Low-Code Automation vs. iBPM: Which Should You Use For Your Business?

Business process management is defined as a set of organizational activities and processes which are undergone with the ultimate goal of tracking, analyzing, optimizing, automating and improving the overall functioning of various day-to-day business processes.

Business process management can be an extremely tedious, time-consuming and impractical process if not monitored by a digital solution. However, as the number of digital platforms and mobile solutions available to businesses increases exponentially, many businesses are unsure about what type of solution they should use to optimize their business processes: low-code automation and development platforms or iBPM playtforms.

Low-code automation solutions allow users to automate various business processes using a drag-and-drop app builder, a visual workflow builder and a scripting engine. This allows citizen developers and business technologists with little to no traditional coding knowledge to effectively and efficiently automate complex business processes. At the same time, it allows developers with coding experience to create process workflows and build apps in a fraction of the time it would take with traditional coding.

Intelligent Business Process Management (iBPM), on the other hand, involves the integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic process automation to automate various business processes using data analysis. iBPM solutions usually incorporate visual interfaces and a responsive software design.

But first, what are the benefits of automating your business processes?

Benefits of Business Process Management Automation

1) Reduced Risk of Human Error

Although human errors are somewhat inevitable due to the need for human involvement in certain business processes, low-code business process management solutions can drastically reduce the risk of human error in certain vital business processes by automating time-consuming and repetitive procedures.

According to a recent study conducted by IBM, human error is the cause of 95% of cybersecurity breaches. Therefore, effective business process management can help your business avoid many preventable human errors, which will ultimately help your business save time, money and resources in the long run, as well as avoid irreversible damage to your organization as a whole.

2) Increased Efficiency and Productivity

Business process management solutions can enable your business to automate various time-consuming, repetitive business processes, such as organizational compliance and documentation, customer service, paperwork and much more, that would have otherwise have to be performed manually by an employee. This will not only enable your organization’s employees to work on higher-level, more intellectually stimulating business processes but will also improve your business’s efficiency and productivity.

3) Reduced Operational Costs

Manually performing certain business processes is not only time-consuming and impractical but can also require a substantial amount of human and financial resources. Furthermore, implementing business process management automation solutions into your day-to-day workflows can help your business to achieve much more in significantly less time.

Therefore, your business will not only be able to increase immediate productivity but also reduce operational costs, which will ultimately improve profitability in the future. According to a study conducted by Gartner, businesses that execute business process management projects experience an internal rate of return of more than 15%.

What Type of Platform Should You Use?

1) User Experience and Interface

One of the most crucial aspects of an effective business process management solution is an intuitive and convenient user experience and interface. Although many businesses may prioritize integrating more features and third-party applications into business process management software, as is often the case with iBPM solutions, a user-friendly experience and interface will ultimately determine the success of business process management initiatives.

Low-code automation solutions, in particular, enables your business to take advantage of powerful development features such as drag-and-drop tools, scalable architecture, visual workflow builders and instant deployment.

So while iBPM solutions may have more features and third-party integrations than low-code automation solutions, low-code automation platforms may be more suitable for your business as they offer a better overall experience that can make the business process management process much easier.

2) Data Structure and Encryption

Low-code automation platforms usually let you set access controls so that end-users only interact with a specific application and not the platform itself, whereas iBPM platforms usually require end-users to interact directly with the platform. Although this may enable users to automate individual steps of a particular business process, it may also present a risk for security and encryption, which will ultimately affect end-users, software developers and your business as a whole. Studies have shown that a malware cyber-attack can cost an organization $2.6 million.

Therefore, low-code automation solutions may be a more suitable option for businesses that prioritize security and encryption over unmoderated data accessibility. Low-code automation solutions can enable your business to implement security measures such as two-step workflow approval procedures and end-to-end business process management.

3) Processing and Automation Requirements

One of the biggest differences between a low-code automation solution and an iBPM platform is your business’s specific processing requirements. iBPM platforms are usually employed for complex and elaborate business processes that involve integrations with multiple different third-party applications and cloud-based data sources. As such, iBPM solutions may be beneficial for businesses that require substantial amounts of automation in terms of business processes such as customer service, workflow management and monitoring user chains.

However, many low-code automation systems can do the same, while at the same time making it easier for businesses that only require automation in certain manual, time-consuming business processes to easily achieve their goals. Low-code automation tools will also provide your business with effective business process automation and management features such as instant deployment, intuitive development and data integration.

According to Forrester, successful organizations are 67% more likely to adopt and value low-code development platforms for their business process automation abilities.

Based on the above factors, a low-code automation solution will probably serve you and your organization best in most situations.

Planet Crust’s Corteza low-code development platform can be used to

Planet Crust’s Corteza – Leverage Low-Code To Advance Business Process Management

make complex, highly-functioning business process management apps that can be instantly deployed. Leverage the power of automation with Corteza to help your business realize its full potential.