Low-code is a visual approach to software development by reducing the need to write code. Low-code platforms can reduce the amount of time spent enabling accelerated delivery of business applications. The graphical interface and the drag-and-drop features of a low-code platform automate the development process.
Low-code platforms are taking the world by storm. According to Gartner, the low-code market was valued at a whopping 13.8 billion dollars and will increase an average of 29.2% every year. Sounds crazy, right?
What is low-code app development?
Low-code development is a simplified form of software development that requires easy programming knowledge. Low-code means creating applications or digital workflows with little programming effort. Low-code also always means process optimization: Because employees work together more effectively, workflows can be implemented faster and easier.
With a graphical user interface, low-code platforms enable intuitive work based on the modular principle. The user is provided with visual models, which he usually selects via drag-and-drop and integrates into his own project in the desired arrangement. This visual modeling enables the rapid development of complex web and mobile applications and offers an immense increase in productivity.
Why Low-Code is Growing
So you might be wondering, why is low-code growing so fast? What makes this so unique?
Well, there are two reasons why this industry has grown so much!
First, developers have more challenging work than ever. They’re asked to create more advanced solutions to the company’s problems in an unrealistic timeframe. So for that reason, developers are forced to use low-code platforms to keep up with the demands.
But a more significant reason is the pandemic! That’s because of the restrictions caused by it, which has made businesses struggle. And to combat this, companies have been actively searching for ways to become more effective during those hard times.
And for many companies, low-code platforms have been the solution for them as they help businesses develop applications quicker with better automation and more cost-efficiently than ever possible.
Low-code platforms features and benefits
Easy to Use
Low-code platforms can be handy for both developers and business owners. There’s a reason why Gartner predicts that by 2025, 50% of low-code platform users won’t be in the tech niche.
The speed of app development can save a lot of money for your business in the long term. No longer will you need to hire a massive team of app developers to build your applications. Now you only need a few of them to do the same thing simultaneously.
Low code helps boost the productivity of your whole team. The problem with SaaS is that automating something is quite limiting. Each business has a unique way of solving something, so it’s challenging for those software companies to create something that works for everyone.
Fast App Development
Thanks to the pre-configured modules, your development team doesn’t need to start from scratch. Instead, they can use those modules and then start focusing on what matters.
Additionally, to not having to code some aspects of the app, there’s also an added benefit of not focusing so much on bug fixes. That’s because the pre-configured module has already been programmed, so there’s no need for it. As you can see, low-code app development is highly beneficial for both your business and developers!
The speed of app development can save a lot of money for your business in the long term. No longer will you need to hire a massive team of app developers to build your applications. Now you only need a few of them to do the same thing simultaneously.
Low-code also helps boost the productivity of your whole team. The problem with SaaS is that automating something is quite limiting. Each business has a unique way of solving something, so it’s challenging for those software companies to create something that works for everyone. And that’s how low-code can help. It will give you the ability to automate something tailored to your unique problem.
Cost Efficiency
And also, the speed of app development can save a lot of money for your business in the long term. No longer will you need to hire a massive team of app developers to build your applications. Now you only need a few of them to do the same thing simultaneously.
And lastly, low code also helps boost the productivity of your whole team. The problem with SaaS is that automating something is quite limiting. Each business has a unique way of solving something, so it’s challenging for those software companies to create something that works for everyone.
And that’s how low-code can help. It will give you the ability to automate something tailored to your unique problem.
Flexibility
Flexible deployment tools allow the developed application to be published in a preferred environment. The ease of use of low-code development platforms also enables a high degree of customizability. The independence of programming experts enables the flexible development of specialized applications for various businesses.
Non-programmers from different specialist departments can productively participate in the software development process and thus advance digital transformation. This means that both individual users and entire departments can design the applications they need. This has the advantage that specialized technical know-how flows into the created applications without going through IT experts.
This contributes to the technical quality of the applications. It also allows users to better meet their needs and schedules.
Individual Solutions
Since low-code development is also designed for non-programmers, there is an opportunity to bring in cross-departmental expertise. Intuitive low-code programming goes hand in hand with almost limitless possibilities for digitization in medium-sized companies. Processes, services, and products can be advanced digitally in many different ways.
With well-thought-out technologies, products can be continuously improved. Challenges such as digital communication with customers, and responsive display of orders or payment processes require constant adjustment and improvement.
The increasing importance of IoT devices is also an example of an area that needs a quick response to new challenges. Using low code, you can react quickly to new needs or new corporate growth goals and integrate the appropriate applications into your IT landscape. This makes the low-code development platform a valuable bridge between IT and business.
Low-code use cases
Now that you have a deeper understanding of what low-code is and how it’s used let’s talk about what you can do with low-code platforms. First, let me start by saying that the possibilities are endless. Here’s just a fraction of how you can use Low-Code:
Recruitment Management System
Hiring new employees can be difficult. However, you can make it easier with low code than ever before. For example, you can automate the process and communication in a centralized online database application.
Project Management System
If usual project management systems don’t fit your needs, you could use low-code to create the perfect one. For example, you could sync tasks with simple project management applications like Asana and Trello or track user communication with a comment log for each project.
Financial Apps
Keeping up with your finances can be quite a hassle. However, with low code, this can be easy. For example, you could create custom calculators, invoice processors, and automatic expense reports.
Digitization of Business Processes
Low-code platforms are used both for the digitization of internal business processes in industry and for external, customer-oriented processes in offices and authorities. Low-code accelerates digital transformation.
Custom Workflows Process
The common use of low-code is to create custom workflows to improve process management. This is also an option typically used by companies that have a much higher demand in this area. IT specialists in the respective company can easily create tailor-made functions that exactly meet the current needs.
Low Code vs Traditional Coding
Traditional coding has quite a few flaws. The two most significant ones are:
- Steep learning curves
- And that it’s time-consuming to build new applications
And that’s precisely what low-code tries to eliminate. Instead of you spending hours trying to understand how code works, you’ll use a relatively easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface, which makes it easy to learn, even for visual learners.
Additionally, it also saves up a lot of time for developers. For example, developers can use pre-configured modules to skip some aspects of coding instead of coding from scratch again, making it easier and quicker to finish applications.
The Key Differences Between Low-Code and No-Code
If you start searching for low-code platforms, you might stumble upon a phrase called “no-code” While they might sound similar, they are two different things.
For example, “low code” needs the user to have at least a basic understanding of coding while “no-code” platforms don’t. However, that’s not where the differences end.
One of the most significant differences between the platforms is who it targets. For example, low-code is targeted to developers. It’s meant to make it easier and quicker to finish their work.
But no-code platforms are for the less tech-savvy people who don’t have the necessary resources to hire an IT team and prefer to build applications themselves. So with it, business owners can quickly create automation without learning a programming language.
But that doesn’t mean no-code is superior. One of its biggest fallbacks is that it has to limit capabilities. Since you cannot delve into the code and change it, you cannot create automation for special and unique problems.
Challenges and Advantages for Developers
Now that we’ve seen the developer’s point of view let’s talk about what advantages and struggles a business owner might have with this platform.
Advantage
- Quicker Fixes and Updates
If an automation tool doesn’t work as well as you hoped, then you could see your business productivity crumble. Fortunately, with low code, the time between fixes is much shorter than it is with traditional methods.
You won’t need to scan through countless lines of code, trying to find where the bug happens. Instead, you’ll have to look at the visual interface and fix it! That saves up a lot of your time, meaning your team will be back in their prime quicker than ever. - No Need For a Team of Developers
Thanks to the advantages of no-code and low-code platforms, developers can finish developing apps faster than ever before. That means you won’t need to build a team of developers to keep creating amazing apps for your business.
Instead, one to two developers should be enough for most businesses once you’ve trained them to use low code application platforms!
Challenge
- High Costs for Implementation
For starters, let’s talk about the costs. While it might be cheaper to switch to low-code platforms, that’s an entirely different story in the short term. The thing is, low-code platforms aren’t inexpensive, especially for small to medium-sized businesses!
One of the highest costs is training your employees to start using them. They’ll need some time before they’ll be familiar enough to start using them. So be okay with seeing decreased productivity due to the unfamiliarity of the platform. - Resist to Change
But that’s still not all! Another thing you should expect is resistance. As I mentioned above, developers fear these platforms take away their jobs to rebel against them. The best thing you can do then is to carefully explain and convince them to start using it.
But if you’re ready for these minor setbacks, then your business should see a massive boost in both profitability and productivity. So it’s well worth the disadvantages.
Limitations of Low-Code
You’ve seen quite impressive things about low-code. Well, there are a few flaws you should know about it. And one of the biggest problems with low-code platforms comes from its most significant advantage, which is speed!
The thing is, while you might be able to finish your applications quicker, there’s just so much you could do with low-code. Developers aren’t starting from a blank sheet. They already have a foundation ready, thanks to the pre-made templates.
So the more unique your problem, the less likely low-code will be the solution. But at the same time, most businesses won’t find any issues with it. So low-code is still a fantastic platform to use!
Conclusion
So as you can see, low-code is extremely useful for many businesses. It helps you can do several things. For example, you could automate your finances by creating automatic expense reports, calculators, and so much more.
And that’s just scratching the surface. So if you want to see your business go to the next level, then using low-code platforms is extremely important.
FAQ
What does low-code means?
Low-code is a new way of creating software. Instead of manually writing thousands of lines of code, digital applications can be built using a low-code development platform with little or no programming knowledge. This works because the platform consists of pre-built code blocks that perform specific functions.
Users can then simply click the building blocks and modules together via a graphical user interface and select and control functions, commands and conditions using the available selection fields.
How does low code work?
The visual editors of the low-code development platforms typically follow the classic WYSIWYG approach (What You See Is What You Get) when it comes to creating the interface. Certain structural elements are available on a graphical drawing area, which you as the user can align as you wish. From this, the visual editors create either a source code or a definition for the interface.
A characteristic feature of the low-code development platforms is to largely hide the underlying technologies and not confront end users with them. This should make work as easy as possible for users on the one hand, and they should be able to use the entire range of functions for digital transformation on the other.
What are the Application Areas of Low-Code Platforms?
Low-code can be part of every IT strategy and every department’s digitization strategy. There are different platforms for different application scenarios. Although one-for-all platforms can basically be used universally, they lack the appropriate depth when it comes to complex, subject-specific processes. Specialized platforms sometimes come with suitable default settings and ready-made configurations, so that applications can be productive even faster.
For example, there are platforms that focus on financial processes or production. In the future, many companies will therefore have not just one, but several no/low-code platforms. In larger companies and corporations, we assume an average of three to four platforms for different fields: e.g. administrative processes with data and documents, production, logistics and procurement as well as special applications.
What Industries Are Using Low-Code?
Low-code is also conquering any industry and is already being used as an important tool for digital transformation. A new digital experience is created thanks to shorter lead times, reduced errors and better quality. Traditional Excel spreadsheets are replaced with low-code applications, and modern dashboards and reports are created. Work processes are standardized and synchronized, thereby accelerating digital corporate transformation.
For example, low code can be used in the following industries:
- Software Development
- E-Commerce
- Banking and Finance
- Manufacturing
- Insurance
- Pharma
- Supply chain and Logistics
