Are you looking to expand enterprise service management (ESM) capabilities in your business? As companies sought solutions to their most pressing challenges through technology, advancements in the space made way for tools that are easy to deploy and require minimal coding expertise. Luckily, these developments are present in the ITSM/ESM space, too, enabling organizations to quickly adopt ESM principles across the board with user-friendly solutions.
But What is Low-code Technology?
Low-code technology usually consists of ready-made functionalities that enable organizations to use solutions out of the box, requiring minimal technical and coding knowledge without sacrificing the ability to customize when needed.
With so many solutions available out there, the wealth of options can often be overwhelming. The most complex and sophisticated systems may offer a wide breadth of functionalities and the freedom to customize these solutions to suit an organization’s unique needs. Unfortunately, not everyone has the time and resources to invest in ensuring they can get the most out of them.
This makes low-code platforms an attractive option.
5 Reasons You Should Go Low Code
With increasing pressure on businesses to step up their digital transformation, ESM solutions with low-code technology provide many advantages in helping accelerate these transformation initiatives. Here are just five of them.
1. Saves Everyone Time
Low-code ESM solutions often have drag-and-drop functionalities that enable you to build automated workflows or approval cycles with just a few clicks of the mouse. No need to fiddle around with codes to set up the processes you need. Some solutions already have templates that you can use, making for even faster deployment.
2. Easier to Maintain
Having to code everything is an exhaustive exercise, and so is maintaining it. And when there are changes in your development team – people leaving or getting new personnel – handovers can get messy. Big shifts like this can have a significant impact on your maintenance schedules and the IT team can easily get sidetracked. An ESM solution that doesn’t rely on heavy coding means you can make changes hassle-free, even with external distractions or other activities going on. This enables your tools to adapt and be more fit for purpose as business goals and priorities quickly shift.
3. Drives Costs Down
Developer resources are extremely expensive. With a talent shortage going on right now, finding good developers come at a cost. The time taken to configure everything by code gets pricy, too. Since you need to make sure everything is working properly first, the time to value of your ESM solution takes longer, driving the ROI down. Removing the need for extensive coding also reduces the associated cost of building a large development team. With low code, one tech-savvy person can easily manage the solution without much fuss.
4. Increases Productivity
With faster deployment and easier maintenance, everyone can quickly benefit from their low-code ESM platform. With code-heavy applications, businesses can’t usually access full functionalities for months, but with a low-code ESM system, this waiting period is significantly reduced. The workforce can then take advantage of the system’s capabilities that are beneficial to their work, thus resulting in higher productivity for the organization. With their workflows streamlined, everyone can focus on the more strategic or creative tasks of their roles.
5. User-friendly Even for Non-technical Staff
Thanks to this digital age, many people are pretty tech-savvy. But it doesn’t mean that they’re well-versed in coding and the associated language or terminologies around it. Everyone would have varying degrees of knowledge in the area. Good low-code solutions have the user experience front of mind. They have intuitive, user-friendly interfaces that will enable end-users to navigate the services and information they need with little difficulty, regardless of their technical knowledge. This makes it extremely helpful for non-IT departments, eliminating the need for extensive training and removing the barrier to widespread user adoption.
3 Things to Consider When Evaluating Low-code Solutions
No two low-code ESM solutions are the same, so it’s important to carefully determine the one most compatible with your organization. Here are three considerations to have before deciding on your chosen platform.
1. Frequency of Releases/Patches
Minimal coding offers many advantages, but it also means a level of control falls upon the software provider when it comes to keeping the system updated. It’s important to understand how your preferred solution provider maintains things such as security and feature updates to ensure your tool remains fit for purpose in the coming years. How often do they deliver releases and perform security patches and bug fixes? How do they respond to customers’ feature requests? It’s worth looking into the product announcements they’ve made in the last months or years and whether they have a forum/community where customers can share product ideas or requests.
2. Available Configurations
To properly leverage low-code solutions, knowing what you need first from an ESM solution is paramount. But we all know despite planning, not everything always goes accordingly. You may come across new challenges or, on the bright side, discover a better way of working. How well can your preferred solution accommodate these changes? The flexibility your low-code platform can provide can ensure the longevity of the tool in your organization and reduces the need to rip and replace it down the line.
3. Length of Implementation
Many ESM solutions with low-code technology boast short implementation times, but is that really the case? As mentioned earlier, the ability to execute quicker deployments is a big advantage of low-code solutions, but it’s worth double-checking current customers’ experience on how that is played out. Read through their customer stories or ask solution providers directly to connect you to a current customer. This can give you better expectations for your own implementation project and may even inspire some further considerations you’ve not made yet.
SOURCE: Kirstie Lingel(2022 November 15).Why You Should Go for Low-code ESM Solutions for a Better Service Experience.IFS Blog. https://blog.ifs.com/2022/11/why-you-should-go-low-code
