Low-Code’ – A flexible, scalable and agile software development alternative

The use of low-code platforms for application development allows business users to create their own solutions; IT to decentralise software development; and Business to increase revenue, reduce costs, and reap the benefits of Digital Transformation.

Juan Miguel Jiménez P.

Companies develop applications for almost everything, investing a lot of time in development, and running the risk that the solution becomes obsolete in a very short time or simply does not meet the user’s expectations. What’s more, if you are reading this article you probably have (or had) the need to digitise some business process, looking to make it more efficient (less man-hours or people), secure and scalable – is that so? -. If the answer is yes, you are faced with the need to develop or implement an application, even if the clarity of the solution, as well as the time to do it, does not end up being so clear. This is where the use of agile development methodologies and low-code tools end up being an alternative to address the problem.

One of the main benefits of agile methodologies is to be able to deliver as much value as possible in the early stages of projects, including the possibility to validate whether the proposed solution works or not. While this sounds good, companies are faced with challenges such as:

• Many systems to use and maintain
• Little time for innovation and experimentation
• Lack of internal capacities to do so
• Internal and external changes (Trends and Uncertainties)

In addition, technology evolves every minute, with new products, programming languages and functionalities appearing, making it necessary to choose the right technological platform, architecture, devices, suppliers, etc. that are sufficiently flexible and scalable to meet these challenges.

In this last area, Low-Code Development Platforms allow the development of the system to materialise, test it, and make improvements over time, and in real time, seeking to realise the proposed benefits.

• But Juan Miguel, what is Low-code? – Let me explain.

What is Low-Code?

Low-Code is a term used to refer to the development of applications without code, or generally with little use of code, which allows business applications to be created quickly and without the need for a high level of programming knowledge.

For business managers, the above means one of two options:

• Having the ability to develop applications with little IT intervention (or specific third party intervention), and above all, seeking to focus on the solution and less on the code, or
• Provide the IT area with a tool that allows it to develop systems faster.

In any scenario, software development is achieved through platforms that provide a wide variety of pre-configured functionalities, components and services, easily adaptable and integrable with each other. These platforms have evolved to the point of eliminating the need for classical programming syntax, democratising application development and allowing business users to create applications in a simple way and without the need for programming knowledge.

Some of the features provided by these Platforms:

What are the benefits of using Low-Code?

If you still have doubts about using Low-code as a software development alternative, let me list its benefits for you:

• Enabling greater collaboration and understanding between the IT team and business users. This means more value, flexibility and speed in software development.
• Boost your company’s Digital Transformation capabilities.
• Customer focus: focus on what you want to achieve rather than how you are going to implement it..

• Save time and costs: Average software project development times can be reduced by up to 80%.
• Having information under control: The data generated by the applications are centralised in a single database system, which facilitates their control.
• Integration with other systems, allows for more unified business-to-business solutions

Now?…Let’s try it! There is no other way

• Visit the Gartner website and see the different Low-Code platforms on the market.(Ir a Gartner), 
• Select one:
  • At UHORIZON we use Zoho Creator. You can open your free account at the following link (abrir cuenta gratuita)
  • Other good platforms to be considered are Outsystem and Mendix.
• Identify any manual processes that you want to digitise or automate, or that you want to extend the functions you currently have.
• Calculate what the benefit would be. One way is to calculate the man hours you spend per year on it, multiply it by the average man hours cost, and estimate a percentage you can reduce by digitising or automating.
• And begin!

If you still have any doubts, call us or write to us, we could do a demo giving you a solution to the business case you have in mind.