3.3 Low-Code Use Cases
There is a wide range of low-code platforms available for facilitating digital transformation for BES PMOs application portfolios. In Section 5 - Low-Code Platform Tool Selection Guidance we survey the industry leaders in low-code development platforms and provide selection guidance based on Gartner and Forrester Research criteria and PCMag testing.
In fact, there are three distinct use cases for digital transformation within BES - digital operations, digital experiences, and digital core – which are all enabled by low-code development platforms.
Digital transformation starts from within the organization. These are the apps that support BES PMOs internal logistics, business, finance, accounting and human resources operations. The goal is to replace what has been cobbled together and what relies on manual effort, email, spreadsheets, and small departmental apps. The typical low-code solutions are dashboards, workflows, web portals, mobile applications, and small-to-medium-sized database apps. The needs of digital business operations include the rapid development of mobile and web responsive apps; simple development of forms, reports and workflows; fast integration with systems of record; rapid change and deployment; built-in analytics for productivity insights; dashboards for managers; and machine learning and AI integration for sophisticated decision makers.
Another low-code use case is tackling what customers experience digitally. The typical solutions are customer mobile apps, customer portals, and business portals and can include field operations apps and even apps for warfighter mission support. Building digital experiences requires human centered design principles, rapid prototyping and development, pixel-perfect design, massive scalability, and security, including for offline data. In addition, these user experiences are instrumented to generate metrics that provide insights for BES PMO app portfolio continuous improvement efforts.
The final use case for low-code digital transformation addresses the combination of aging systems and highly customized COTS packages. These core systems are not always able to keep up with the demands of the Air Force logistics, business and finance users. Replacing them could take several years. In these situations, hardly anything is typical, but a few examples of what the Air Force has built are found in Logistics Apps; ERP systems in the financial products sector; human resources management Apps, and Civil Engineering support Apps. Every successful organization has to make the transition from a world defined primarily by repetition to one primarily defined by change. Digital transformation is leading the biggest business transformation in the structure of how humans work together since the Agricultural Revolution.
Leading low-code vendors support these common digital business use cases with tools and features to deliver web and mobile user experiences, including sophisticated forms, page navigation, and single-page apps. Other functionality includes basic data management and reporting, workflow automation, and collaboration tools and features. Differentiated products include tools for pixel-perfect native mobile apps, natural language processing, event-management applications, and apps incorporating machine learning. The leading vendors have also moved into business process automation, real-time applications, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) services, as well as large, mission-critical apps such as case management and content management.