are you thinking beyond build-versus-buy?

What is low-code BPM?

Low-code development platforms support business process management (BPM) strategies through greater configurability and flexibility.

A low-code approach involves simple drag-and-drop tools to deploy software solutions with minimal manual coding, IT spend or deployment. A low-code BPM platform enables citizen developers (users with basic coding knowledge) to implement applications to streamline and automate business processes.

Business benefits of a low-code BPM platform

The benefits of a low-code BPM platform are derived from the minimal manual coding required and the ability to rapidly create and deliver applications to the business.

Key benefits of low-code software include:

Lower operating costs

Most businesses still feel they must choose between buying vs. building to release process improvements or launch business applications. Both options will demand significant investment, either in the form of development costs or the fee to hire external vendors.

Low-code BPM gives businesses the ability to test and roll out updates without costly investment. Your own professionals get to reduce the IT sprawl and minimize overhead costs by building applications and updates through one platform.

Faster updates and prototypes

Nontechnical line-of-business (LOB) users could find it difficult to conceptualize the improvements that need to be done to a process of workflow.

With a low-code approach, both IT teams and LOB users will be able to launch a smoother ideation-to-automation lifecycle. LOB users will find it easier to convey process improvements through drag-and-drop tools and other visual modules. This lessens the back-and-forth feedback that ties up IT teams from working on other projects and allows BPM transformation to take place faster.

Greater standardization across processes

It is challenging to enforce standard security standards or achieve maximum efficiency when procedures are inconsistent.

Low-code offers a user-friendly development platform that can be customized for each team. This standardization makes it simple to modify business applications and roll out new updates according to an existing BPM outline. This would make it easier to implement instant updates to a workflow without extensive or manual coding.

Reduced IT backlogs

Coding-intensive platforms end up causing IT backlogs in an organization. Your IT teams must devote their resources to making small changes every step of the way. Subsequently, LOB users that want to apply automation or other BPM strategies could end up waiting months for an application to go live.

Implementing a low-code platform means that your IT teams do not need to be heavily involved in every process upgrade. As a result, IT staff and developers get to devote more time and effort to projects that will improve security or accelerate large-scale digital transformation.

Better compliance and risk management

Low-code software development allows your businesses to keep up with fast-changing regulations and consumer expectations. The low-code approach makes it simple to modify applications or deploy releases to meet new requirements by:

  • Optimizing processes quickly as required by new regulations
  • Eliminating risky shadow IT procedures
  • Outlining permission and controls for specific business users
Three co-workers sit at a conference desk with coffee and a single laptop to strategize their intelligent automation strategy.

A practical guide to intelligent automation

How should you choose the right automation tools for your organization’s needs and goals? Start with insights from advisory firm Deep Analysis, including types of automation tools and their differences, seven steps to deciding which automation tools to use and how leading companies approach their automation initiatives.

Automation is everywhere. It’s time to put it to work for you.

Key features of a low-code BPM platform

A content services platform serves as a low-code platform for rapid application development. Organizations should prioritize three native capabilities when looking for a low-code platform to support BPM. These include: 

Integrations

Systems that are not compatible create data silos and inefficiencies. Your preferred low-code platform should be able to connect third-party apps and legacy systems. It would also need to include API endpoints that make it possible to integrate BPM technology with other external apps.

Drag-and-drop usability

Organizations must first know the pre-built modules that come with a low-code platform. The right low-code application development solution will allow LOB users with minimal knowledge to easily drag and drop blocks of pre-existing code to design applications or optimize workflows. Hyland RPA, for instance, uses drag-and-drop tools to build automated processes with the help of bots. 

Electronic document management

Businesses that continue to rely on paper are at risk of ineffective and error prone processes. A low-code BPM platform with a document management capability allows authorized users to streamline the storage and sharing of crucial information. Business users can then execute simple automation to route documents to the relevant users in a workflow.

A low-code application configuration platform can scale with the growing demands of your business. Low-code platforms supported with BPM tools can automate data capture, case management and records and retention processes by continually optimizing your team’s workflows.

Explore Hyland for process automation