The past decade, low-code platforms have become an increasingly normal part of the IT landscape. While there are sceptics, the major analyst firms, including Forrester and Gartner, agree that low-code is here to stay.
Low-code platforms are not a magic bullet to all enterprise IT problems, and both hand coding and off-the-shelf software will be part of the enterprise architecture in the years to come. The differences between the low-code platforms also makes evaluation a “fit for purpose” choice rather than a choice of “to low-code or not to low-code”. This means that you may see low-code solutions from several platform vendors implemented in your company in the years to come.
If you are not yet familiar with low-code, there are some trigger-points for when you should consider looking for a low-code platform:
1) Off-the-shelf software does not match your requirements
Off-the-shelf software, and preferably software as a service (SaaS), is the default choice for most IT leaders when looking for a solution for their organization. When the standardized solution offers exactly what you need, and these needs are not expected to change in the coming 3-5 years, this is often the least expensive and fastest alternative. However, if the standardized solutions do not match your requirements, and you have to customize or modify the solution, low-code is a better and more sustainable alternative. A low-code solution is often in the same price-range as off-the-shelf solutions, but offer functionality tailored specifically to your business! Further, the low-code application can continuously evolve to stay in line with changing business circumstances and requirements.
2) You need to reduce cost and/or time-to-value
Low-code allows you to deliver more functionality in less time. Further, with the right metadata interpreting low-code platform, maintenance and operations are less expensive than coded (and often also off-the-shelf) alternatives. This means higher ROI, better responsiveness, lower long-term costs, and reduced backlogs.
3) You need to modernize your core
Some, but not all, low-code platforms can help you modernize your legacy core applications. Upgrading or replacing these applications is often associated with high risks and enormous projects. According to a recent research paper from Forrester, low-code can be just the right solution for such modernization.
4) You struggle getting the right talent
Good programmers are hard (and expensive) to recruit. Great programmers even more so. With low-code, you can expand the talent pool to include what we call “Business Engineers”: tech-savvy candidates with business understanding, but often without a formal programming education. Typically, you find these candidates in other engineering disciplines, consultancy firms, or with backgrounds in finance. The visual development interface of low-code allows these Business Engineers to solve problems (which they are extremely good at) without knowing the required syntax, complications and patterns of traditional programming languages.
5) You need to improve alignment between business and IT
Low-code brings business and IT together, offering near real-time collaboration and alignment. In a rapidly changing business landscape, low-code can help IT rapidly deliver the new applications or change requests the business demands. If your IT strategy includes more frequent releases and improved alignment with business requirements, low-code platforms should be considered as part of your toolbox.
