Mendix ISV Program Partners Improve Processes with Low-Code Digital Thread

Let’s take a closer look as representatives of PROLIM, Compliance Group, and Syncron discuss:

• Software solutions that optimize system access, operational visibility, lifecycle management, and more
• Getting started with low-code, including how to get buy-in and overcoming resistance to change
• The core benefits of low-code and the Mendix ISV program

All vendors can share a low-code common denominator

All three participants are members of the Mendix ISV program. However, each represents critical solutions from different areas and stages of business evolution. Learn more about each:

PROLIM digitizes products from 9 locations across the US, India, Australia, and New Zealand

Prabhu Patil comes from PROLIM, a Siemens platinum partner that does full-lifecycle product digitization. PROLIM has built more than 200 low-code applications.

PROLIM has more than 100 dedicated Mendix developers. Their team deploys visual development, workflow, and outbound logistics solutions. Their far-reaching client base includes electronic vehicle manufacturing. They are a mature and efficient low-code operation.

“We started using Mendix a few years ago as a digital transformation platform,” said Patil. “Our solutions join the left-hand CRM side with the right-hand SAP and supplier collaboration side.”

Compliance Group accelerates quality excellence across the value chain

Jason Spiegler brings ten years of Siemens product and client management experience to Compliance Group (CG). At CG, Spiegler delivers quality optimization, equipment validation, and several other risk-related offerings.

“With the on-demand resourcing that CG does in life sciences, we have validated about every CRM, PLM, and MES. About every piece of manufacturing or lab equipment,” said Spiegler. “We look at the end-to-end processes and find the low hanging fruit. We then go in and bridge these gaps with Mendix low-code apps.”

Syncron turns complex challenges into competitive differentiators in the aftermarket service space

Sarang Sambare represents Syncron, the newest Mendix ISV partner of the group. Despite being new to low-code technology, Syncron brings 30 years of experience developing and providing aftermarket service solutions to several service-heavy industries, including automotive construction and mining.

“At Syncron, we’ve connected service delivery with inventory planning and flexible pricing. We can build pricing around things like parts or service contracts,” said Sanare. “We are early in our partnership with Mendix, but we’re already seeing benefits to areas like workflow.”

Before you can build out, you’re going to need buy-in

The panel members come from three different perspectives. However, they agree you must get buy-in before you can start developing solutions.

For vendors, that could mean the executive decision-makers for your organization. It could mean incorporating a newer technology into a customer’s tech stack. Getting alignment can be the hardest part of taking on new technology but also the most critical.

“Otherwise, IT won’t approve it and they definitely won’t engage with it,” said Patil. “They’ll tell you they already have a solution in place — such as Microsoft Power Apps or SharePoint. So, unless you can show buy-in, IT will ask why Mendix?”

That process also includes touching base with the organizational change management (OCM) department. Going through the official channels for incorporating something new, says Patil, is critical to building your business case.

“There’s got to be a business case. But when we start talking to conservative-minded people, especially in regulatory and regulated industries,” said Spiegler. “That’s where OCM can be very helpful.”

It’s easy to download Mendix—and essential to proving your case

It’s important to follow your enterprise protocol. But, the way to win hearts and create champions, according to Sambare, is to download and demo the Mendix platform. When proving to colleagues how low-code technology works, experiential learning is best.

“Get your team excited about Mendix, get them into demo environments,” said Sambare. “It’s very intuitive. They will figure things out very quickly in these sorts of environments. They will start to see the potential and become champions.”

Get started with low-code technology by building a business case

For Patil, a low-code development commercial solution project starts by identifying a problem. Spiegler agrees that a business case converts the skeptics and clarifies the path. Most importantly, a business case is critical to gaining executive support.

“We use the Pixar storytelling framework to really understand the why, the message, the meaning, the measures. We start identifying the potential friction. Then really align the project objectives to the overarching business strategy. We connect it with the business strategy and that helps overcome resistance.”

Build your app from scratch with Mendix

There are several benefits and even a few shortcuts you can take when developing your first app on Mendix. Learning the hands-on way engenders a better understanding of a tool.

To speed things up, the Mendix Marketplace has hundreds of third-party proven solutions you can incorporate into your build.

“Since it’s your first time using it, you’ll need to get familiarized with Mendix,” said Patil. “But you don’t need to be a Java programmer to understand what you are doing.”

According to Spiegler, it is important to focus on use cases that impact and drive value but not take on too complex a project. “I guarantee you there’s a lot of opportunity in your organization. Produce a simple app that will improve the employee experience and add value. That’s where to start.”

Use a partner to help you move even faster

There is a lot of value in hands-on learning with low-code. But when time is critical, working with a vendor or service partner has benefits. A partner provides guidance and can speed up your low-code learning curve. With the added experience, your project will move faster as well. Either way, when your first app is deployed, your team will have low-code champions and a solid understanding of the Mendix platform.

“The fastest way is to use somebody else and learn along the way. Work with them to get your strategy, solution, and architecture going,” said Patil. “That’s the best way to get started. You have foolproof architecture and a solution developed. The first app is successfully deployed. You can assess the ROI, and then you can continue our second app on your own and beyond.”

3 core benefits of Mendix low-code and the ISV program

Low-code technology and the Mendix platform offer several benefits for commercial software vendors. By combining these advantages with the support and community of the ISV partner program, vendors can access two powerful components of a successful commercial software strategy. Here are three benefits that come with a low-code partnership:

1. Connected from concept to rollout

Working with different technology, including legacy or custom-built systems, is easier with Mendix. Mendix can integrate with anything. One of PROLIM’s EV clients uses several different systems in the factory, including SAP, Teamcenter, and NX. Meanwhile, their dealership and distributor use several others.

“Using Mendix, you can create one product with a 360-degree view of everything. I can see product development, manufacturing, ERP systems, or quality testing. I can also deploy a change and see the impact of the change across those systems. That’s another great area where Mendix plays an important role. Bringing together impact analysis, change management, and quality.”

2. Creating end-to-end improvements quickly and with quality

For Compliance Group, the Mendix low-code platform creates a digital thread. This thread connects systems to improve the quality of data. It also reduces risk by eliminating blind spots and gaps in the workflow. One solution built by CG showed a holistic view of manufacturing factory Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) data and manufacturing execution system (MES) data to track real-time shopfloor performance.

“Our mission is to enable the fastest path to quality excellence across the value chain. How do we build and design in quality, in R&D, in manufacturing, in supply chain?” said Spiegler. “That’s where Mendix fits initially for me.”

3. Business users can create workflows that save time and money

For Sambare and Syncron, a significant benefit of Mendix is workflow optimization. Non-technical business users can create efficient workflows, leading to shorter times to value. These workflows are also crucial to demonstrating value and improving customer service.

“We do some work today on the service delivery side and being able to take a ticket and pass it through a number of different processes and pass it through a number of different workflows is critical for us,” said Sambare. “The capability to be able to create a workflow without a strong technical background is extremely important for our business.”

The value of becoming a Mendix ISV Partner

The ISV program brings together business process experts in different industries who can create software that makes a difference for their end users. Having access to the apps that ISV partners share in the Mendix Marketplace is an invaluable project accelerator.

“It really reduces the risk for the customers to begin to use Mendix and is a great strategy from Siemens,” said Spiegler. “You can purchase the apps through the store that we version control and support. You don’t have to buy the whole platform. You just buy the app from us. And then you can get a feel for Mendix.”