Today, manufacturers join the ranks of B2B and D2C industries, having to manage peak demands and delivery loads on an ongoing basis. Most manufacturers have seen at least a 30% jump in e-commerce sales in 2020, with those rates expected to climb again towards the end of the year.
How will you fare with the fueled online shopping surge? Through the use of low-code automation — software tools that require relatively little coding expertise.
With a shout-out to fellow technical evangelist Terry Simpson for sharing this post on the subject, we here at viax.io concur: manufacturers have a lot to gain by using automation to manage the e-commerce boom.
As the author shares, the COVID-19 pandemic and shift from brick-and-mortar stores to online environments has lit a fire under logistic operations that were less efficient, accelerating their adoption of automation. Those lacking in technology before the e-commerce surge are having to make investments now, just to remain efficient. And they’re having to make shifts quickly to be responsive to their customers.
To help ramp up, IT groups are closing the gap and helping business users become increasingly self-sufficient through the use of no-code or low-code systems.
At viax, we get asked about our low code/no-code interfaces quite often. Because the viax cloud is built based on the expertise and centuries worth of experience we have within the enterprise space, we understand the needs and challenges of manufacturing. It's what has enabled viax to offer manufacturers a comprehensive solution with minimal or no coding needed. One interface we point out is our product configurator, in which users can create or manage models and their rules through a graphical interface, without needing special technical skills. With our no-code interfaces like this one, you can avoid unnecessary custom code to be written and the expertise and time it would take. This also means you can use your existing in-house team instead of relying on specialized vendors. In the few places that do require custom code, you can use our architecture, which supports multiple popular languages.
Here are a few more insights from that article:
E-commerce is broader than just processing orders efficiently; it’s also about making the entire order life-cycle more efficient. Keeping the focus on the customer experience and matching it with automation are paramount.
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the demand for low-code automation in significant ways. While some businesses have looked to automation to boost efficiency and cost-cutting measures, others have pursued low-code or no-code automation out of necessity.
As companies become more efficient with automation, the customer experience will become an important focus and source of competitive edge. From order entry through fulfillment and delivery, the process involves numerous steps. Supply chains can benefit from automation throughout the lifecycle. Using a no-code platform for automation allows the business to configure, not customize, systems quickly, and get them into production.