Südzucker decides to use low-code technology from Simplifier

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In order to digitize enterprises need a vast amount of applications. This also applies for manufacturers from the food industry. One of the industry´s most well-known was actively searching for an adequate low-code platform – and justifiably decided on Simplifier.

Simplifier is looking forward to working with yet another renowned custimer: The world´s largest sugar producer, Südzucker AG (Mannheim), has decided on using low-code technology from Würzburg. With this article we would like to give you some insights about how this came about.

In the past, Südzucker has already ensured that various areas of the company were served with appropriate applications. The call for mobile applications, which are supposed to simplify business processes, kept getting louder and could not be answered with traditional methods any  longer. That is why Südzucker started looking for alternative solutions to master this challenge in the future. Mobile applications (apps) that are in use enterprise-wide have to meet more criteria than ever before. Thus, the topic of cloud-based app devleopment and management in which low-code technology plays a major role, had been taken a closer at.

“We realized very soon that a low-code platform would present us with the chance to create the needed mobile apps very quickly, to integrate them in our business processes and make them go live”, says Birgit Wellenreuther, Südzucker Head of IT – Business Applications.

So, the method itself had been found rather fast. But then the question arose: Which provider is the best fit for Südzucker? While searching for potential technologies and tools, Simplifier was monitored closely in early 2019.

But what exactly was it that made Südzucker choose the low-code platform by the Wuerzburg-based low-code experts?

One of the decisive reasons for choosing Simplifier was the easy and entire Integration of the SAP system landscapes into the applications to be created. Südzucker itself is strongly integrated with the SAP world and requires this data in a variety of applications. Therefore, it was extremely important for the food manufacturer to find a partner with a high level of SAP know-how and who has integrated this experience into its own technology. This is exactly 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 also the only low-code platform that uses the UI5 framework, which helps developers from the SAP environment in particular to become productive quickly.

Südzucker’s requirement was such 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 the existing ‘know how'”.

Another point that spoke in favour of Simplifier from the Südzucker point of view is the reusability of the individual components. This accelerates the creation of applications and makes them more sustainable.

Sustainability is also ensured by the use of web technology and open standards, which means that the platform can be expanded and used flexibly as required.

Südzucker has set itself the goal to remain flexible and independent in the future, which was an important decision criterion in selecting Simplifier. With Simplifier, Südzucker retains control over the source code of every application, because even after the application is released, it is open source.

Last but not least, the issue of licensing costs also played a relevant role in the decision-making process. “With Simplifier, roll-out costs are significantly reduced, which also has an effect on the ROI,” says Wellenreuther.

But Simplifier has also convinced as a company in principle. “What we liked particularly well in this respect was the professionalism of the Simplifier representatives,” explains Wellenreuther. This is also reflected in the flexibility of the product and service.

A workshop on site was the main way of directly convincing Südzucker. Two Simplifier developers showed what can be done with Simplifier and what advantages it brings – the so-called “proof of value”. Within two days, three apps with different features were developed, which will be brought to production and rolled out in subsequent projects.

In order to educate the respective Südzucker employees to work with the Simplifier low-code platform, 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.

In this way, Südzucker can quickly take advantage of the possibilities offered by Simplifier.