Summarize Low-Code / No-Code Technology

The evolution of coding can be traced back to the 1950s, when the
first programming languages were created to communicate
instructions to a computer. By the 1980s, software development was
becoming an important business competency following rigorous
knowledge and practices until the end of the century.

Now, after twenty more years of evolution, the emergence of visual

programming tools, application programming interfaces with
integrations, and the platform economy have democratized
development.

Traditionally, building applications has largely required advanced

technical skills, the use of programming languages, and integrated
development environments.

Low-code and no-code (LCNC) refer to a new style of visual

programming that makes it possible to develop applications without
the use of coding languages, which greatly reduces the barrier of entry
for anyone looking to take up application development. To differentiate
between the two aspects:

 Low-code uses both a traditional programming language-based

environment combined with no-code platforms and is used by
developers with at least basic technical knowledge.
 No-code is simpler, and it fully replaces the traditional
programming language-based tooling with a suite of visual
development tools (ex. drag-and-drop components) and can be
used by technical and non-technical people alike, such as citizen
developers.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have the most complex work,
the traditional software development where high-level programming
knowledge and professional development experience is required to
build applications and automations that solve nuanced problems.

Explaining Hyperautomation
Business process automation (BPA) includes technology for workflow
management and robotic task automation, that can also leverage
underlying machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technology,
such as SAP Build Process Automation. The combination of these
capabilities enables companies to boost both processing speed
through automation, and continuous improvements through
intelligence.

However, even in highly digitalized and automated companies, many

business activities are still disconnected from each other, with silos
between lines of business or even within teams. Furthermore, many
activities are still managed in a manual way, especially when it comes
to the day-to-day processes of an individual employee.

To address that, hyperautomation is major trend that is driving the

adoption of low-code / no-code and the growth of citizen developers –
it is a strategic approach that aims to realize an end-to-end digital
toolchain for processes and activities, across lines of business.

To achieve hyperautomation, an organization must identify, automate,

integrate, coordinate and improve as much as possible, using BPA
technology with advanced capabilities. And to do that, you need more
people involved who can build automations and applications – namely,
citizen developers.

Considering Code-First Versus Low-Code Platforms

Low-code / no-code environments offer a simplified building
experience, but behind the scenes they use the same kind of code
and tooling as traditional development environments, and are,
therefore, capable of delivering equivalent results.

They offer a simpler and more accessible way to build software than
platforms that require coding knowledge, but they can be just as
powerful as code-first platforms that require skilled professional
developers to use.
Applications built with LCNC have no inherent compromises or
disadvantages compared to apps built with traditional development
environments.

Developers can still "get at the code" behind the low-code / no-code if
they need to do so.

When considering code-first versus no-code platforms it all depends

on the use case and how complicated it is to build the feature set
required for the application, however a state-of-the-art LCNC platform
can really go far – so, explore the possibilities!

Reviewing the Advantages of Low-Code / No-Code

Platforms
The advantages of LCNC development are compelling and clear. According to IDC
surveys, there will be a 15% shortage of full-time developers by 2025 (The Low-Code
Development Imperative, IDC, Nov 2021).
Developer turnover can be reduced by 50% by shifting mundane tasks to low-code / no-
code development. And, companies have seen the signs with 60% planning to
significantly increase their investment in low-code over the next 18-24 months

First of all, let’s start with the big picture. SAP is the leader in enterprise applications
which deliver standardized best-practice processes in finance, supply chain
management, human resources, procurement, travel, and more.

What’s more, SAP has a unique track record to integrate data and processes not only
across SAP systems, but also non-SAP systems. SAP Build low-code / no-code
solutions come with native integration to SAP systems enabling everyone to easily
innovate and develop around these applications to meet unique requirements.

SAP Build enables everyone - no matter the skill level - to rapidly create and augment
enterprise-grade apps, automate processes and tasks, and design business sites with
drag-and-drop simplicity.

SAP Build brings together SAP Build Apps (formerly SAP AppGyver), SAP Build
Process Automation (formerly SAP Process Automation), and SAP Build Work Zone
(formerly SAP Work Zone) into a unified development experience with new innovations
to rapidly build apps, automate processes and create business websites
With SAP Build, developers can integrate smoothly with SAP and non-
SAP applications and leverage hundreds of prebuilt processes, bots
and UX components to unify business data and processes

Business users working as citizen developers and IT can collaborate

effectively as fusion teams with drag-and-drop simplicity and
governance built-in throughout the application development lifecycle.

Accelerating Development With Prebuilt Content and

Components
SAP Build is all about easily creating and using composable building blocks to increase
developer efficiency:

 SAP Build Apps: Build mobile and web apps using 500+
templates and pre-built business logic components
 SAP Build Process Automation: Jumpstart automation projects
with 340+ line-of-business and industry-specific process content
packages, RPA bots and connectors
 SAP Build Work Zone: Boost time to value with pre- built line-
of-business-specific content packages (for example, for
SAP Success Factors)

Connecting and Integrating Seamlessly With Business

Data
SAP Build solutions seamlessly connect to, and use, data from SAP and non-SAP
applications without losing business context and meaning

 SAP Build Apps: REST integration wizard for modern APIs,

SAP BTP Authentication for login and access control, and native
integration with SAP Service Cloud.
 SAP Build Process Automation: Action projects can
encapsulate APIs as simple to use logic and make them
available to business users for use in low-code projects.
  SAP Build Work Zone: Leverage APIs and pre-built UI-
integration cards to create a single access point to applications,
processes, information, and data on any device.

Collaborating Securely With Fusion Teams

Business users and experienced developers can collaborate on
projects using the development solutions that best fit their respective
skills – these are called fusion teams.

Business users can use their domain expertise to create solutions

themselves without writing any code. Content and artifacts can be
published and shared amongst team members and across projects in
an easy and secure way. As citizen developers, they can tackle the
long tail of processes and activities and accelerate innovation

Experienced developers can leverage code-first solutions to develop

complex logic and make it available for business users to easily import
and utilize in their low-code projects.

IT can safeguard operations with centralized lifecycle management,

monitoring, and governance. And they use robust DevOps (CI/CD),
automated testing, security and performance checks to ship with
confidence.

Succeeding With SAP Build Customers

Next 2

Introduction to Problem Solving With LCNC and

Citizen Development

Organizations today are facing critical digitalization challenges and

they struggle to innovate at the speed the business demands.

Rapidly evolving customer requirements are accelerating the demand

for cloud solutions.
Limited development resources are inhibiting digitalization.

Complex IT landscapes with a growing number of applications are

maintained by companies.
Solving Problems with LCNC and Citizen Development
How can companies solve the business and IT challenges while meeting the growing need and
scale development? By embracing new approaches like low-code / no-code and
hyperautomation, and empowering more employees to build software.

Citizen development is a disruptive solution to address the gap in

technical expertise, especially that of professional developers, that
exists in the world today, and it offers a great way to foster a culture of
innovation. Combined with new low-code / no-code enterprise
technology, it gives power to those who don’t write code, but who
have a good understanding of business needs and challenges.

It is these nontechnical people who can now build automations and

applications that help address the requirements of their everyday
work, while, at the same time, reducing the risks of human errors, and
offering better customer experiences.

Reviewing a Use Case for LCNC and Citizen

Development
What can companies do to respond to market challenges, build resilience and agility into their
organizations, and get more value out of their data? Low-code / no-code and hyperautomation
are the solutions that business builders can use to digitalize the time-consuming processes that
they currently perform manually, such as requesting parental-leave time off from work.

SAP Build is for business users and developers – here’s a quick snapshot of each user
persona:

Professional developers
Code-first programmers with skills in various coding languages and technologies
who designs, develops, tests and deploys cloud native apps and reusable
services following a development lifecycle with testing and versioning.
Citizen developers (a.k.a. business builders)
No coding skills, but deep business expertise and technical acumen (not
necessarily IT-skills). Builds and publishes LCNC apps and customizations. Uses
IT-sanctioned tools and platform-supported processes. Is unaware of DevOps
aspects but learns through citizen developer education.
IT administrators
 The DevOps team has the IT skills to build, run, manage, and maintain the
software systems, security and governance.

Providing Governance of Citizen Development

Governance is a decision-making process that ensures technical activities and applications add
value, meaning they contribute (and don’t detract) from company success.

An IT Center of Excellence for low-code / no-code is usually established and run by your IT
department to provide guardrails for the rollout of citizen development to business users in an
organization.

Governance programs include more technical things like ensuring compatibility of tools and
systems, meeting data security standards, identity and authorization management, monitoring
and failure management, and other aspects of application lifecycle management.

Governance also includes activities like skills requirements setting, benchmarking and provision
of training and education opportunities for business users, citizen developers and professional
developers

Rolling Out of Citizen Development in Your Organization

As part of the governance program, the introduction of low-code / no-code to your organization
should be managed by a Center of Excellence (CoE) that is established and managed by your IT
department. The CoE can begin with a pilot to gain some practical insight and then the strategy
can be set and the rollout executied.

It is advisable to start small when working with business users who want to become citizen
developers, a few dozen or so who are avid technology enthusiasts and business process experts.
These can be your alpha users, collaborating with the IT department to test rollout plans and
processes before expanding access to a large population of users in your company.

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As an aspiring citizen developer, SAP Build Process Automation can help you develop
workflows and automate tasks for your daily work, without writing any code.

Before you get started with building your no-code automated solutions, we’ll review your
understanding of business processes, the people typically involved, the difference between good
and bad processes, and how to manage them digitally

et’s first confirm some foundational knowledge about business processes. A

business process is a repetitive set of tasks that are completed to achieve a
goal or outcome for a business. It consists of a chain of activities, events, and
decisions.

Typical Steps of a Business Process

Analyzing the Typical Steps in a Business Process
The common steps of a business process include initiation, data collection,
routing, decisions, human tasks and new data.

The typical steps in a business process are:

 The process must be initiated somehow.

 Relevant data must be gathered.
 Process participants must be involved to review the data and move the
process forward.
 Decisions must be made about whether the process can be completed.
 Process participants may need to collect more data.
 New information may need to be considered before the process can
continue.
 But finally, the process is completed.

Reviewing the Roles in a Business Process

So who is typically involved with a business process? People can be
categorized as follows:

 The primary participants.

 The secondary participants.
 The stakeholders who need to be kept informed of the process status.

Comparing Good Versus Bad Business Processes

Poorly Defined Versus Well Defined Business Processes
Comparing good versus bad business processes:

 Well-run processes improve communication between people and departments. Accuracy, speed
and efficiency are big advantages. This can eliminate daily confusion or frustration and increase
accountability within a team. Rather than blaming a process for delays or failures, team
members are able to take on more responsibility and focus on their goals.

 However, not all processes are good. Even if they’re not engineered well, bad processes can still
be running in your organization. While these might still get the job done somehow, it is those
processes that can cause the biggest issues – for you personally and overall.

Reviewing Business Process Management (BPM)

Reviewing Business Process Management (BPM):

 In a company running hundreds or thousands of processes, it is not

always easy for management to see where things are going wrong. To
increase operational transparency and avoid issues due to poor
processes, organizations apply the strategic practice of Business
Process Management (BPM).
 BPM is a broad discipline, with a perspective on all of the people,
information, systems, and other things that generate outcomes in
support of a business strategy.

Explaining the Benefits of BPM

Explaining the Benefits of Business Process Management
Explaining the benefits of Business Process Management
BPM creates advantages for companies by increasing agility, standardizing
best practices, improving operations, and increasing predictability.

Managing Business Process Management With Software

Managing business processes with software:

 In modern organizations, BPM is supported by Business Process

Management Software (BPMS).
  BPMS includes elements such as process mapping, analytics, a process
engine, form creation, rules-based workflows, approval mechanisms,
communication, and the ability to integrate with other systems.
You‘re probably wondering which of your business processes are potential
candidates for automation, or if there are any limitations. It’s true you should
choose your scenarios and use cases wisely, especially as you get started as a
citizen developer, but in fact, you are not limited to a dedicated line of
business or industry with what you can do. You can use SAP Build Process
Automation anywhere and take advantage of native integrations with SAP
applications.
Assessing ideal scenarios for process automation
You can build, adapt, improve, and innovate many kinds of business processes with minimum
assistance from IT – for example:

 Automate manual, repetitive tasks such as copy-pasting data into a

spreadsheet.
 Digitalize manual and semi-automated processes, for example, capital
expenditure approvals.
 Automate when there is a high volume of process steps, think of
entering sales order data.
 Automatically aggregate data from multiple systems, and purchase
record updates.
 Extend and adapt the standard flows of your business applications
(SAP or non-SAP, on-premise or in the cloud), for example adding
several levels of approvals for a sales order.
 Automate end-to-end cross-application workflows, that span several
systems (for example your ERP and your human resources (HR)
systems), in employee onboarding processes.

Exploring End-to-End Processes With Sub-Processes for

Automation
Quick Wins for Process Automation by LoB
Exploring end-to-end processes with sub-processes for automation:

 Lead-to-cash –capital expenditure approvals, invoice approvals, and

account opening.
 Hire-to-retire —relocation, visa permits, HR employee self-services,
managing contingent workers.
 Design-to-operate –updating master data records, document approval,
and lead generation workflows.
 Source-to-pay –return order process, incident management,
procurement data collection.

Reviewing the Sales Order Management Process You Will

Build
Today you’re going to learn how to build a sales order management process. This process
contains many manual steps, and emails are sent back and forth. This is not a good experience
for the sales employee, nor for customers whose orders might be delayed or even lost during the
manual process. Using SAP Build Process Automation, we can change this with you!

Introduction: Reviewing the Product Capabilities of SAP

Build Process Automation
Introduction
SAP Build Process Automation is a simpler and faster way to automate
business processes. With its intuitive, no-code interface, you can experience
the ease and speed of developing workflow management and robotic process
automation (RPA) that includes built-in AI for decision assistance and
document processing – without writing any code.
Reviewing the product capabilities:

 Visual building of workflows to automate tasks and simplify decisions.

 Leveraging unified workflow management with robotic process
automation.
  Jumpstarting projects using pre-built content packages based on best
practice use cases.
 Seamlessly integrating with other applications.
 Developing confidently without creating the risks of Shadow IT.
SAP Build Process Automation Key Capabilities
SAP Build Process Automation runs on SAP Business Technology Platform, so citizen
developers can operate confidently with a trusted, enterprise-grade multi-cloud platform taking
care of security, authorization, governance, and monitoring.

Furthermore, there’s an integration between SAP Signavio and SAP Build Process Automation
that enables over 135 tailored process improvement recommendations to be automatically
triggered and executed for continuous process monitoring optimization.

Finally, SAP Build Process Automation users can now automate Google Workspace applications
in their processes, i.e., extract and change data from Google Sheets, retrieve dates from Google
Calendar and automatically upload files to Google Drive.