How low-code platforms support digital twins of processes

Digital Twin of Processes, also defined as process digital twins (PDTs), are emerging as a feasible solution for modeling, monitoring, and optimizing business processes by providing real-time, data-driven insights into operational workflows. However, designing, developing, and maintaining PDTs can be complex and resource-intensive, often requiring highly specialized expertise in software engineering and domain-specific processes. This paper proposes insights and guidelines into using low-code development platforms (LCDPs) to simplify and expedite the modeling and deployment of PDTs, leveraging intuitive, visual development environments and pre-built components. We identified 11 core characteristics that define PDTs and assessed the potential of LCDPs to support their design, development, and execution. The applicability of this framework is demonstrated through three case studies of littering management, order management, and guest invitations, where we evaluate how well LCDPs address the key requirements of PDT implementation. Our results indicate that while LCDPs offer significant advantages in terms of ease of adoption and cost efficiency, several challenges remain, particularly around scalability and process performance. At the same time, we propose lessons learned from these experiences that could help address these challenges in future implementations.