Empowering Citizen Developers: Evaluating the Usability of Low-Code BPM Tools in Process Design

• Published in: European Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology Vol. 13; no. 48; pp. 220 - 233
• Main Author: Sivanarasu, Sivaprakash
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 26.06.2025
• ISSN: 2054-0957; 2054-0965
• DOI: 10.37745/ejcsit.2013/vol13n48220233

Low-code Business Process Management (BPM) tools have emerged as key enablers in the democratization of software development by empowering "citizen developers" non-IT professionals who build and modify business processes. This article evaluates the usability of leading low code BPM platforms in enabling non-technical users to design and implement workflows. Through a mixed-method approach involving usability testing, surveys, and expert interviews, the evaluation investigates tool learnability, user satisfaction, error rates, and cognitive load across multiple platforms including Microsoft Power Automate, Appian, OutSystems, Mendix, and Pega. Results indicate that while most platforms effectively support basic process creation, significant challenges persist in areas of model complexity, exception handling, and process monitoring features. The article findings reveal a fundamental tension between simplicity for novice users and power for complex business requirements, suggesting that progressive disclosure mechanisms offer the most promising approach to balancing these competing needs. The article concludes with practical guidelines for improving usability and adoption of low code BPM tools among citizen developers.