Are you stuck in a queue with IT delaying the start of your digitization projects?<\/p>\n
Do you ever wish you could tweak your apps yourself to fit your needs?<\/p>\n
Do you want to avoid customization time and costs?<\/p>\n
Are you afraid to commit to a software app that might be obsolete in three years?<\/p>\n
If you said YES to any of these, continue reading to learn why technology advancements in software platforms should be part of your considerations when evaluating a mobile maintenance app for SAP PM.<\/p>\n
What is a software platform and why should you care?<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with some background. A software application platform is the foundation for the software apps that you use. This base provides tools needed to successfully create\/modify, deploy, and maintain the software applications. It also supports the integration of applications with backend systems such as a software app that needs to exchange data with a core system, like SAP.<\/span><\/p>\n Ready-made apps come available on a software platform, and IT Developers can buy platforms to create software apps from scratch. The recent trend is towards low-code and no-code platforms to address the issues we\u2019ve mentioned above.<\/span><\/p>\n 84% of enterprises have turned toward low-code<\/a> for its ability to reduce strain on IT resources, increase speed-to-market, and involve the business in digital asset development.<\/i> Forrester<\/i><\/p>\n Here\u2019s where YOU come in\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n To achieve these goals, you need to reconsider your role in the collaboration process with IT to select and adapt new software applications for your operations teams. And this process includes the type of software application platform. In doing so, you can implement and see results faster and with greater flexibility to address future requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n Why IT Loves Low-code<\/strong><\/p>\n IT developers are incredible in what they do, but there aren\u2019t enough developers to handle every task that an enterprise company needs. When Forrester asked Enterprise IT managers what challenges impede <\/i>or significantly impedes<\/i> their ability to deliver on digital transformation goals, their top 3 answers were:<\/p>\n For these reasons, the advent of low-code and no-code development platforms has seen rapid adoption in the last few years. These platforms have base-level code, scripts, and integrations so developers and non-developers<\/i> can prototype, build, or modify applications quickly.\u202fThey preserve the skilled software developer\u2019s time for more complex tasks and innovations.<\/p>\n Gartner has predicted that by 2025<\/i><\/a>:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n These new platforms are essential because they take the strain off the IT team, reduce the backlog of projects, and accelerate the development process. Joe McKendrick for ZDnet \u202ftalked with developers to understand some of the benefits of a low-code approach<\/a>, their top responses were:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n So yes, IT loves low-code application platforms.<\/p>\n \n What\u2019s the Difference Between Low-code, No-code, or Code-free Platforms?<\/strong><\/p>\n Within the low-code platform trend, there are different types of platforms that vary in level of ease-of-use, and the degree to which they can reduce coding requirements. In general terms low-code tools facilitate work for IT developers and at the other end of the spectrum, no-code tools support software development without any coding knowledge. Let\u2019s expand on the difference.<\/span><\/p>\n Low-code<\/strong><\/p>\n A low-code development platform is designed to assist software developers to quickly create an application. The platform provides a graphical user interface instead of the traditional hand-coded computer programming screens. There are common workflow templates, plugins and APIs allowing the developer to simply assemble an application from pre-coded pieces then add code where necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n Low-code helps IT to do more projects in less time with their current staff including those with limited coding knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n No-code<\/strong><\/p>\n No-code platforms differ from low-code in that they cater specifically to non-technical business users. It is like using LEGO bricks. You can build something complex from ready-to-use pieces. The platform includes easy-to-use, drag-and-drop components that are named intuitively and based on common logic such as a conditional if-then<\/i> statement. These tools also have templates for workflows, element libraries and pre-built connectors to external systems to accelerate the app creation from start to finish without a single line of code. For example, consider if you want to add a safety checklist as a process step in your workflow. You can simply drag the \u201clist\u201d template from your element library and drop it into the workflow on your screen. The WYSIWYG editor allows you to see the app as you build it before publishing it.<\/p>\n Whether you use the platform yourself, or collaborate with IT, a no-code platform allows you to be an active participant in creating workflows that truly fit your needs. And it saves everyone the time and the frustration to tailor process steps at this phase vs. going back later to adjust the app once it is deployed.<\/span><\/p>\n Code-free, Codeless etc.<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t get confused by the miscellaneous terms and naming you might see in the market. In many cases, these platforms can be the same as no-code, but also some vendors may use alternative terms to represent limited toolsets to modify specific parts of an application. So be cautious when you see these words. The industry as a whole is starting to focus primarily on two terms: Low code and No code.<\/span><\/p>\n Additional Considerations in Choice of Platform<\/strong><\/p>\n The platform considerations go far beyond the toolsets to create or modify a workflow. There are several other aspects to evaluate that can impact your flexibility, user adoption, security, and ongoing costs.<\/span><\/p>\n App integration tools:<\/strong><\/p>\n Besides considering the user-interface aspects to building an app, integration tools are part of the considerations in software platforms. Many low-code and no-code platforms include plugins for common integrations with backend systems like SAP. But SAP is challenging, and generally, these standard integrations still require knowledge of SAP codes and won\u2019t cover the range of data required for complex applications such as managing maintenance notifications and work orders. IT developers specialized in SAP integration are typically needed to complete an application and to make future modifications. This can offset the speed, flexibility, and low-cost benefits of using low-code and no-code platforms.<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to the need for coding, standard SAP integrations that are either pre-built into the platform toolset or those utilized by IT SAP specialists may not be able to provide the application performance you need for maintenance technicians. The general integrations pass too much information resulting in slow speeds and transfer errors. Consider applications with specialized integrations for SAP PM or other modules you use most. This is especially important for high volumes of users and data as you would see with a mobile maintenance app.<\/span><\/p>\n Operating system languages:<\/strong><\/p>\n Mobile apps bring their own set of considerations when it comes to the choice of software platform. Android and Apple iOS are distinctive operating systems, and the most intuitive apps will be designed with the conventions and usability aspects for each. Most low-code software platforms are designed to deliver a wide range of applications. As such, they will likely create an application that will adapt itself responsively to different formats from desktop to mobile. The result is generally a less intuitive and harder to navigate mobile app relative to a platform designed to create specifically \u201cnative\u201d Android or Apple apps. Learn more about the usability, performance, and security benefits of native apps for maintenance mobile experiences<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Security:<\/strong><\/p>\n Regardless of platform or software application choice, security is a key consideration. And althoughlow-code and no-code platforms have only become popular in the last few years, many meet today\u2019s enterprise security requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/i>Low-code platforms can meet the highest enterprise requirements<\/i><\/a>. Firms with the lowest tolerance for downtime and data loss, as well as the strongest requirements for continuous auditing and independent security certification, are the most likely to run top applications on low-code. Their endorsement of low-code proves that enterprise-ready low-code solutions are already available in the market.\u201d <\/i>Forrester<\/i><\/p>\n Look for software\/platform vendors that follow Secure-Software Development Life-Cycle (S-SDLC) best practices and demonstrate this commitment through proof of compliance to industry standards such as ISO 27001<\/a> and SAP integration certification<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Cloud:<\/strong><\/p>\n Certainly, cloud is not a new consideration, so this is just a reminder that software application platforms need to be easy-to-deploy and low-cost to maintain within your IT and SAP infrastructure. Claus Jepsen, CTO for Unit 4<\/a> highlights the opportunities afforded by cloud applications today:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBack in the day, everybody had best-of-breed solutions, but they had to fight with all of the integrations. Then came the mega-suites — the ERP applications (like SAP) intended to alleviate some of that integration pain. But now, as we are\u202fmoving more and more into a cloud setting\u202fwith all these cloud best-of-breed solutions coming, customers are getting more interested in how to pick the best solutions that they can [seamlessly] plug into their ecosystem. A keyword here is seamlessly, so [it] needs to be easier to deal with. The difference is that in the cloud, it becomes the vendor’s problem to get all these bits and pieces to run.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Cloud deployments are well recognized for rapid implementation and scaling across company sites, reducing company IT resources, and low cost to maintain over time. From the business team\u2019s perspective, cloud complements the rapid implementation and agility of low-code and no-code platforms and enables the selection of best-of-breed mobile maintenance apps.<\/span><\/p>\n A New Era in Software Flexibility<\/strong><\/p>\n You need to consider more than app functionality when digitizing your processes or upgrading an existing mobile solution. The platform is a key part of the decision criteria for apps that you bring into your SAP EAM infrastructure. Most major software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers have started to incorporate low-code and no-code technologies in their offerings. The implication as Gartner points out here is that you now share in these decisions.<\/p>\n The rise in low-code has also prompted changes to the makeup of traditional IT buyers. Gartner research found that, on average, 41% of employees outside of IT customize or build data or technology solutions. The research firm predicts that <\/i>half of all new low-code clients will come from business buyers that are outside the IT organization by year-end 2025.<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n\n
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