Why Now Is The Right Time To Leverage Low-Code and No-Code Platforms?
For the longest time, organizations had two alternatives when they needed new IT solutions. They would build the solutions using their own developers or buy them from external vendors. The first approach offered a close fit to business requirements, but there were two major drawbacks: costs were high and developers would take a long time to build the solutions. The vendor solutions weren’t the best, but they were cheaper and could be installed faster. Some solutions even allowed for configuration.
But as digital transformation became increasingly important, organizations needed more solutions to transform processes, their business models, and their cultures. The demand for applications significantly increased, and developers quickly became overwhelmed. The wait time for projects became longer and longer.
To ensure solutions were built on time and to free up developers’ time for higher-value projects, organizations started adopting low-code/no-code (LCNC) technology. Low-code platforms are easy to use and require minor coding, while no-code platforms need no coding at all. They allow citizen developers (subject matter experts in other departments) to develop applications using a graphic interface.
What Are Low-Code and No-Code Development Platforms?
Low-code, no-code development platforms have an intuitive and graphical interface that gives users the power to quickly build applications. They can automate business processes without writing code.
Low-code/no-code tools offer greater user accessibility, spurring innovation and reducing the strain on IT departments. They can provide a close fit to business requirements and cost a lot less than systems developed in-house. The platforms speed up development by empowering non-technical employees. Using pull-down or point-and-click menu interfaces, they can design and create individual or departmental solutions in a few hours. 4 out of 5 businesses in the US currently use low-code platforms.
The Benefits of Adopting a Low-Code/No-Code Development Platform
1. Enhanced Digital Democracy
When the coronavirus pandemic struck, the companies that survived were those that were able to stretch their existing resources and quickly respond to changing market conditions. No-code and low-code platforms played a significant role in enterprise recovery efforts. They allowed non-technical users the people closest to the challenges—to create business solutions that streamlined operations.
No-code and low-code tools turn administrators, business analysts, and marketing specialists into developers by promoting citizen development. When these specialists build solutions on time, they increase the speed at which their organizations operate, boosting productivity. Even in a time of disruption, businesses can still operate with velocity, build resilience, and stay competitive.
2. Low-Code and No-Code Platforms Accelerate Application Development
A good low-code platform helps developers build apps faster and at a lower cost. Low-code development is up to 60% faster than traditional development. Building applications from scratch is time-consuming and costly—because it’s done by pro developers. By de-skilling, the development process, no-code, and low-code platforms often speed things up.
These platforms have a drag-and-drop interface, modules, forms, and other features that simplify app development. Some platforms have one or more programming languages and generate native code to ensure that apps look, feel, and operate like hand-coded apps.
3. Increase the Productivity of IT Developers
Statista’s 2021 survey revealed that many developers (42%) plan to develop internal IT solutions using low-code or no-code platforms. They say these platforms meet their basic development needs and allow them to focus on improving the software.
Low-code platforms boost developers’ productivity by reducing the amount of code they have to write. They let them put together business-critical pre-built application components rapidly and create more solutions. Developers have more time to tackle complex IT projects. By empowering pro developers, LCNC platforms drive innovation, growth, and experimentation.
4. Support Business Process Management (BPM)
Business process management is all about process excellence and continuous improvement. The discipline focuses on improving and standardizing processes, eliminating human error and process gaps while improving compliance and efficiency. LCNC software supports the BPM strategy by making it easier for business users to organize and optimize business processes without increasing IT’s backlog.
Low-code and no-code accelerate process optimization by giving non-developers a tool they can use to solve their challenges. They don’t have to wait for IT to automate or modify processes for them. Standardizing processes also becomes easy. All processes are organized, digitized, and integrated into the overall system.
5. Enhance the Employee Experience and Process Transformation
Low-code/no-code platforms enhance the overall user experience. Pro developers and non-developers don’t bounce between apps. They have a unified interface for app development, data management, and communication.
LCNC also has a great impact on process efficiency. Employees who identify opportunities to automate workflows build the automation themselves. It becomes easy to tackle process transformation. Processes that are highly resistant to scaling—like those that depend on email and spreadsheets—are digitized and accelerated. Low code’s agility makes it ideal for resolving incidental or unique workflows and processes.
Organizations That Want to Be Agile and Innovative Must Adopt Low-Code/No-Code Development
In an unpredictable marketplace, organizations that want to stay competitive and grow must embrace low-code and no-code. These tools provide visual editors and reusable components users can drag and drop for rapid development. Low-code development platforms allow pro developers to quickly build applications without having to research, write and test new code. Non-developers are also able to solve their problems fast. As developers become more scarce and charge more money, low-code/no-code platforms are stepping in to save the day.
