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6 benefits of using low-code ERP
Using low-code ERP can result in easier user training and more agility, among other benefits. Learn more about how the software can help improve operations.
Low-code tools designed for ERP provide enterprises with the ability to build their own ERP applications without having to start from scratch, and low-code ERP can provide organizations with various benefits.
ERP software is designed to help large-scale organizations manage a variety of business activities on one unified platform. For low-code ERP, developers can choose from a selection of prebuilt components and simply drag and drop the ones they want into place via a visual interface, enabling them to build software without any manual coding. Low-code software also provides a platform for developers to add manual code where desired to tweak prebuilt components or extend functionality.
Here's a closer look at the benefits that can come from using this low-code approach.
1. Simplified training
Low-code software is designed to be easily navigable and adjustable, which enables developers to build simplified workflows that can be easier for employees to learn.
Low-code platforms also typically include role-based access controls. Administrators can use these controls to assign employees to roles based on the amount of functionality that each worker needs or their permissions, which can help simplify the user experience.
Simplifying the learning experience for employees can lead to higher user adoption numbers and faster user adoption in general.
2. Reduced costs
Low-code ERP software offers a middle ground when it comes to application development. It costs less than the significant upfront investment required to build ERP software from the ground up, and it can evolve alongside an enterprise as it grows, which is more difficult with no-code software.
In addition, companies can divide their ongoing IT needs between the in-house development team and the low-code provider, which can potentially help save money.
3. Customizability
Low-code ERP provides a general ERP foundation, but users can then customize their product if needed.
For example, each department within an enterprise might require different versions of the baseline ERP workflows that users can create with low-code systems. Some companies might require more advanced capabilities in certain areas, depending on their industry.
Examples of customizations include the following:
- Extending inventory monitoring capabilities.
- Adding AI to analytics functionality.
- Adding more data security features if the company operates in an industry like finance or healthcare.
- Adding features to reporting dashboards.
- Adding collaboration features to help break down silos between departments.
4. Intuitive interface
Low-code software is built to be easy to use even if a user does not have a software development background. Its easily navigable interface can foster citizen development, an approach in which employees or business users without IT training are able to make software development decisions.
Employees becoming citizen developers can help them express their needs and wants for the software more easily, which can improve collaboration as well as the software itself.
5. Improved integrations
Low-code ERP systems are designed to be as flexible as possible and often provide predefined connectors for integrations.
For example, a low-code system might include an API marketplace that users can search through to find the connectors they need. They can then toggle the API on to establish a connection between the enterprise's existing systems and third-party applications, services or databases.
This automated approach to integration can save users time and effort. It can also help facilitate the creation of a shared IT infrastructure, with interoperability between departments and software.
6. Agility
Low-code ERP software can enable users to make changes more easily. For example, users can swap predefined components to adjust workflows or add capabilities.
Making adjustments in low-code ERP software requires less development work than with traditional ERP, with developing, testing and deploying new features for traditional ERP systems demanding more time and resources. Low-code ERP software also comes with less worry about breaking the system, which can lead to faster development.
This flexibility can help organizations take a more agile approach to development, which can enable the enterprise to react more quickly to market changes, evolving regulations or internal needs.
Jacob Roundy is a freelance writer and editor specializing in a variety of technology topics, including data centers and sustainability.
