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The Low Code Revolution-Part 2

Low Code Revolution

John Mendes, Vice President, Solutions, PamTen

The Low Code Revolution – Part 1 explained what Low Code No Code Application development was and who is using it. In Part 2 we look at Why it should be used and what to look for in this type of platform.

Why use low code development platforms?

Many businesses are transforming themselves through digitization. The introduction of new technologies, increasing demands from stakeholders to respond quickly to a constantly changing market conditions, and a scarcity of highly skilled resources are placing tremendous pressure on IT organization to rapidly deliver digital transformation services.  Many IT organizations are turning to low code development platforms to respond to these challenges.

What the experts are saying

The 2018 Digital Transformation Readiness Survey conducted by DevOps.com and sponsored by Appian outlined many of the challenges IT organizations face. Many of the AD&D professionals surveyed reported that they felt understaffed and overwhelmed when it came to delivering the software required to support the transformations they are planning.

Gartner Survey on digital business  –  “While IT delivery is still a responsibility of the CIO, achieving revenue growth and developing digital transformation were identified most often as top business priorities for organizations in 2018. If CIOs want to remain relevant, they need to align their activities with the business priorities of their organizations.” 

McKinsey article on B2B Digital Leadership – “Digitization has made providing consistent, high-quality customer interactions a competitive differentiator, no matter the channel.”

Low code development platforms enable IT to become more responsive to the needs of the business by providing a platform that allows powerful enterprise apps to be easily and quickly developed and launched.  The result is the ability to swiftly transform concepts into solutions that are innovative and not disruptive.

A few of the ways low code development can help:

  • Better utilization of talent – Reallocate highly skilled technical resources away from support and maintenance work enabling them to develop more apps faster.
  • Improved Business/IT Alignment – Increase collaboration between the business and IT by allowing the business developer to participate in the app development process while allowing IT to retain control, reducing the risk of Shadow IT.
  • Gain Competitive Advantage – Delivering innovate apps faster and cheaper fuels disruption and allows organizations to respond quickly to changing customer demands.
  • Improve Quality – Less code means there is less code to test. Since the platform contains reusable components and APIs, much of the code has already been tested. Fewer defects mean faster development cycles and lower overall effort.
  • Reduce Talent Gap – Enabling business developers to create apps lessens the demand for highly skilled   development resources that are difficult to acquire and retain.

What do you look for in a Low Code Platform?

Some key questions to ask when considering a low code platform:

  • Does the platform provide a separate environment for both the software developer and the business developer? Are these environments integrated to allow for real-time feedback and collaboration?
  • Is the UI easy to learn and use? Does the platform provide an easy to use visual modeler to create logic, workflows, data structures, and all the other components required for your app?
  • Is the database integrated across the platform and scalable?
  • Is the platform on a cloud-based infrastructure with enterprise-grade security? Is it easily scalable?
  • Are there built-in tools and controls to ensure quality and compliance?
  • Are you looking for a strategic solution to your software delivery challenges or a point solution to address a very specific need?
  • How will the work be divided among the software developers and business developers?

Check out this list from G2Crowd for the top 17 low code development platforms.

There is little doubt that low code and no code development platforms will have a role in the future of software application development.  The use of these platforms will continue to grow as they become more sophisticated, allowing business developers to deliver functionality that at one time was only possible by employing a team of software developers.  As organizations become comfortable with these platforms they will increasingly turn to them to deliver business transformation services instead of following the traditional IT software development and delivery model.

Low code and no code platforms will never entirely replace the need for highly skilled and talented software developers. However, the most forward-thinking IT organizations will continue to embrace these platforms. They will leverage the capabilities these platforms offer to accelerate the development and delivery of software applications.

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