Collaboration – the keyword sounds simple but poses many challenges in modern companies. It doesn’t just mean that people in the company work hand in hand. The concept of collaboration in companies has changed significantly due to digital transformation.
Today, it also means that different data pipelines must flow together, and heterogeneous software solutions work together via interfaces. This form of digital collaboration allows companies to make profitable use of large volumes of data. That requires being able to record, centrally collect and analyze all the necessary data points.
From a technical point of view, this produces an integration problem that is particularly evident with outdated software such as older ERP or PLM systems. Although these systems no longer meet the latest technical requirements, they are nevertheless still used in many companies. Due to a lack of modern interfaces, they are often unable to make existing workflows significantly more efficient.
One possible solution to the problem is application development: One or more teams from the development department must ensure the integration of the systems in the company. They program the relevant interfaces and adapters. However, software developers with the skills this requires are among the most sought-after specialists on the market and are difficult to recruit.
In addition, many low-code tools offer further components with higher-value functions, such as database queries or hardware control. There are also often application templates that are already equipped with user interfaces and basic functions. These are dedicated to typical business tasks, such as meeting notes, vacation requests or time recording. Since they are adapted to the company’s requirements, they thus speed up the development process and lead to closer collaboration between IT and business.
Low code is one of the fastest and easiest ways to link different applications and processes with each other and to also integrate complex systems. Thanks to the intuitive visual operation, even employees with little development experience can build interfaces, integrations and smaller applications. The learning curve for low code is low, with a crash course lasting just a few days usually being sufficient to already achieve initial success.
That requires an affinity for IT and technical understanding. There should, however, be enough employees in most companies with relevant expertise. The extensive skills of an IT expert in the field of software engineering, application architecture and system-related programming are no longer necessarily required for low-code platforms. They are replaced by the templates and integrated functions of the respective platforms.
What is needed instead is process knowledge that has to be acquired. The more comprehensive and smarter a low-code development platform is, the easier it is for specialists to become developers in their knowledge domain. By way of an example: In purchasing, there are a series of standard processes that are common in all industries with little variation. In addition, there are industry-specific processes that are nevertheless the same in every sector. Anyone acquainted with these processes from experience can digitize them more easily than someone with programming skills who first needs to explore them closely.
A prerequisite for successful development with low-code platforms such as the one by Revalize is that the teams are supported by the platform. The employees in the individual specialist departments and projects can thus further optimize their processes and systems step by step. New functions and processes are integrated into the existing systems with little effort. This low-code capability enables a culture of innovation and inspires innovation projects, since this approach allows ideas to find their way into the market as quickly as possible.
Low-code solutions allow end-to-end digitalization of all processes in product development and later in product management. As the corresponding platforms work in the cloud, the solutions developed are also ready for the cloud. Adjustments can nevertheless be made without any difficulty – even during operation. The platforms make developments much easier.
The manufacturers of low-code platforms and third-party providers support users with libraries and ready-made application templates, for example, for interfaces to familiar business applications or modules for typical processes. Internal and external resources are easy to integrate, and the entire platform is optimized for the rapid implementation of development projects.
With low code, companies integrate digital collaboration directly into their processes. That makes the work of the employees a lot easier and leads to much faster and better decisions. Other options include merging data from external locations, different production processes or administrative processes. Innovative concepts, such as AI models, are linked to existing systems, tested and implemented as required. The underlying technology is irrelevant. Low-code approaches such as PRO.FILE by Revalize are therefore ideal for strengthening digital collaboration throughout the company and driving digital transformation forward.
