NEWS AND INSIGHTS

Low-code development is revolutionising the software industry, providing an accessible and powerful way to create business applications.

In this guide, we’ll explore what low-code development is, how it is streamlining the software development process, and why it’s beneficial to businesses of all sizes. We’ll also explore into what businesses are already adopting low-code development, its various use cases, and a detailed comparison to traditional software development.

What is Low-Code Development?

Low-code development is a software development methodology that leverages visual interfaces with simple logic and drag-and-drop features instead of extensive hand-coding. This approach enables users to design, build, and deploy applications quickly, with a primary focus on reducing the complexity and time required for traditional coding.

Key Characteristics of Low-Code Development:

• Visual Development Environment: Low-code platforms provide a visual interface where users can drag and drop components to create applications.
• Pre-Built Components: These platforms offer a library of pre-built modules such as UI elements, data connectors, and business logic components.
• Model-Driven Design: Applications are built using models that represent business logic, data models, and user interfaces.
• Declarative Tools: Users can define what the application should do rather than how it should be done, which simplifies the development process.
• Automation and Abstraction: Routine and complex coding tasks are automated and abstracted away, allowing developers to focus on high-level functionality.

Benefits of Low-Code Development

Low-code development offers a range of significant advantages, from reducing development costs and improving scalability to enabling rapid prototyping and empowering non-technical users to contribute effectively to application development.

1. Faster Time-to-Market: Applications can be developed and deployed much faster than with traditional coding methods. Businesses can respond more quickly to market demands and opportunities, gaining a competitive edge.
2. Cost Efficiency: Reduces the need for extensive coding expertise and large development teams, lowering overall development costs. Lower development costs mean that resources can be allocated to other strategic initiatives, enhancing overall business performance.
3. Flexibility and Scalability: Easily adaptable to changing business needs and scalable to accommodate growing user demands. Applications can be quickly modified to incorporate new features or scale to handle increased usage, ensuring long-term viability.
4. Improved Productivity: Enables rapid prototyping and iteration, allowing teams to focus on innovation rather than repetitive coding tasks. Teams can experiment with new ideas and features, iterating based on feedback without extensive rework.
5. Accessibility: Empowers non-technical users (citizen developers) to contribute to application development, reducing the IT backlog. Business users can create applications that meet their specific needs, reducing the dependency on IT and speeding up project delivery.

Who is Adopting Low-Code Development?

Low-code development is being embraced by a wide range of organisations. According to Microsoft, 97% of Fortune 500 companies are already using Power Platform[1], Microsoft’s collection of low-code development tools. Let's take a look at how different types of organisations can leverage low-code development to drive innovation and efficiency.

Large Enterprises

Fortune 500 companies are leveraging low-code platforms to accelerate digital transformation initiatives and swiftly respond to market dynamics. These enterprises use low-code tools to rapidly develop and deploy customer-facing applications and internal systems, enhancing agility and maintaining competitiveness in the rapidly evolving business landscape.

SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises)

Small and medium-sized enterprises benefit from low-code development by creating tailored solutions without the high costs associated with traditional software development. For example, a medium-sized retailer can use low-code platforms to build customised inventory management systems, optimising operations and scaling their business efficiently while managing costs effectively.

Startups

Startups can capitalise on low-code platforms to expedite the prototyping and launch of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). This capability allows startups to validate their ideas quickly, iterate based on user feedback, and gain traction in competitive markets. By reducing time-to-market, low-code development empowers startups to innovate rapidly and capture opportunities effectively.

Government and Public Sector

Government agencies and public sector organisations are increasingly turning to low-code development to modernise their operations and improve service delivery across various domains. By leveraging low-code platforms, these entities can streamline internal processes such as procurement, human resources management, and financial reporting. The agility of low-code development allows governments to respond quickly to legislative changes and citizen demands, facilitating faster policy implementation and regulatory compliance.

Non-Technical Business Users

Low-code development empowers non-technical business users, enabling them to create applications that meet specific operational needs without heavy reliance on IT departments. For instance, marketing teams can develop campaign management tools to track and analyse marketing efforts autonomously. This type of application development enhances organisational responsiveness, reduces IT backlog, and fosters innovation across the business.

Use Cases for Low-Code Development

Due to its flexibility and scalability, low-code development can be utilised across a diverse array of business applications and processes, enabling organisations to innovate and optimise operations efficiently. Here are some of the few use cases of low-code development.

Business Process Management (BPM)

Automating and optimising business processes from manual, repetitive tasks to streamlined actions.

Example: A company might use a low-code platform to automate its order fulfilment process, integrating with inventory systems and shipping carriers.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

A custom CRM solutions tailored to specific business needs.

Example: A sales team can build a custom CRM system that includes unique workflows, data fields, and reporting features specific to their sales process.

Mobile Applications

Developing cross-platform mobile apps quickly and efficiently.

Example: A retailer might develop a mobile app for customers to browse products, place orders, and track deliveries, all built using a low-code platform.

Data Management

Creating applications for data collection, processing and reporting.

Example: An HR department might use low-code to develop an employee data management system, streamlining data entry, and reporting.

Legacy System Modernisation

Updating and integrating legacy systems with modern applications.

Example: An insurance company could utilise low-code to modernise its legacy claims management system, integrating it with advanced analytics and customer service portals to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.

E-commerce Platforms

Building and managing online stores and marketplaces.

Example: An e-commerce business could use low-code to develop a fully integrated online store, including product management, payment processing, and customer service tools.

Comparison between Low-Code and Traditional Software Development

Low-code development offers a streamlined approach to application building compared to traditional software development. Here is a few high-level comparisons of the two development methods.

• Cost: Low-code development proves more cost-effective than traditional methods due to reduced reliance on highly specialised developers and shorter development cycles. Traditional projects often require large teams of developers with specific expertise, contributing to higher labour costs. In contrast, low-code platforms empower citizen developers and smaller teams to create applications, lowering development costs significantly. A cost of a medium sized project in traditional software development may cost £25,000- £50,000, where as in low-code the same project size could be £5,000- £20,000.
• Development Time: Low-code significantly reduces development time. Traditional development can take months or even years, while low-code can often deliver in weeks. For example, developing a custom CRM system might take 6-12 months with traditional coding but could be completed in 4-6 weeks with low-code.
• Maintenance and Upgrades: Low-code platforms often include automated maintenance and upgrade features, reducing the ongoing costs associated with traditional development. Regular updates and maintenance tasks that might take a dedicated team in traditional development can be handled automatically by the low-code platform.
• Scalability and Flexibility: Low-code platforms offer inherent scalability, allowing applications to grow and evolve with business needs. Unlike traditional development methods that may require extensive rework to scale applications, low-code platforms enable quick adjustments and additions of new features through their modular and reusable components. This flexibility ensures that businesses can adapt swiftly to changing industries, customer demands and internal requirements.

Popular Low-Code Development Platforms

There are numerous platforms that leverage low-code functionality to streamline and expedite the development of various projects. Among these platforms, Microsoft Power Platform, OutSystems and Zoho Creator stand out for their robust features and ability to cater to different business needs.

Microsoft Power Platform

Microsoft Power Platform is a comprehensive low-code development suite that includes PowerApps for building custom applications, Power Automate for workflow automation, Power BI for data visualisation and analytics, and Power Virtual Agents for creating chatbots.

Features: It seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365, Azure services, and Dynamics 365, providing a unified platform for application development and business process automation. Power Platform offers robust security features, scalability, and extensive enterprise-grade capabilities.

Use Case: Ideal for enterprises already using Microsoft services, Power Platform enables organisations to extend their existing Microsoft ecosystem with custom applications tailored to their specific business needs.

OutSystems

OutSystems is renowned for its enterprise-grade applications and rapid development capabilities. It provides a comprehensive platform for building and deploying web and mobile applications with strong integration capabilities.

Features: Key features include advanced security measures, scalability to handle enterprise-level applications, and full lifecycle support from development to deployment and maintenance. OutSystems supports integration with various systems and databases, facilitating seamless connectivity across the enterprise.

Use Case: Widely adopted by large enterprises seeking custom, scalable solutions, OutSystems empowers organisations to accelerate digital transformation initiatives and respond quickly to market demands.

Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator is a user-friendly low-code platform designed for small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs). It enables business users to create custom applications without extensive coding knowledge, using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

Features: Zoho Creator offers a wide range of pre-built templates and components, making it easy to build applications for various business functions such as CRM, project management, and inventory tracking. It is known for its affordability and quick deployment times.

Use Case: SMEs benefit from Zoho Creator by rapidly developing applications that streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enhance customer interactions, all while keeping development costs low.

Final Thoughts

Low-code development stands at the forefront of revolutionising the software industry, offering businesses a powerful and accessible approach to application creation. Throughout this guide, we've explored the essence of low-code development—its streamlined processes, significant benefits, and diverse applications across industries and organisational scales.

From accelerating time-to-market and reducing development costs to fostering innovation and empowering non-technical users, low-code development has proven influential in driving efficiency and agility. By leveraging intuitive visual interfaces and pre-built components, organisations can expedite application deployment and adapt swiftly to evolving business needs.

As businesses continue to embrace digital transformation, the adoption of low-code development emerges as a key strategic business decision. It empowers organisations to harness technology more effectively, adapt to change rapidly, and unlock new opportunities for innovation and business success.

Ready to explore the potential of low-code development for your business? Contact Netshell today to learn more about our low-code solutions and how we can help you accelerate your digital transformation journey.