April | 2021
Organizations today are trying hard to digitalize their businesses in hopes of outpacing competition and increasing productivity.
This kind of transformation can be challenging, requiring business leaders to adjust entire business models and introduce new technologies throughout the organization. As you might expect, progress is split. Many leaders know the changes they want to make but do not know which tools or technologies to leverage. Others have already implemented advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and robotic process automation (RPA) to automate specific events and processes required to run their business.
But even these apparent successes often fall short because they ignore a core principle of enterprise strategy: Keep these technologies united and implement them in parallel. The rise of low-code software is making it easier to achieve this goal by supplying powerful technologies such as hyper-automation and AI that can be implemented with minimal development knowledge. This democratization of digital development promises to empower business leaders and accelerate digital transformation.
Enterprise low-code development
What is it?
Low-code refers to a process of application development that uses function sets rather than scratch code. These function sets work almost like building blocks, enabling people with little development experience to create applications by arranging the predefined sets. Low-code is most common in products and cloud services, and is used for application development including visual and declarative programming styles
Enterprise low-code development makes it easier to build enterprise-grade applications and operational systems that run critical business processes and serve thousands of users across organizations. These low-code applications can be integrated with cloud services and other applications, thus creating a broader ecosystem.
Because enterprise low-code solutions require little to no coding, they help streamline, automate and accelerate the app development process and provide significant cost savings with enhanced performance. Enterprises no longer need to engage only software developers; almost anyone can build applications with low-code development tools. Successful digital transformation is a journey requiring a broad spectrum of new methodologies and technologies, and low-code development is a step in the right direction for enterprises.
Key features
Visual development
With enterprise low-code application platforms (LCAPs), what you see is what you get. Developers and non-developers use drag-and-drop functionalities to build applications on the fly.
Re-usability
Low-code platforms offer a catalog of pre-built components, plug-ins, layouts, libraries, and pre-configured modules, which can be deployed — and redeployed — easily.
Data integration
One big issue for organizations is data coming from disparate databases and systems. Enterprise low-code platforms enable integration with multiple data sources. Some platforms even allow developers to design data models and embed business logic directly inside the applications.
Application lifecycle management
Low-code development accelerates application delivery by enabling individuals to immediately deploy an application without DevOps. All the stages of the application lifecycle — development, deployment, monitoring, maintenance, updates —are performed from a single point, in real time, ensuring security, compliance, and version control.
Uses
The following table presents some examples of applications that you can create with enterprise low-code.
Application Type |
Definition | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
Process-enabled |
Automates manual or paper-based processes to increase the efficiency of operations |
Meeting room bookings, employee onboarding, supply-chain management, invoice processing, order management |
Data-centric |
Handles a vast amount of information and provides one single source of truth |
Internal rules and regulations, report applications, auditing and monitoring, lead management |
AI-enabled |
Use artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate complicated processes |
Asset grading, load request processing, medicine tracking,customer support |
UI/UX-focused |
Offer an ultimate user-friendly experience | Customer portal, student portal, self-service administration, agent/broker portals,legacy system migration |
Benefits
By 2024, Gartner anticipates that 75% of organizations will be investing in “at least four low-code development tools for both IT application and citizen development initiatives.” Before enterprise low-code, businesses were using long spreadsheets, resulting in inefficient collaboration among team members; difficulty finding, sharing, and updating crucial information; as well as delays and errors in workflow tasks. Organizations that have implemented low-code solutions have experienced a range of benefits, including:
Hyper-automation
What is it?
Hyper-automation is a state in which organizations use a combination of tools and technologies to quickly detect and automate all critical business processes.
Hyper-automation combines all the following advanced technologies under a single umbrella:
Key Components
BPM
BPM includes the different ways a business creates and analyses its processes. BPM offers businesses not only the theoretical background but the methodologies and the software components to successfully respond to challenges.
RPA
RPA is a new approach to business process management that automates manual, repetitive tasks. BPM and RPA can work together to enhance process automation, improving productivity and efficiency in an organization.
Intelligent automation
In simple terms, to intelligently automate means to enhance BPM and RPA with AI and ML. These algorithms can identify inefficiencies and predict changes, risks, and opportunities. In the highest stage of automation, they learn by themselves, from their own interactions, thereby empowering businesses with autonomous process optimization.
The table below shows the full suite of hyper-automation technologies.
Technology |
Definition |
How It Works |
Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Process Management (BPM) |
A software solutionthat helps organizations manage and automate business processes to improve productivity and corporate performance. BPM is considered a critical component of operational intelligence as it bridges the gap between IT and business. | Skilled business people perform complex process modelling. The execution is based on BPMN 2.0 or flowchart diagrams and detailed business rules. | Expense reporting,customer requests and service orders,compliance management |
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) |
A software that replicates human actions, interacting within a computer environment to perform a variety of everyday work tasks | A computer works as an agent to emulate human actions, interacting within a platform to perform a variety of repetitive task. RPA uses screen scraping and other technologies to create specialized agents that can automate repetitive tasks | Invoice processing, payroll, HR information processing |
Machine Learning (ML) |
Technologies that are ideal in complicated situations where huge data volumes are involved and humans need to make decisions | Algorithms, using historical process/transactional data, are trained to optimize and automate existing processes. AI/ML-enabled systemsare capable of performing complex tasks that require extensive human thinking and activities. | Analytics and reporting, risk management, decision-making investment predictions |
Combining low-code and hyper-automation
Enterprise low-code solutions automate a significant percentage of the development process, providing 12 times faster app delivery. This is achieved thanks to their visual, drag-and-drop environments with pre-built, and reusable components.
However, achieving a successful digital transformation is a multi-stage journey that requires a broad spectrum of new methodologies and technologies.
Hyper-automation represents a valuable contribution to organizations since it brings together various technologies like BPM, RPA, and AI/ML and unlocks a wide range of opportunities for organizations to efficiently automate, monitor, and streamline critical business processes.
While hyper-automation technologies optimize business processes from start to finish, enterprise low-code can significantly accelerate the digital automation journey by minimizing the time it takes to maintain, upgrade, and enhance all the implemented technologies.
Both markets are expected to witness a remarkable expansion in the coming years that. Graphs of low-code and hyper-automation market size show the low-code market developing much faster than the hyper-automation market. Emphasis should be placed on the rapid growth of the low-code market during 2022-2027.
The market size for hyper-automation is anticipated to reach USD 23.7 billion by 2017, while the low-code market size is estimated to reach USD 86.92 billion by 2027, almost four times the size of the hyper-automation market.
Taking all the above into consideration, a unified digital automation platform (DAP) — a platform that combines enterprise low-code and hyper-automation technologies — is the most flexible option on the market for businesses moving towards digital transformation. These platforms combine low-code development with technologies like BPM, RPA, and AI/ML to offer end-to-end, intelligent automation in less time with little to no coding.
Champions of enterprise low-code and hyper-automation
In the hyper-automation space, Wipro partners UiPath, Automation Anywhere (AA), and Blue Prism are champions as they rule the market and have tools which can help businesses grow immensely. Automation Edge, Nice, and Kofax are challengers, while Microsoft Power Automate has really emerged as a creative partner by democratizing automation to help provide every individual easy access to automation tools.
At Wipro EOT, we pride ourselves on being able to help your business automate any number of internal processes, but we also understand that certain organizations may have an internal team in place who can support such automation. Our team can support your business at any stage of the automation process — whether that’s full-scale implementation or upskilling your technical team — to give you the autonomy to automate all current and future processes.
Beyond technology, Wipro is focused on delivering business value. We help our clients immediately realize value in their investment by jump-starting their project and building a long-term transformation program. Blending deep business and technology experience, our consulting teams provide strategic perspectives, while our global partner network connects customers with experts from a range of geographies and industries.
Analysts continue to recognize Wipro as a top provider of powerful digital business services, including intelligent technologies like AI and RPA:
To excel in the demanding new business world, organizations need to embrace a comprehensive digital transformation methodology that integrates advanced technologies, people, and data. Organizations should understand that one technology and multiple stand-alone tools cannot solve all the business challenges. By adopting a unified platform, organizations can achieve an end-to-end digital transformation, overcome demanding challenges, and fully optimize any given process through enterprise low-code development and hyper-automation technologies.
Vartul Mittal
Vartul Mittal is Technology & Innovation Specialist. Vartul Mittal focuses on helping clients accelerate their digital transformation journey. He has 14+ years of Global Business Transformation experience in Management Consulting and Global In-house Centers in managing technology & business teams in Intelligent Automation, Advanced Analytics and Cloud Adoption. He is passionate about extending customer relationships beyond the current project with a goal of becoming a trusted adviser and bringing greater value to businesses via enterprise Operations Transformation.
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