They can help you build new apps quickly and easily, with minimal coding required by development teams. But they are also an easy way to fall into the trap of traditional enterprise software licensing models that may not make sense for your organisation today. So how do you avoid getting caught out?
The benefits
Low-code development has numerous benefits, including:
- Reduced complexity. Low-code development means that applications are built on fewer lines of code, which means they can be scaled more easily and maintain their functionality as business requirements change over time.
- Rapid application development. The ability to create applications faster than traditional programming allows organizations to respond more quickly to changing business needs or consumer demands — something that will become increasingly important in today's fast-paced digital world.
- Increased agility and responsiveness. With less manual effort involved in app creation, there is less risk of errors or delays due to human error, freeing up resources for other projects as well as allowing teams greater flexibility as they respond to market changes (such as those resulting from new technologies).
Use cases
Low code/no code platforms have many uses in the digital world.
- Customer and employee portals that deliver self-service experiences including bill payments, quote generation, and expense claims.
- Modernise legacy systems through augmentation or outright replacement.
- Phase out monolithic applications with the creation of micro-services .
- Improve workflows by replacing manual and paper-based processes across the business.
Some of the pitfalls
The reality is that users who are able to perform a task on low code/no code software will require training. This isn’t an area where they can just jump in and start working. You need to be realistic about whether your users have the necessary skill sets, time and energy to learn something new.
The other thing that you should be aware of is that low code/no code software doesn’t always live up to its hype when it comes to user adoption rates. If you think your team will be able to pick up this tool and use it without any help at all, chances are they won’t succeed without some sort of guidance from their managers or IT department or both!
You'll also need to watch out that these shadow IT functions should not be able to bypass critical business processes which are probably there for good reason.
The proliferation of licences can also be hard to manage so some controls will need to be implemented to keep costs in hand. but it's not impossible.
The last thing that you should be aware of is that the low code/no code software market can be a bit confusing. There are so many options out there, it’s hard to know which one will work best for your company.
Use it to make a demonstrable difference to your organisation and your customers.
If you're reached the point where you're ready to dive in - here are a couple more things to consider.
- Don't get carried away with the technology. The technology can be exciting, but don't forget about the business case. Make sure that you're using it for its intended purposes and not just because it's cool. This will help ensure you get real value out of it rather than just having another shiny toy on the shelf that nobody uses.
- Don't forget about the customer! In fact, we'd go so far as to say: never forget about them! As much as possible, try and use their language when talking about what they need from this project rather than talking about how great it is for your company or team internally (even if it does make sense). It'll help avoid misunderstandings down the line when one side talks in terms of internal processes and metrics while another side thinks they're discussing something entirely different based on their own experiences.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, low code/no code is just a tool to help you achieve your business goals. It is not a replacement for good planning, thorough research and a clear understanding of your organisational culture and processes.