Low-Code vs BPM Software: What’s the Difference?

BPM software has always been known for being clunky and hard to use. Despite this, it’s an essential tool for any organization that wants to excel at process management. Taking full advantage of BPMS, however, is far from easy: to make even the most basic changes to your apps (or processes), you’d need the help of a specialized engineer. To make the process easier, BPM provides have been focused on developing low-code platforms, which allow users to create apps with extreme simplicity.

The Need for Low-Code BPM

BPM software has been around for a while – it’s been a must-have for enterprise companies since the 1990s.

And the reason for this is crystal clear. Process management and improvement provider a lot of different benefits for your organization.

• Process Enforcement – Formal BPM processes enforce protocol. i.e, your employees will follow whatever rules you set up for the process.
• Agility – Without BPMS, you’d need to spend a lot of time on convincing your employees to do things in a certain way. With the software, you can simply make adjustments to the process & your employees will simply follow new protocol
• Improve Company-Wide Productivity – As a result of the first two, your company becomes more productive, which leads to higher profits.

While this does sound amazing on paper, though, it often doesn’t hold up in practice. Getting BPM to work isn’t easy.

To begin with, the software is hard to set up – you’d need to spend months looking for the best deal, and even longer for your software provider to install it for you.

Let’s say you already went through the initial trouble of installing the software – you’d think that you’re half-way there. Well, not really. Actually getting your company to use the software is a whole different dilemma.

See, from a user experience perspective, most BPM providers tend to have a very big drawback. They’re…

• Hard to Use. You would actually need to train your employees on how to use any given BPM software. It’s a known fact that tech adoption is already hard for your employees – they won’t be too happy if your BPM software will take weeks to learn and make sense of. To make sure that the BPMS is used, you’d have to monitor your employees, which is a hard task on its own.
• Hard to Customize. To make any changes to your processes, you’d need the help of specialized software engineers. So, if you mess up something when setting up the processes, you’ll end up paying a bunch to have them fixed.

So now you have 2 whole new problems to deal with. Because of this, some companies tend to simply forget about their new BPM software, call it a sunk cost and move on.

Using low-code BPM software, however, can help solve both of these problems.

Low-Code BPM

For the past few years, most BPM software providers have been focusing on developing low-code capabilities. i.e software that doesn’t require almost any development experience to use. Depending on the software, this is done through different means. Some use BPMN2 with drag & drop graphs. Others, such as Tallyfy, have their own proprietary process design model.

The simple user experience allows your organization to create and modify apps without any intervention from the C-suite – it’s as simple as your average task-management software and can be used by just about anyone. This, in turn, makes BPMS setup much easier & yields results that were previously impossible.

The following table describes the main differentiators between the two platform types…

Conclusion – Low-Code is the New BPMS

Looking at the benefits offered by Low-Code BPM, it’s pretty nonsensical to even consider the hassle of adopting old-school BPM software.

Low-code allows you to build apps within minutes, rather than months. The traditional BPM adoption process – months of planning, researching and development – is replaced with a simple 5-minutes registration.

So, why don’t you give low-code BPMS a try?

Related Questions

Is BPMN low-code?

BPMN itself isn’t low-code – it’s actually just a way to draw out business processes, like creating a map of how work flows. While BPMN diagrams can be used in both low-code and traditional development, they’re really just the blueprint. Think of BPMN as the architect’s drawing, while low-code platforms are like modern building blocks that help you create the actual working solution much faster.

What is the difference between low-code and software development?

Traditional software development is like building a house from scratch – you need to cut every piece of wood and hammer every nail. Low-code is more like using pre-built sections that snap together. With low-code, you can create applications by dragging and dropping components, while traditional development requires writing every line of code manually. This makes low-code much faster and more accessible to people who aren’t professional programmers.

What is the difference between BPM and workflow?

BPM (Business Process Management) is like managing an entire city’s traffic system, while a workflow is like managing traffic on a single street. BPM looks at all your business processes together, helping you optimize and improve them as a whole. Workflows are simpler, focusing on moving work from one step to the next, like following a recipe. While BPM tools often include workflow capabilities, they typically come with more complex features for analyzing and improving entire business operations.

What is a BPM code?

BPM code refers to the programming that powers Business Process Management software. It’s the instructions that tell the software how to handle different business rules, conditions, and actions. However, modern BPM platforms often reduce the need for actual coding through visual interfaces and pre-built components, making it easier for non-technical users to create and modify business processes.

How do low-code platforms compare to BPM software in terms of flexibility?

Low-code platforms excel at quickly building simple applications but might struggle with complex business rules. BPM software, while potentially slower to implement, usually offers deeper customization for complex business processes. It’s like comparing a ready-to-assemble furniture kit to custom carpentry – both have their place depending on your needs.

Can low-code platforms replace traditional BPM software?

Low-code platforms can handle many basic process management tasks, but they might not completely replace traditional BPM software for complex enterprise needs. They’re great for simpler workflows and rapid development, but organizations with sophisticated process requirements might still need the robust features of traditional BPM systems.

What are the cost implications of choosing low-code vs BPM software?

Low-code platforms typically have lower upfront costs and faster implementation times, making them more budget-friendly for smaller organizations. Traditional BPM software often requires larger initial investments in both time and money, but might provide better long-term value for complex enterprise needs. Consider it like choosing between buying a pre-built shed versus constructing a custom garage.

How does the learning curve compare between low-code and BPM platforms?

Low-code platforms are designed for quick adoption, with intuitive interfaces that business users can grasp in weeks. BPM software typically requires more training and technical knowledge, often taking months to master. However, this longer learning curve comes with the benefit of more powerful process management capabilities.

Which option is better for scaling business processes?

BPM software traditionally handles large-scale process management better, with robust features for complex organizations. Low-code platforms are catching up but might face limitations with very complex or high-volume processes. Think of low-code as perfect for department-level solutions, while BPM software suits enterprise-wide implementations better.