Solve IT challenges with low-code platforms

What are low-code application platforms?

Low-code application platforms use pre-designed, combinable commands in a visual, drag-and-drop interface to build apps, automate processes and workflows, create websites, and connect data sources. Low-code software development is an approach that accelerates app development while reducing the need for traditional coding. Users need only a basic understanding of programming to develop apps with this method. That means that everyone on the IT team as well as citizen developers—or employees without professional training or technical backgrounds—can create impactful business applications. That can have a transformative effect on an organization.

Low-code development platforms are more customizable and sophisticated than no-code platforms, which require zero coding ability. Both low-code and no-code platforms make app development easier and faster.

6 common IT challenges that are solved with low-code platforms

Low-code platforms make it possible to work faster, spend less money, and improve connectivity between organizational teams as well as between disparate data sets. This helps solve six of the most significant IT challenges faced by organizations today, including:

1. Staff shortages. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the need for software developers will grow 25 percent, much faster than average, over the next 10 years, resulting in a shortage of nearly 1.2M software developers by 2026¹. Low-code development empowers junior developers, citizen developers, and other employees to develop technological solutions to problems.
   
   
2. Productivity problems. Technical debt—or the time spent reworking software that went live with known deficiencies—can be a significant burden for busy IT teams. When business needs outpace IT departments’ ability to deliver, technical debt builds up and further reduces the IT team’s capacity. Low-code solutions that encourage collaboration between business and development reduce the need to rework the resulting solutions. These projects move faster than traditional development projects, preserving time for concepting and testing to eliminate future rework. Low-code platforms also improve productivity by allowing IT teams to build automations that streamline digital business processes.
   
   
3. Long lead times. Businesses must respond quickly to evolving market conditions to stay competitive. Low-code projects go live much faster than traditionally coded applications with no need for outsourcing to highly skilled developers. Keeping sensitive projects in-house improves security, too.
   
   
4. Shadow IT culture. Impatience with IT lead times has led to the rise of shadow IT, which comes about when business leaders work around IT to develop their own solutions. The faster pace of low-code development builds can restore business users’ faith that IT teams can deliver on desired timelines. Plus, business users with some coding background can play a more active role in building solutions, strengthening collaboration.
   
   
5. High expenses. Low-code platforms are less expensive than hiring more developers or other external resources. These platforms can also save money by empowering junior developers and non-developers to make a bigger business impact than they otherwise would.
   
   
6. Disorganized data. The past 20 years have seen exponential growth in the volume and sources of data that are created and ingested into corporate systems. Organizing and connecting that data in meaningful ways is a major challenge for many organizations. Low-code development tools can help bridge gaps between systems and people, making data usable and generating insights and action that can have a significant business impact.

How to integrate a low-code platform into your existing processes

Low-code software development is a radical approach compared to most organizations’ standard process. As a result, you may need to make significant changes to your IT team’s ways of working. Once you’ve acquired a low-code software development platform that meets your requirements, follow these best practices to integrate it into your existing tech stack.

• Evaluate existing systems. Perhaps your new low-code development platform can replace one or more other systems you have in place. Or maybe there are upgrades you’ve wanted to make but haven’t yet. Now is the time. Make improvements across the board so that your improved development process starts on the right foot.
  
  
• Implement a new development approach. Low-code platforms make app development accessible to employees beyond the IT team. Ensure the IT team controls the development process with new safeguards, roles, responsibilities, and procedures, if needed. Some organizations may need to implement a different software development life cycle approach to match the speed and agility of low-code development.
  
  
• Ensure your data is ready. Confirm that your data capturing, storage, and management processes lend themselves to integration with your low-code development platform.
  
  
• Appoint platform administrators, identify users, and conduct training sessions. Ensure that everyone who will use the platform receives the proper training on both the tool itself as well as the internal process for ideating, building, testing, and approving apps.
  
  
• Configure settings. Establish all necessary authentication processes, security settings, and integrations.
  
  
• Conduct a security review. Make sure your settings meet all enterprise security requirements.
  
  
• Grant licenses. Authorize the developers and business users who will build apps using this new solution.
  
  
• Start with the pre-built solutions. Low-code platforms come with built-in components like workflows, reports, task assignments, and dashboards. Take advantage of these quick wins while planning for more customized projects.