For IT teams, the pressure to swiftly adapt to shifting demands while maintaining high productivity levels can sometimes feel like a constant juggling act.
This is where low-code business process management (BPM) platforms step in like a breath of fresh air—a groundbreaking solution equipped with an array of features that empower IT teams to craft applications and workflows with minimal manual coding hassles.
In this blog, we'll explore the top nine features that establish low-code BPMs as an indispensable tool for modern IT teams. But before we dive into the features, let's take a moment to understand what low-code BPMs are and how they've evolved.
What is low-code BPM?
Low-code BPM is a development approach that combines visual development interfaces, pre-built templates, and reusable components to streamline the application development process.
This approach minimizes the need for extensive hand-coding, allowing IT teams to focus on solving complex problems and delivering innovative solutions. Essentially, low-code BPM platforms provide a bridge between developers and business users, enabling the creation of applications that align closely with specific business processes.
The evolution of low-code BPM
The evolution of low-code BPM has been driven by the growing demand for agility in the software development process.
Traditional coding methods often resulted in lengthy development cycles, making it challenging for businesses to respond quickly to market shifts. The concept of low-code BPM emerged as a response to this need for speed and flexibility.
Over the years, low-code BPM platforms have evolved from simple visual interfaces to comprehensive ecosystems that offer a wide range of tools and features. What began as a way to expedite application development has now transformed into a holistic approach that addresses collaboration, scalability, and adaptability.
The challenge of project management for IT teams
Imagine you're part of an IT team tasked with a large-scale software development project. The project involves multiple phases, from requirement gathering and design to development, testing, and deployment. Each phase has its set of tasks, dependencies, and deadlines. Coordinating these aspects manually can be overwhelming and prone to errors, leading to project delays and missed opportunities.
Low-code BPM platforms provide IT teams with a dynamic solution to this complex challenge. Here's how:
1. Rapid application development
In the fast-paced tech world, time-to-market can make or break a business initiative. Low-code BPMs excel in this aspect, offering pre-designed templates, intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces, and a repository of reusable components. This accelerates the development process significantly, allowing IT teams to deliver solutions at a pace that matches the urgency of modern business demands.
2. Flexibility and customization
No two businesses are identical, and neither are their processes. Low-code BPMs recognize this diversity and provide a high degree of flexibility and customization. With low-code BPMs, IT teams can design customized workflows that precisely mirror their project management processes. Visual interfaces make it easy to create and modify workflow steps, task assignments, and dependencies without extensive coding.
3. Enhanced collaboration
Modern IT projects require seamless collaboration among diverse team members, from developers to business analysts. Low-code BPMs foster collaboration by centralizing the development process to enable real-time communication, feedback sharing, and iterative improvements. This collaborative approach ensures that every team member's insights contribute to the final product.
4. Data-driven decision-making
Data-driven insights are at the heart of informed decision-making. Low-code BPMs empower IT teams with the ability to monitor application performance, gather user behavior data, and make informed adjustments based on real-world usage. This iterative approach enhances the user experience and aligns the application with evolving business objectives.
5. Reduced dependence on hand-coding
One of the most compelling advantages of low-code BPMs is their ability to reduce the reliance on intricate hand-coding. Visual interfaces cater to both experienced developers and newcomers, enabling them to participate in the application development process actively. This democratization of development accelerates projects and fosters collaboration within the IT team.
6. Scalability and future-proofing
As businesses grow and technology evolves, applications must scale seamlessly and remain adaptable. Low-code BPMs inherently possess the scalability required to accommodate expanding user bases and changing requirements. Modular structures facilitate the addition of new features and integrations, ensuring the application stays relevant even as technologies evolve.
7. Automation and task allocation
Low-code BPMs enable task automation and intelligent task allocation. As a project progresses, tasks can be automatically assigned to the right team members based on predefined rules and availability, ensuring efficient resource utilization.
8. Progress tracking and reporting
Monitoring project progress is vital. Low-code BPMs provide dashboards and reporting tools that offer real-time insights into task completion, bottlenecks, and milestones. This data-driven approach enhances decision-making and enables timely interventions.
9. Integration with existing systems
IT teams often work with multiple tools and systems. Low-code BPM platforms can integrate with existing systems, databases, and tools, ensuring a unified environment for project management without disrupting existing workflows.
Real-world example: Streamlining software development
Consider a software development project where an IT team is tasked with creating a new application for a client. Using a low-code BPM platform, the team designs a workflow that encompasses requirement gathering, design approval, development, testing, and deployment phases.
In the workflow, automated triggers allocate tasks to specific team members based on their expertise and availability.
Real-time collaboration features allow developers, designers, and QA testers to communicate and share updates directly within the platform. As tasks progress, the dashboard provides a clear overview of the project's status, highlighting any potential bottlenecks.
The result? A streamlined project management process that minimizes manual coordination efforts, reduces the risk of errors, and ensures that projects are completed on time and within scope.
IT processes where low-code BPM makes a difference:
Wrapping up
Low-code BPMs offer IT teams a powerful set of tools to navigate the complex landscape of modern software development.
Their ability to accelerate application creation, enhance collaboration, facilitate data-driven decisions, and reduce the reliance on hand-coding positions them as a vital asset for IT teams striving for efficiency, agility, and innovation.
As technology continues to advance, low-code BPMs stand as a strategic investment, equipping IT teams with the means to adapt, innovate, and thrive.
Essentially, low-code BPM platforms provide a bridge between developers and business users, enabling the creation of applications that align closely with specific business processes.
