Can Low-Code Help Drive Enterprise Automation
Enterprise automation refers to the process of increasing operational efficiency by automating repetitive or manual business processes. As such, automation results in more productivity, better output, higher product quality, and improved safety.
However, several challenges surface while trying to realize successful enterprise automation. These include:
Cost Implications
Automation does involve certain expenses. First off, there's the cost of investing in procuring relevant third-party systems. Those systems need to be crafted by experts into automated workflows to address specific business functions. In addition to the technology, businesses need to invest in appropriate training for the users who will have to refashion their traditional workflows and processes around the automation. Not to forget that maintenance and monitoring expenses are also associated with enterprise automation solutions.
Gaps in User Experience (UX)
Despite the adoption of enterprise automation, human involvement is still a requisite. In most cases, this factor affects how and where automation is implemented. Often, the chosen automation solutions aren't as flexible as expected, and the user interface doesn't complement the business process. This is usually because these solutions are crafted by technologists who, while experts in the technology, are not quite as knowledgeable about the business process itself.
As such, businesses find themselves working with automation tools that deliver sub-optimal results. Then there's the issue of information consolidation and the amount of user participation required to keep things running smoothly. Inefficiency reigns when there's friction between the technology and functional design.
Sustainability Issues
Will a business be able to sustain operational performance once automated? Is it sufficiently stable to accommodate such technology? Can it manage the maintenance of such automation tools? More importantly, are there experts, either in-house or in partner agencies, to handle such solutions as business needs evolve? All these factors impact the sustainability of enterprise automation initiatives.
Security Risks
As with any solution, the security of automation solutions can also be compromised. This could result in the leakage of valuable customer information, tampered records, and the possibility of manipulation of financial data and other systems. This can have severe financial and operations costs.
How Low-Code Helps Drive Enterprise Automation
In order to resolve the above challenges and ensure efficient enterprise automation, it's essential that businesses implement the right solution. Thankfully, modern technology offers a cost-effective, reliable, and flexible alternative: That driven by low-code development.
Low-code is an approach to software development that enables businesses to realize swift digital transformation by lessening the amount of coding required. It comprises readily usable UI components, solution blueprints, boilerplate scripts, and visual workflow automation tools. In essence, low-code helps enable more user-friendly delivery of application elements like automation.
Here's how low-code can drive automation while warding off the aforementioned challenges.
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Inclusion of Citizen Development into the Mix
Low-code solutions are built to empower non-technical users to deliver automation solutions in an agile and cost-effective way. This means that companies can implement enterprise automation initiatives without the need for sophisticated programming skills or large development teams. By reducing the requirement for advanced technical know-how, businesses can curb upfront expenses, increase employee collaboration, include business stakeholders in the development process, and deploy fit-to-purpose and ready-to-use solutions in a fraction of the time.
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UX Optimization
Low-code enterprise automation is characterized by automating the otherwise laborious manual process of documenting workflows, creating customized UI components and graphical design, and configuring advanced systems. Much like business rules, the requirements of each workflow are defined as so-called design patterns. Then there's the facility of supplementing the workflows with integrations, visualizations, dashboards, and other tools. The user interface is then customized to make things consistent for users. The outcome is completely user-friendly and fully integrated into the business model because it is influenced significantly by the inputs of business users.
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Streamlining Communication
Automation is typically implemented in an enterprise to address the shortcomings of manual processes. And low-code solutions help realize this automation potential by providing a unified workflow for digital interactions. Consider the case for email automation; businesses can configure low-code solution workflows to automate the delivery of emails based on a set of triggers. Businesses can also automate the sending of emails via email campaigns and automated replies.
Likewise, businesses can automate billing by seamlessly integrating with payment gateways, reporting, and other systems. So, essentially, low-code solutions are not only geared towards efficiency but also ensure more effective engagement.
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Easier Maintenance
An integral aspect of enterprise automation is ensuring easy maintenance because of pre-built components, fast response to business changes, and above all, scalability. Low-code software solutions are designed to be upgraded and altered as per the needs of businesses over time. Upgrading and updating them isn't a hassle, something that works well with high-risk industries such as banking, construction, healthcare, etc.
In a Nutshell
All the factors mentioned above hint at substantial cost savings and much-improved efficient enterprise automation workflows. These are qualities that businesses often strive for but rarely achieve because of the time and effort it takes to deliver a full-fledged solution.
But low-code enterprise automation allows businesses to realize this potential without the hassle of advanced technical know-how. It especially empowers non-technical employees to contribute to developing robust systems and entirely new business models.
Novigo powers low-code enterprise automation for enterprises of all types, thus, improving process visibility and ensuring end-to-end collaboration. Connect with us today!