Title: Revisiting the Age-Old Dilemma: Should Your Business Build or Buy IT Solutions?
For years, businesses have grappled with the age-old dilemma: should we develop custom applications to address our needs, or opt for pre-made solutions? The debate has been fueled by several factors, including cost, restricted resources, and limited customization options. Many organizations, particularly those with strained IT teams and limited developer experience, have found it easier and more cost-effective to adopt off-the-shelf Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for various use cases. However, this approach often leads to tech stacks loaded with disconnected tools, high subscription costs, and limited flexibility.
But times have changed. Advances in low-code automation have empowered IT teams and organizations to embrace a "build-first" philosophy without breaking the bank or exhausting their resources. With low-code development platforms, even non-technical users can easily incorporate automation into their workflows, thereby reducing costs and improving agility.
Furthermore, the incorporation of AI into low-code platforms is accelerating this shift. According to IDC, more than 1 billion new logical applications will be built by 2028, representing a vast array of applications for virtually any business scenario - from vendor management to employee onboarding. This wave of innovation signals a definitive shift towards a "build-first" mindset, and business and IT leaders need to stay ahead of the curve.
The Transformative Impact of '3 A's' - AI, Applications, and Automation
For years, off-the-shelf SaaS solutions have held sway in organizations, primarily due to their convenience for organizations lacking domain expertise, budget, and IT capacity.
However, the rise of AI-powered low-code platforms is undermining the dominance of SaaS solutions in their key differentiators - domain knowledge, cost, and ease of use. This shift is driven by a new trifecta we call the "3 A's" - AI, automation, and low-code applications. I, as a leader in the low-code platform industry, have observed the potency of this mix in addressing various business challenges. With AI, organizations can readily capture domain knowledge, historically monopolized within SaaS solutions, and integrate it seamlessly into their low-code application development platforms. Automation, on the other hand, enables the integration of automated process and workflow data necessary for developing straightforward, engaging applications.
Let's bring this concept to life using an example. Suppose an organization needs to create an application for employee onboarding. Using the "3 A's" approach, users can leverage AI prompts to develop the necessary application within the low-code environment. These same prompts can be utilized to import the appropriate workflows needed to automate the process within the application.
The result? This organization may no longer require six SaaS solutions for employee onboarding, saving both time and money while improving efficiency.
Cultivating Custom-Built Applications with Process, Workflow, and App Dev
Once an organization has its "3 A's" in place, they need a platform to create their custom applications. That platform should offer a unified environment for process, workflow, and application development, underpinned by AI technology to enable a "build-first" approach.
When considering a "build-first" approach, organizations should look for three essential platform capabilities.
- Process: Identifying the processes, data, and interfaces that require improvement answers the question: "What necessitates building and automating?"
- Workflow: An application's value depends on the workflows within it. Organizations should be able to orchestrate and automate tasks at both the basic level and coordination levels between people, data, and systems. This answers the question: "How does work move through the application?"
- Application Development: Building engaging experiences, such as forms, chatbots, and other components, is crucial for scaling processes across the entire use case. Low-code application development capabilities allow businesses to focus on delivering a superior user experience.
All of these capabilities should be powered by a robust AI layer, providing several benefits, including:
- Design: Faster application development and quicker time-to-value for builders.
- Runtime: Optimized processes and decision-making assistance for users moving through applications.
- Optimization: Continuous improvement for owners, builders, and end-users of applications.
Using this unified platform, organizations can effectively break down silos and improve processes across teams and departments.
As business and IT leaders grapple with mounting pressure to deliver faster, leaner, and smarter solutions, the traditional "buy-first" mindset loses its luster. The transition to a more agile and efficient "build-first" strategy, powered by low-code platforms, automation, and AI, marks a paradigm shift.
Organizations that invest in these technologies and embrace a unified platform that combines process discovery, workflow automation, and application development are well-positioned to thrive. Not only can they combat SaaS sprawl and minimize costs, but they can also discover new avenues for innovation and efficiency.
The "build-first" era has arrived, and businesses must seize this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve.
[1] "Why Low-Code Application Development Platforms Are Gaining Steam," Forbes, July 18, 2019.[2] "Low-code Platforms: Benefits for Business and IT," Software Development Magazine, April 29, 2019.[3] "The Future of Software Development: Low-Code is the Answer," CIO, November 20, 2018.[4] "Maximize Your Low-Code Investment with These Best Practices," InfoWorld, September 10, 2019.
Amit Mathradas, as a leader in the low-code platform industry, has observed the potential of AI, automation, and low-code applications to address various business challenges. He has noticed how AI can help organizations capture domain knowledge previously monopolized by SaaS solutions, while automation enables the integration of necessary data for application development.
In the example of an employee onboarding application, Amit suggests using AI prompts within a low-code environment to develop the application and automate the process. This approach could potentially reduce the need for multiple SaaS solutions, saving time and money while improving efficiency.
