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Creatio Alternative
An alternative to Creatio, so that your business users can also automate processes
In this article, we analyze and propose Flokzu Cloud BPM as a proven Creatio alternative for all processes in your organization, without being limited to those in the business area, and above all, without requiring software developers to automate processes and evolve them in the future.
Introduction
bpm'online was a tool conceived initially as a CRM, to serve strictly commercial processes. In 2019 it was renamed Creatio, in an attempt to cover other needs, not only those related to commercial processes. In recent years, the product has undergone a relevant mutation, and a lot of generic functionalities have been added to it, oriented to support any other type of processes that are complex for business users and require software development knowledge to use them correctly.
No-code software development
Certainly, Creatio is a no-code application generator, as it allows one to build software without programming. However, that configuration is so complex that only a software developer can do it correctly. The whole working environment is a typical software development IDE. Among the features that make it inaccessible to a business user (non-software developer), we find:
- It is based on an architecture of interlocking components (‘Composable Architecture’), which is very flexible and allows reuse but has a very high inherent complexity. The components are independent (pages, databases, user interface separate from the application, data, processes, etc.). The user must integrate all that into the application and make it work. The system requires “compiling” the solution, which suggests it may fail if everything is not well configured.
Image obtained from public video, available here.
- The form generator called “Freedom” is potent and versatile. However, it is very complex to configure. Its (front-end) components must be connected to the application’s back-end components using their identifiers and unique configurations, which is difficult for a business user.
Image obtained from public video, available here.
- The number of components generated, even in a simple application, is enormous. The developer must have a complete view of the solution and the existing components to use them. It is not easy for several people to collaborate working each one in some processes since all of them must know all the enormous structure of components.
Image obtained from public video, available here.
In short, Creatio is a no-code software development tool, flexible and powerful but very complex to use and not designed for business users. In other words, it speeds up the process of building an application for a developer. However, a business user will not be able to create and maintain one. This reduces the number of people who can use Creatio (compared to Flokzu), the cost of building and maintaining applications will be much higher (because they are developers and not functional), and the time probably much longer (because it is more flexible, but also much more complex).
In conclusion…
In a global environment that demands speed to digitize processes and introduce future changes, Creatio is a less agile and flexible solution than Flokzu. Creatio requires software development skills to build and maintain applications, which reduces the number of people who can do it (it is unmanageable by a business user who is not a software developer), and makes the time required to deploy an automated process much longer than in Flokzu. This reduces the ability to respond to changes (market, internal or regulatory).
Flokzu is a BPM product that specializes in processes. Creatio is generic to build any application, so it includes some BPM functions. Still, it will never be as efficient as a product specialized in processes. So naturally, for non-process applications, Creatio can be a good alternative.
Comparison
| Creatio | Flokzu | |
|---|---|---|
| Allows you to model and deploy processes from all areas of the organization (not just commercial). | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clear service plans and prices, which allow budgeting the monthly cost. | No | ✓ |
| No-Code software, that allows you to automate processes without programming. | ✓ | ✓ |
| Everyday business users can use it. | No | ✓ |
| Process Versions and Sandbox for process managing, testing, and agile deployment. | No | ✓ |
| Definition and reuse of software development components (tables, attributes, forms, fields) between different processes. | ✓ | No |
| Advanced scripting engine, complex validations and behaviors, user interface customization. | ✓ | ✓ |
| External participants support, allowing non-authenticated users to start any type of process (public form) and participate in the middle of the process execution. | Limited | ✓ |
