What are Enterprise-Grade Applications? Top Tips for building

Quixy Editorial Team

August 22, 2023

There are several interpretations of the concept of “enterprise-grade” infrastructure. Depending on what you consider enterprise-grade for your web application, it may differ from what you would require for ERP, CRM, OLTP, finance, or other business-critical systems.

In the cloud era, it is essential to understand what “enterprise-grade applications” means for your critical applications. Increasingly, IT and business leaders are moving mission-critical applications to the cloud in today’s environment.

“Enterprise-grade” started appearing about five years ago when the “consumerization of IT” trend began. Software vendors who sell to companies started using the term “enterprise-grade” to differentiate their products from those that are intended for consumers after workers began using SaaS or mobile apps for business processes. Individuals and enterprise organizations have very different needs.

Let’s dive deep into enterprise-grade applications that will help to scale up your business.

What are enterprise-grade applications?

Enterprise applications (EAs) are large software systems designed for use in business or government environments. All phases of a company’s operations are controlled by enterprise application software. Large projects can be simplified through cooperative workflows.

An EA can be as simple as a content management system or as complex as a business process management system. Many of the world’s best-known brands, such as IBM and Microsoft, make these products.

Software used by enterprises is mission-critical for many companies. Their business would be severely affected by any software system failure.

Enterprise-grade application examples

Let’s look at some examples of enterprise applications to better understand what they are:

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Companies can collect and manage incoming client information with Salesforce. As a result, they can secure leads and retain them. Customers can access business information through CRM, which enables sales.

SCM (Supply Chain Management)

Enterprises can manage internal processes and third-party partners across their supply chains using Oracle SCM. In this way, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers can establish direct connections. Supply chain visibility improves as a result of minimizing miscommunication between companies.

POS (Point-of-Sale) software

Customer transactions are managed and recorded by Vend POS software. Businesses can monitor income and inventory using this information. In-store merchandise and purchases are typically managed through POS solutions for retailers and boutiques.

An enterprise resource planning system (ERP)

ERP systems such as SAP ERP manage and integrate their important business functions. By integrating all the processes needed to run their companies on a single system, they assist in resource planning. In larger companies, ERP apps facilitate communication and information sharing among departments.

The Human Resource Management System (HRMS)

With UKG Dimensions, employee information can be stored, processed, and reported. Staff scheduling, time off requests, recruitment procedures, and training are all stored, tracked, and analyzed by them.

Also Read: What is Bespoke Software? Advantages and Disadvantages

Elements of enterprise-grade application

To be considered enterprise-grade, a product must have these features:

1. Integration

Enterprise-grade software integrate with other applications and the IT framework through APIs. Simplifying complex workflows across multiple applications or datasets minimizes business disruption.

2. Lifetime control

Besides defending against attacks, security is also about controlling content after it leaves the firewall (e.g., DRM). File-level security is also important for securing important documents when they travel, including to mobile devices.

3. Support

Professional services support the integration and use of enterprise-grade products at all stages of implementation and use.

4. Productivity

In many organizations, enterprise-grade means ensuring that end users can accomplish the work of the enterprise… and in compliance.  As a result, file-sharing solutions should be made easy to use and adopt, so that they are not bypassed in favor of consumer-grade solutions.

5. Scalability

Ideally, enterprise-grade solutions should be able to handle tens of thousands of users and should have the ability to scale seamlessly as users and files grow.

6. Deployable against multiple use cases to manage IT complexity

Must support the entire content lifecycle (e.g., producer, consumer, owner, administrator, etc.)

7. Compliance

Organizations such as corporations, governments, and public and private institutions are often needed to comply with government or industry regulations. In addition to HIPAA, PCI, FERPA, GLBA, GDPR, etc. Enterprise-grade applications and platforms can help organizations create policies, implement controls, and acquire, manage, and access data efficiently. Data governance requirements dictate how end-customer data should be handled and stored, as well as where it can be processed.

Also Read: ‘SuperApp’ – Building an Ecosystem of Applications

Tips to build enterprise-grade applications with no-code

To help you develop a scalable, enterprise-grade application, here are 5 tips:

Examine No-code options

Whenever your business grows, examine and search for ways to automate business processes and workflows. A growing organization can digitize core competencies using AI-powered enterprise software solutions. Consider a No-code and hyper-automation enterprise software like Quixy to build a scalable business model. It is important to keep in mind that No-code application builders can be leveraged in many industries, so the benefits of automating processes can be reaped by everyone.

Embrace high-tech solutions

By adopting cutting-edge technologies, businesses can stay competitive with current industry trends. Before conceptualizing the business needs, it is important to consider the scale of those needs. In addition, the application can be transformed into an enterprise-grade application based on the success rate. When developing, use prevailing high-end technology solutions.

Recognize and value other people’s expertise

Scalable and enterprise-grade applications are not easy to build. Develop enterprise-grade applications with the least resistance by hiring development experts. With outsourcing, you can easily find talented individuals who can create scalable, enterprise-grade applications for you. Further, you can also hire development experts through hiring and staffing agencies.

Stay up-to-date with changes

Make sure all changes in your enterprise-grade application can be viewed. If you make changes to a client profile or add notes, make sure it continues to date back, so you can see who made the changes. You will be able to track things much easier, and you will be able to hold people accountable.

Implement scalable processes early

In the early stages of your business, building a scalable application is essential. It is common for startups to plan to automate manual processes and tasks in the future. The founders may face resistance from future key players whose interests are not aligned with theirs if they revert to manual operations.

Conclusion

Some degree of compromise has always existed between the business goals and those of IT. However, there must be no compromises when it comes to certain capabilities, especially in digital transformation. This is because speed, big data, intelligence, and other factors are driving competitive differentiation and disruption.

Thus, it is imperative to select a cloud provider who truly understands the enterprise and has created a cloud that is hardened, secure, flexible, and designed to meet the specific needs of enterprise-grade software migrations.

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