The Digital Applications of the Future Are Evolving without Depending on Technical Knowledge
Digital transformation has become a strategy in which not only IT teams but also business units are directly involved. Users now want to build the business applications they need, optimize their processes and make insight-driven decisions - and they don't need to be software developers to do so.
Two powerful tools SAP offers in line with this vision:
- SAP Build: A no-code / low-code (without coding or with minimal code) application-development platform.
- SAP Joule: An AI-powered business assistant based on natural language processing (NLP).
So how do these tools affect the post-2023 digitalization process? Let's examine the data.
2023 and Beyond: The Rise of No-Code & AI
- 70%: According to Gartner, by 2025, 70% of new applications will be developed using no-code/low-code platforms. (In 2020 this rate was 25%.)
- 65%: Forrester reports that 65% of organizations will use at least one AI-powered business assistant by the end of 2024.
- 45%: According to IDC, 45% of companies state that business units (especially HR, finance, procurement) contribute directly to software-development processes.
- 30% time savings: Businesses using SAP Build applications achieve speed gains of up to 30% compared to classic development processes.
What Is SAP Build?
SAP Build is a user-friendly platform that lets you develop business processes and applications without requiring technical expertise. It has 3 main components:
SAP Build Apps
- Create web and mobile applications with drag-and-drop.
- Develop user-focused solutions integrated with SAP data.
SAP Build Process Automation
- Define workflows such as approvals, task assignment and notifications without coding.
- Automate repetitive work with RPA (robotic process automation).
SAP Build Work Zone
- Create digital-workplace interfaces for employees.
- Combine content, tasks and applications on a single screen.
AI-Powered Processes with SAP Joule
SAP Joule, introduced by SAP at the end of 2023, is a digital business assistant that runs on AI-based natural-language-processing technology. It lets users interact with SAP systems intuitively and quickly.
Key Features:
- Natural-Language Querying: Get analysis with simple commands like "List the regions that met sales targets."
- Data-Driven Recommendations: Offers recommendations on topics such as process improvement and procurement optimization.
- Integrated Operation: Works integrated with SAP S/4HANA, SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Ariba and other solutions.
- Chat-Assistant Experience: Complex operations become easy with a user-friendly chat interface.
SAP Joule is an AI solution that accelerates not just reporting but the decision-making process.
SAP Build + SAP Joule: Application and Intelligence Together
When these two solutions are used together, the following gains emerge:
- Develop applications without coding
- Automate business processes
- Get recommendations from AI and decide quickly
- Reduce the burden on IT and involve business units in the process
For example, an HR manager can build a recruitment-process form and workflow themselves with SAP Build; SAP Joule can then analyze which postings yielded the most responses and offer recommendations.
Real-World Examples
- A manufacturing company using SAP Build Apps developed an application to report production faults from mobile devices, without needing technical knowledge.
- SAP Joule reduced inventory costs by 12% by offering supply-chain managers order recommendations based on stock levels.
- Consultancies like IKSAP roll out Fiori interfaces much faster with SAP Build and use Joule for process insight.
Conclusion: Don't Wait for IT - Design the Process Yourself
SAP Build and SAP Joule stand out as the two most powerful tools in an age when digitalization is becoming democratized. You no longer need to be a developer to build a process. The departments that know the need best can build their own solutions and make smarter decisions with AI support.
This is not just efficiency; it is digital competence becoming part of corporate culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SAP Build?
SAP Build is a no-code / low-code platform that lets business users develop processes and applications without technical expertise. It has three main components: SAP Build Apps for drag-and-drop application development, SAP Build Process Automation for workflows and RPA, and SAP Build Work Zone for digital-workplace interfaces.
What is SAP Joule and what does it do?
SAP Joule is SAP's AI-powered digital business assistant based on natural language processing. Users can get analysis with simple commands, receive data-driven recommendations, and work through a chat interface that integrates with solutions such as SAP S/4HANA, SAP SuccessFactors and SAP Ariba.
What do SAP Build and SAP Joule deliver when used together?
Business units can develop applications without coding, automate their processes, make faster decisions with AI recommendations, and reduce the burden on IT. For example, an HR manager can build a recruitment form and workflow, while Joule analyzes which postings yielded the most responses.
How does IKSAP use SAP Build and Joule?
According to the article, consultancies like IKSAP roll out Fiori interfaces much faster with SAP Build and use SAP Joule to gain process insight. This lets the business departments that know the need best design their own solutions without waiting for IT.
