There was a time when software development techniques were ruled by coders, developers, and IT experts within organizations who possessed the skills required to create applications, automated workflows, and technical problem-solving solutions. of the company.
The introduction of low-code automation solutions, however, has leveled the playing field, giving business developers access to cognitive capture, digital workflows, artificial intelligence, and the ability to create their own widgets, automated apps, and bots using visual drag-and-drop interfaces.
Today, it seems that low code is ubiquitous. Indeed, according to Gartner, the global market for low-code development technologies is expected to reach $13.8 billion in 2021, an increase of 22.6% over 2020.
Considering the potential of low-code automation, it is easy to understand the expected strong growth. When IT and casual business developers can join forces, a whole new world of possibilities and productivity opens up. But is it a reality or a pipe dream?
There really isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to low-code automation. What works for one organization may not work for another. The right approach must be able to respond to all users. A “too complicated” low-code automation solution will frustrate business developers, while a “too basic” solution will not allow IT teams to work on more complex tasks or processes. When you manage to find the “right balance”, you can fully exploit the full potential and value of low-code to accelerate digital workflow transformation and productivity for your business.
Which low-code approach is best for your business?
Often, application development is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about low code. There are, however, a multitude of other methods for which low code can bring significant added value. That’s why finding the right solution for your business is essential.
When evaluating low-code automation solutions, one of the most important things to consider is context. Executives and leaders need to focus their attention on the business and ask the targeted questions. What does your current IT infrastructure look like? Where is the company in its digital transformation journey?
The honest answers will help you determine the best solution. Should you, for example, delve into low-code or no-code application development or should you simply leverage low-code automation to speed up business workflows?
When it comes to automation, many organizations have taken a siled approach. Automation initiatives are then driven within the same department, business function, or specific geographic location. However, this disjointed approach minimizes the value of automation and makes it difficult to extend it.
The scalability challenge is also hampered by bandwidth limitations for IT departments to perform the complex coding required for business automation.
This is what makes the business developer so valuable by becoming the driving force through low-code automation. Most companies generally need to involve business users as well as IT experts to be able to automate their digital workflows. Fortunately, there are more and more business developers.
Gartner predicts that half of all new low-code automation customers will come from non-IT buyers by the end of 2025. Additionally, 41% of non-IT employees are already customizing or building solutions technological or based on data.
A recent study titled “Automation at Scale: Bridging the Gap Between IT and Business” found that 48% of respondents said that one of the biggest challenges with their automation technology was the lack of technical skills that would enable employees to navigate their platform. 38% also acknowledge that their users struggle to understand how automation works.
Companies, therefore, need to find a low-code solution that satisfies both IT and non-technical users by making them more productive. The tool should be sophisticated enough to meet the demanding demands of coding professionals and easy enough for line-of-business managers to use.
What does a “tailor-made” approach to low-code automation look like? This same study on large-scale automation revealed some interesting data that helps us answer this question:
- 99% of companies believe that a single-vendor approach to automation will solve silos of initiatives and scalability.
- Four in five automation decision-makers say intuitiveness and ease of use are imperative for an automation platform.
- Line of business leaders want strong integrations with current technology (74%), an easy-to-understand platform (73%), and an easy-to-use platform (71%).
To meet these requirements, a low-code platform should offer a drag-and-drop interface to make it easier for developers to create automation. Mobile device support and reusable components are also valuable features to keep business users comfortable and productive. The platform must also extend low code to the various critical capabilities of the organization to elevate its level of workflow automation.
What happens when you find the right solution?
A user-centric platform that empowers everyone to help automate and transform the digital workflow has so many benefits. Businesses can finally unleash the full potential of their teams with low-code automation, optimizing existing resources and reducing reliance on IT.
Non-technical stakeholders can then leverage their expert knowledge of business processes and operations to help rapidly design, automate and transform simple or complex digital workflows. With line-of-business developers able to fully contribute to automating workflows, IT team members,
Business analysts and business developers can truly collaborate with IT specialists as well as application developers to achieve faster, more successful, and more scalable results. Improved collaboration and productivity contribute to a better customer experience and enable organizations to benefit from more agile and adaptable workflows.
Companies looking for efficiency must find a solution that simplifies the actions of each stakeholder. By enabling business developers to contribute programming, and IT pros to work faster and more efficiently on technical issues, you enable your company to accelerate its digital transformation by working like tomorrow, today.
