The low-code BPM revolution

The integration of BPM (Business Process Management) with Low-code/No-code technology offers significant advantages to companies, enabling them to gain a comprehensive understanding of their diverse business processes. While process modeling has been in use for years, the fusion of BPM and Low-Code represents a revolutionary approach for businesses. Let’s provide a concise overview of these tools and explore potential practical applications.

With Low-code: business functions at the heart of processes

The Low code wave started in 2011, before being identified under this name in 2014 by Forrester. The principle is simple, it is a work by graphical interface, with a maximum of 20% programming. The Low-code differs from the No-code, which, as its name suggests, does not offer programming at all.

For a non-developer audience, the No-code is obviously a more accessible solution, however, we observe that in a professional environment, the flexibility offered by the Low-code allows to combine the speed of deployment with greater finesse and customization.

The use of a graphical interface for application design covers a set of advantages that bring a real competitive edge:

Rapid deployment
Easy to pick up
Reduce costs
Collaborative applications
Reliability of the quality approach
PDCA (Plan, Do, Check and Act = plan, carry out, verify and act)

Of course, this revolution still has some obstacles, depending on the publishers, the solutions, and the degree of technological maturity of the company (especially the communication with aging IS). These include additional costs for integration, the price of some Low-Code platforms, and the proprietary aspect chosen by some publishers.

The Low-Code market is also expanding, and these aspects are also becoming less and less true, as new players emerge, forcing the entire market to innovate and rethink their business model.

Low-code, a booming market

The Low-code sphere is going wild, with impressive figures:

A market of 4 billion in 2017, and 27 billion in 2022 (projections made by ResearchAndMarkets).
75% of companies will grow from Low-code in the next 5 years (according to Forrester).
The low code platform is ten times faster than the traditional way of development.

Many companies are drawn to Low-Code primarily due to its easily recognizable return on investment. The deployment can be accomplished with less technically advanced profiles, and the rapid development speed requires fewer resources. According to a study conducted by Techrepublic, Low-Code projects have the potential to reduce costs by up to 39%.

BPMN: several professions, a common language!

The second pillar of the revolution is the BPMN norm. It is a standardization tool for all the business processes of a company. There are three types of symbols that can be used to model any validation circuit: events by circles, activities symbolized by rectangles, and gateways by diamonds (this represents the decision-making bodies that can be met throughout a workflow).

With this standard-standardized visual language, communication is simplified between business functions and developers, departments, or even between companies.

Low-code / No-code BPM: serving speed of execution

The BPM Low-code/No-code allows to schematize business processes by relying on theISO/IEC 19510 standard which is divided into six cycles:

Study
Modelization
Implementation
Execution
Piloting
Optimization

For piloting and optimization, Low-code BPM stands out for its simplicity and speed of action. When the need to change your process arises, there is no need to go through a development or project phase again. The modifications are integrated in real time by the framework.

If we take the example of a company wishing to obtain ISO 9001 certification, the BPMN standard was designed for this certification. In addition to having this modeling, the companies that use it will have a lot more finesse in their processes.

Low-code/No-code BPMs are revolutionary for companies that adopt them by allowing them to model and then modify their business processes on the fly. For the most advanced platforms, such as Axelor, the articulation between applications, BPM and Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) is native.

Companies can achieve a significant competitive advantage by adopting low-code BPM solutions, enabling them to address internal and external pressures while enhancing their business knowledge. This powerful combination offers unparalleled flexibility and resource savings, facilitating seamless development.

The rapid expansion of low-code technology aligns closely with the growth of BPM, and the integration of these two innovations is creating a new flourishing market.

In 2018, a RedHat survey found that more than 50% of companies adopting BPM are reducing their cost. Taking a concrete example: Adidas is now able to considerably reduce its lead-time. A priori, the BPM market should double from 2020 to 2025.

The BPM Low-code, a great multi-talented toolbox for companies

There are countless cases of Low-code / No-code BPM applications: purchase request, recruitment process, medication management in hospitals, etc.

The No-code capability allows you to automate decisions effortlessly by simply using your mouse during the process. Axelor BPM Low-code provides a user-friendly graphical interface that guides you through process creation. You can easily comment on each step to identify possible omissions. The interface allows you to view not only one process but also those connected to each other on a single screen. Additionally, you can set timers within a process to send email reminders, useful for tracking customer orders.

The wave of BPM low code, by combining two mature technologies, opens up a field of possibilities that extends to all the business functions of a company, or any activities (services, production, etc.) that require a validation circuit.

By increasing agility, while reducing deployment resources, the BPM low code is revolutionizing how business applications are designed in organizations.