In the first article of the series dedicated to the topic of the low-code platform, we talked about the expansion of the low-code market, what problems this approach solves, and how it works.
In this article, we go further and tell why low-code development is becoming so popular and also why companies choose it above other solutions.
Low-code platforms are actively developing, and many corporations find huge benefits in their use. The digital transformation of business is as significant as it can be in our time, and approaches to its achievement are being actively implemented in various industries.
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Low-code platform trends
Gartner made the statement that by 2024, 65% of all applications will be built with the use of low-code platforms. Forrester, in turn, claims that the low-code market will be worth $21 billion by 2022.
These figures reveal that in the field of software development, the low-code trend is booming.
So why are low-code development platforms becoming so popular? The fact is that software manufacturers have a huge impact on the competitive advantage formation of companies and increases business flexibility. Low-code platforms, in turn, brilliantly help in automating the company’s business processes and are ideally suited to solving problems with technical debt. These platforms are quick, flexible, scalable, and can be integrated with any third-party systems.
What companies think about low-code app development
In the 1st quarter of 2019, Gartner interviewed around 200 companies and made the conclusion that clearly speaks in favor of using low-code software platforms in corporate IT.
Let’s look at the main findings that Gartner made based on its research:
- Most companies choose low-code platforms for development because it improves productivity and reduces time to market.
- Most of the respondents stated that they use low-code to create corporate applications, both multi-tenant and for separate departments.
- Almost half of companies use low-code for business processes automation.
- Respondents say that low-code systems increase productivity, allow business users to develop and change low-code apps, and improve the user experience.
- Working with low-code business process management software requires minimal software development skills.
Readiness to adopt low-code software
OutSystems’ staff conducted a study in 2019, during which they interviewed 3,300 companies on whether they use a low-code approach in the design of corporate applications.
41% replied they use low-code platforms and 10% stated they are going to do it in the near future. At the same time, 28% of respondents claimed they did not plan to use low-code application platforms, and 21% were not sure if they would implement this type of platform in their companies.
The main reason they do not use low-code is that they don’t know what it is. In addition, many have claimed to be afraid of challenges with scalability and security. Although, low-code platforms easily solve these issues.
Understanding what low-code is and what tasks it solves is the first step in adopting the technology. According to OutSystems research, 51% of CTOs are designing strategies for implementing low-code platforms in their organizations.
Benefits of low-code development
The main advantage of low-code platforms is that they enormously accelerate the development cycle from a business need to a working business process. Below are a number of reasons why many CEOs and CTOs are thinking about adopting a low-code platform. Let’s look at BENEFITS in more detail:
Speed
Fast time-to-market is the main advantage of low-code web app development. Most importantly, low-code has a positive effect on application delivery.
The main ways to increase development speed in low-code are:
- drag-and-drop technology,
- simple integration with third-party tools,
- application deployment in one-click.
Development convenience
Low-code platforms provide convenient templates and functional interfaces. Low-code platforms’ specialists are constantly adding new features to assist in various business processes. Thanks to this, companies get ready-made solutions, easily adapt them for their business and quickly put them into work.
Business users can be Developers
Low-code platforms contain simple-to-use Visual Designers, so trained business users can build apps and make the necessary changes without the help of professional programmers.
Automated control
The unique benefit of the low-code is that it contains built-in management features. This leads to the availability of administration and management of low-code apps by the corporate development department.
Business users are able to design the necessary apps with low-code. But they can’t deploy anything without the participation and approval of professional developers. This approach is called “controlled freedom.”
Timely changes
The features of a low-code platform allow you to instantly make changes without stopping the workflow. This is possible thanks to the graph databases used in low-code platforms. With this advantage, any business can as quickly make changes in their applications and instantly adjust its performance.
Progressive multi-channel capability
The huge benefit of low-code platforms is that through them, companies can build multi-channel points of contact with the users. You can quickly and easily embed chatbots, functional live call centers, and many other features in the applications, that allow you to adapt quickly to the needs of your clients.
Low-code development features by John Rymer
John Rymer, VP and principal analyst at Forrester Research, made an excellent speech on how a low-code development helps business. We recommend that you watch his presentation of The Future of Low-Code Development, where he answers an important question: What are the benefits companies receive by using low-code?
By watching, you will learn strategies that you need to adopt to really start to pick up the business process. John Rymer explains how to automate diverse operational processes and use low-code to make interactions with customers smart and completely personal.
Speech by John Rymer at Appian World 2018: Forrester – The Future of Low-Code Development.
Conclusion
Some experts compare low-code platforms with a wheel. The wheel itself has no use. But if applied correctly, it helps to accomplish many complex tasks.
The same is with low-code. It can significantly reduce the cost and speed up the process of app creation. The question is how well the company can use the tool.
One of the crucial things for the company in the early stages of low-code systems implementation is the selection of the right vendor of such solutions. In the next article “How to chose the right low-code software vendor for your business”, we will consider in detail how to choose the right low-code platform and what features should be considered.
