For the past decade, lack of coding skill has been a barrier to digital progress. While digital initiatives have escalated for businesses, in-house IT skills remain in short supply. In a 2022 survey of 13,000 employers in the UK, Hays found that 94 percent faced a lack of tech talent, up from 89 percent in 2021. Despite this, digitalization efforts continue to grow.
The low-code and no-code movement aims to close this gap for businesses. These tools allow companies to keep pace with their competitors, rapidly deploy digital solutions at a fraction of the cost and experience the same or better outcomes. Though the software is similar in many ways, they are two distinct solutions. To differentiate the two and shed light on their unique value propositions, this blog will define what low-code BPM software and no-code BPM software are.
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What is BPM software?
Business process management software helps companies design, automate and execute business activities and processes. It takes a granular approach to business processes, while keeping the big picture in mind long-term.
What are the benefits of BPM software?
BPM was first used as an approach to completing business processes in the 1980s. Now BPM tools are used worldwide, popular with companies that need to streamline their processes to achieve key goals. Here are some benefits:
Monitor resource utilization
The bigger the company, the more prone it is to organizational inefficiencies. BPM software brings transparency to workflows. It helps managers spot inefficiencies early, make the necessary changes and ensure resource time can be used more wisely.
Increase business agility
An organization with a strong digital infrastructure is usually better able to adapt to the modern world of work (sudden changes thanks to a pandemic or the ups and downs of the marketplace). Changes to workflows can be made easily and the relevant people are notified automatically.
Improve collaboration
With the right BPM software, collaboration is seamless. Siloed teams and data are removed and new, immediate connections forged between different departments and stakeholders.
Ensure compliance
For companies, a lack of compliance could mean financial penalties and/or significant damage to reputation. BPM software brings transparency to business processes, providing background for audits and ensuring non-compliant activities are more easily flagged.
Cut costs
BPM cuts costs company-wide by reducing errors and process bottlenecks, enabling activities to be completed more quickly. Smoother collaboration allows for more efficient work and more time allows for better decision-making. Transparency over resources means making the most of what you have.
BPM software: a case study
The marketing and HR departments of Nipro Europe Group Companies had a challenge when it came to sharing workflows across 26 different sites employing 3,500 people.
The challenge:
There was so much information shared which led to documents getting lost or emails falling through the cracks. Even when Nipro Europe Group Companies went from paper to digital, each job site had different approaches. This meant that an email could contain a spreadsheet, word document or PDF.
The solution:
Using FlowForma Process Automation, the teams created a workflow around the marketing approval process, a quality management process applied to the development of marketing collateral. Since the flow went live in 2019, 416 marketing assets have passed through the 18-step process. A dashboard was also created for stakeholders to instantly see the status of the approval process.
The outcome:
Not only did the BPM software enable a fast and efficient way to fine-tune collateral, it created a documented history and audit trail to meet regulatory requirements. On a practical day-to-day basis, it has transformed the way people work.
“By standardizing processes, providing a single source of truth and incorporating additional tasks in a uniform fashion, FlowForma Process Automation has helped our employees reduce their workloads,” says Katherine Cox, program and editorial manager at Nipro Europe Group Companies.
Low-code BPM software vs. no code BPM software
To start, low-code requires some coding skill, while no-code requires none at all.
In addition, low-code tools are usually implemented by IT professionals with some coding knowledge, while no-code alternatives offer businesses the same solution without the need for IT intervention. For SMBs and other businesses facing a lack of IT time and talent, no-code evens out the playing field.
| Low-code | No-code | |
| Onboarding/time to value | Longer learning curve, with onboarding required. Still faster than traditional development options. | Less time to build, in comparison with low code. Processes can be live and self-sufficient within four-to-six weeks. |
| IT skill | Coding is required, although IT’s involvement is still less than traditional from-scratch software solutions. Good for SMBs with a smaller IT team. | Minimal IT involvement required, and no coding whatsoever. Other business users can participate in development with the drag-and-drop functionality of no code tools. Good for small business owners, non-IT run businesses, or simply those without the IT resources to deploy new solutions. |
| Cost | More cost-effective than manual development due to less people, resources and maintenance required. | The most cost-effective solution, designed specifically for businesses without a large IT infrastructure and budget. |
| Getting buy in from C-level | The resources, people, infrastructure and time involved is less than traditional software development. Organizations use low-code tools to move fast and meet business needs quickly. These solutions sit under the fold of IT teams which ensures better governance. | Growing popularity among C-level executives. Since no-code requires little or no intervention from IT teams, some C-suite executives question whether it creates parallel infrastructure that’s not as closely monitored as low code tools. Market-leading no code tools, like FlowForma’s, connect to more than 500 applications, fully integrating workflows and reducing the risk of shadow IT. |
| Scalability | Offers flexibility and scalability, with the majority of low-code applications able to scale a business process. | No-code tools allow anyone in the business to drive digital change. This means rapid transformation across the entire organization. Solutions like FlowForma’s Business Process Automation software automate large-scale enterprise processes and workflows. |
Summary: which should your organization choose?
There are a lot of similarities. Both are a lower-cost alternative to traditional software solutions, incurring less time, talent, IT infrastructure and maintenance. Businesses without IT strong power or know-how should consider opting for a no-code solution.
Most low- and no-code solutions are able to scale and many integrate with third-party solutions. This enables organizations to create a digital ecosystem that is transparent and visible to all parties. With low-code solutions that sit under the fold of IT teams, there is slightly less risk of shadow IT.
No-code BPM software is the most cost-effective solution. It also requires the least onboarding and has a fast time to value compared to other tools on the market.
Discover the benefits and ROI of no-code
Low- and no-code is the future of BPM software
On a macro level, there is a widening gap between swift technological advancement and the IT talent needed to deploy new tools. For companies that want to scale and beat out competition, the gap between tools and talent can be a big problem.
Low- and no-code BPM software is an alternative to traditional software development, with the solutions better able to address IT skills shortages and accelerations in technology. According to Gartner, low- and no-code markets have seen steady growth due to their effectiveness in addressing some of the technology industry’s most complex challenges.
Low- and no-code BPM software allows employees truly own their transformation projects. The technology is inclusive and allows companies to rapidly digitize, innovate and scale.