In order to digitize, companies need a variety of applications. This also applies to manufacturers in the food industry. One of the best known
In the past, Südzucker had already ensured that various areas of the company were served by appropriate applications. However, the call for mobile applications to simplify business processes became ever louder and could no longer be answered with traditional methods. For this reason, the search began for alternative solutions with which this challenge could continue to be mastered in the future. Mobile applications (apps) that are used throughout the company now have to meet more criteria than ever before. For example, the topic of cloud-based app development and management, in which low-code technology plays a prominent role, was examined in more detail.
“It was clear to us early on that a low-code platform would give us the opportunity to create the required mobile applications very quickly, integrate them into our business processes and go live,” says Birgit Wellenreuther, who is responsible for IT – Business Applications at Südzucker.
The method itself was therefore found quite quickly. But now the question arose: Which provider is the right one for Südzucker? In the search for possible technologies and tools, we took a closer look at Simplifier at the beginning of 2019.
An important aspect: SAP integration
But from Südzucker’s point of view, what exactly spoke in favor of the Würzburg low-code experts’ platform?
One of the decisive reasons for choosing Simplifier was the simple and comprehensive integration of the SAP system landscape into the applications to be created. Südzucker itself is deeply rooted in the SAP world and requires this data in a large number of applications. It was therefore extremely important for the food manufacturer to find a partner that has a high level of SAP expertise and has also integrated this experience into its own technology. This is precisely what has been successfully implemented in the low-code platform through standardized SAP interfaces, making it extremely easy to connect existing systems. Simplifier is not only a long-standing SAP Silver Partner, but is also the only low-code platform to use the UI5 framework, which helps developers from the SAP environment in particular to quickly become productive.
Südzucker’s requirement was that it had to be easy to connect backend systems and use applications created on different platforms. “Simplifier is an easy-to-use tool that guarantees SAP integration,” says Wellenreuther. “We can manage the integration with existing technology and know-how.”
Advantage(s) Simplifier
Another point that spoke in favor of Simplifier from Südzucker’s point of view is the reusability of the individual modules. This speeds up application creation and makes it more sustainable.
The use of web technology and open standards also ensures sustainability, which means that the platform can be expanded and used flexibly as required.
Südzucker has set itself the goal of continuing to operate flexibly and independently in the future, which was an important decision criterion when selecting the Simplifier platform. With Simplifier, Südzucker retains sovereignty over the source code of each application, as this is open source even after the application has been published.
Last but not least, the issue of license costs also played a relevant role in the decision-making process. “With Simplifier, the roll-out costs are significantly reduced, which also has an impact on the ROI,” says Wellenreuther.
However, Simplifier also impressed us as a company. “What we particularly liked in this respect was the professionalism of the Simplifier managers,” explains Wellenreuther. This is also reflected in the flexibility of the product and service.
A “proof of value” says more than a thousand words
A workshop on site was the main way of directly convincing people. With two developers, Simplifier showed directly what can be done with Simplifier and what advantages it brings – the so-called “proof of value”. Within 2 days, 3 apps with different features were developed, which will be brought to production maturity and rolled out in subsequent projects.
Conclusion: Here we go
In order to enable the relevant Südzucker employees to work with the low-code platform Simplifier, a so-called “enabling” took place at the beginning of the year: Here, Simplifier employees teach the most important functions needed to create their own applications. This usually happens very quickly and leads to a high level of acceptance by the employees concerned. This means that Südzucker can quickly make use of the possibilities offered by Simplifier.
