Low Code and No Code Automation, and their role in Document Management System
The advent of low-code and no-code platforms has put the power of software in the hands of business users. Because not everyone is versed in the art of coding, these platforms have helped to demystify software creation and enabled business users to solve complex business challenges with technology, quickly and efficiently. It all started with a group of developers who set out to create tools that would allow them to develop, communicate, and deploy applications more quickly without the need for regular hard-coding.
Forester Research (Cambridge, MA, USA) referred to these platforms as ‘low-code’ platforms in 2014 for the first time. With this new approach, developers and non-developers can interact with code easily through visual modeling and drag-and-drop interfaces.
In this article, we will explore what Low-Code and No-Code Automations are. Wewill also find the answers to: How does it impact workflow automation? And what does it have in store for a Document Management System?
Low Code Automation V/s No Code Automation
The emergence of ‘no-code’ platforms is observed shortly at the heels of low-code automation. These were designed specifically for non developers. In other words, typical executives and business users who may not be familiar with coding and do not need to be. Because no-code providers anticipate their users’ expectations, their platforms have all of the necessary functionalities pre-configured and packaged making them easy to configure. This trend created quite a stir in the business world. The days of corporate users having to rely on their internal IT teams or expensive third-party contractors to develop custom solutions are long gone. With that, let’s explore what these platforms are. But first,
What is code automation?
Automation refers to the process of transforming tools that do not require human intervention to perform tasks. Code Automation is the process of generating a system using a command-line tool or an ID plugin, where –
- A command-line tool is a program, script, or library, created to solve a specific problem that its creator faced.
- ID plugin is a tool (a bit of software) that enhances the functionality of your interface, without the need to write or edit any code outright.
Now you can streamline business processes by automating them with a code to facilitate ease of use.
Low Code Automation
The concept of low-code allows developers at any level of proficiency to design applications quickly and efficiently by dragging and dropping existing code blocks into a workflow. The main difference between low-code and other means of building software is the types of shortcuts available. You get straight to the point: creating something unique and valuable. Instead of coding a user management system, mastering the latest programming language, and writing tests before the actual code, you focus on what makes your app unique. With low-code automation, developers are freed from repetitive coding and duplication of effort, allowing them to work smarter and faster. As a result, they are freed up to focus on creating an app that stands out, architecting it using their skills and creativity, while letting low-code tools take care of the grunt work.
Advantages of Low Code Automation
Low-code platforms offer numerous benefits. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages that low-code development can offer.
- Low-code will let you quickly build apps for multiple platforms simultaneously, allowing you to present working examples in days or even hours for stakeholders to see.
- You no longer need to wait for developers to finish up another lengthy endeavor. Which means projects turn around faster and at a lower cost.
- Low-code has robust security, data integration, and cross-platform support built-in already. These functions can be easily customized, allowing you to focus more on your business.
- Deploying your application requires the click of a single button with low code. It’s not a nerve-wracking experience anymore on launch day.
No-Code Automation
Visual development features like drag and drop are available in no-code solutions. Major clients of these tools are business people and others in IT who aren’t adept at coding languages but need to develop applications for specific purposes or use cases. No-code automation, meaning no substantive coding skills required, allows organizations to empower their development teams with the tools they need. All the tools that a no-code vendor predicts the customer needs are blended into their platforms. No-code solutions resemble e-commerce and blog design companies that help you launch your business or blog with pre-built templates.
Advantages of No-Code Automation
- Using no-code is helpful when you need to solve a single department or business problem, and you do not want to wait for IT to finish. So, no more of the six months wait for the IT expert team to solve your problem.
- Using no-code platforms, anyone within the organization can create an app. For instance, managing business processes such as approving expense reimbursements.
- It allows business users the freedom to address an urgent need without interrupting mission-critical development.
With so much information about both platforms, how do you make the choice? The advantages mentioned above could hint at an answer. However, let’s dig a little deeper.
When to use what?
Low-code needs to be integrated with other systems and diverse data sources to develop standalone mobile apps and web portals. In most cases, you can use it for anything except highly sophisticated, mission-critical applications that link to multiple external data sources and backends. By contrast, no-code tools are more suitable for front-end use.
Unless you’re creating simple applications that require little or no customization, low-code is likely to be the better option. Low-code applications are more user-friendly and responsive. Low-code tools are not as simple as no-code. Nevertheless, they are often more powerful and make it much easier to get the apps up and running in comparison to manual coding.
The role of Low Code and No-Code automation in a Document Management System
For companies, which require a robust and efficient document management system, these platforms are an ideal solution. Why? Because the finest of them not only provide capabilities found in DMS-class software but also allow for extensive automation of business processes. Low Code No Code automation practices help to create custom business applications that can handle any business environment.
Some of the best low-code & no-code solutions in the market are a mixture of cutting-edge technologies. These technologies implemented in a document management system include business process automation (BPA), OCR (optical character recognition), machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI) elements, digital signatures, and a slew of other features that enhance and expand its capabilities.
Low-code and no-code platforms use bespoke technologies to let businesses make and execute changes with immediate impact and extensive reporting. These technologies allow them to adapt their business applications to changes caused by internal and external factors. The solutions have agile and more complete feature sets, and considerably higher versatility, when compared to out-of-the-box products and systems built from scratch. Thus allowing users to standardize and automate practically any business activity.
One such company is DBS software & services. It can provide various digital solutions. It offers a broader spectrum of Document Management systems and Business Process Automation. They help your business to
- Become a paperless organization
- Work more effectively with distributed teams
- Protect your critical business records
- Capture data on any mobile device
- Organize and model business-critical workflows.
If your business aims to
- Provide world-class services to your customers quickly and securely.
- Make repetitive manual processes more efficient by automating them.
- Increase business efficiency by reducing delays and errors associated with business records.
dbs Software & Services (dbs) is a long-standing provider of document management and process automation solutions for education and business, and the exclusive provider of Tessi Docubase® in North America.
Tessi Docubase® is an enterprise-grade modular, secure, and easy-to-use document management system that seamlessly integrates with Business Information Systems. Its secure architecture and a broad range of features make it the perfect solution for a wide range of enterprises and use cases.
dbs LiveForms, is a low-code Business Process Automation platform. Its sole focus is simplifying complex processes by automating repetitive steps – from data capture to alerts, notifications, email confirmations, and everything in between quickly, without involving a programmer.
dbs eSign is a cloud-based electronic signature solution that allows users to manage the signing process for a document, from upload to signing and sealing, from any mobile device or computer.
Leave A Comment