The concept of no-code, often called RAD (Rapid Application Development / Delivery) emerged in the 1970s, however, it started picking up in the last decade, when low-code platforms based on this idea started gaining actual popularity. Low-code platforms are innovative, highly functional and standardised enterprise-grade IT tools, offering key features required by any dynamically growing company and organisation. Their biggest advantage is offering the ability to build complete and comprehensive applications without having to know programming languages or software development skills. This opens up completely new opportunities in the area of providing IT tools for business.
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Low-code platforms and their role in the modern enterprise world
Low-code platforms are modern and truly disruptive technologies, based on a visual approach to building and setting up enterprise applications without coding, making the process fast, easy and affordable. The applications are built using a drag&drop or point&click mechanism, which can be accessed via the so-called Designer – a clear and intuitive GUI. This approach enables users to build, change and manage business applications without having to know programming languages and coding skills – something that would usually require entire software development teams. On the other hand, this approach also enables building bespoke applications, tailored to the specific needs and requirements of users and business scenarios, which in turn puts them above ready-made out of the box solutions that cannot provide such flexibility and freedom.
As a result, a good low-code platform can be successfully used by power users who do not have programming skills, but understand process logic and workflow. This feature set is a response to the growing, and dynamically changing needs and challenges faced by companies and organisations by the reality of our contemporary world, as well as the increasingly limited access to highly-qualified developers. Before low-code platforms emerged on the market, IT systems required direct involvement of development teams, which were indispensable both in the process of implementation, as well as adapting the implemented solutions to the current needs of the company.
As a result, contemporary companies kept becoming more and more dependent on software development services, which has resulted in increased IT costs. As a result, the tools which were supposed to help employees with carrying out their tasks and increase the efficiency of the company’s operations became a hindrance and were met with users’ reluctance. At some point, low-code platforms emerged as the best solution, promising a solution to this issue by enabling building business applications in a quick and efficient manner, to manage and automate business processes.
Low-code platforms and their extensive functionality
Low-code platforms enable users to build enterprise applications quickly and efficiently, without any coding skills, effectively supporting electronic document, task and information workflow, allowing for automation and optimisation of virtually all business processes taking place in the organisation.
What is more, they allow companies to introduce Citizen Assisted Development – an approach which brings together business experts and the IT departments to build, develop and adapt IT solutions that perfectly fit into the technological ecosystem of the company. Thanks to low-code platforms, business users who have a great understanding of the process, but do not have programming skills, can be proactively involved in the process of building applications that they will use in their daily work. IT experts, in turn, take care of the technical side of the process of building, maintaining and developing business applications – one of the key advantages is the fact that nearly every business scenario can be handled within a single environment, and all solutions are standardised, which makes life easier for both the IT department and end-users.
When is a low-code platform the only right choice?
Low-code platforms offer the possibility of using code snippets where it is either technologically justified or more time-efficient, for example in the case of complex business scenarios or advanced integration with other systems, such as ERP tools. Low-code platforms are therefore particularly recommended solutions for larger companies or corporations looking for advanced systems combining document and business process management. It is also worth mentioning that the most advanced BPM-class low-code platforms also have great real-time change management capabilities, which offers users a way to introduce changes with immediate results, ensuring the shortest possible time to business.
For the vast majority of companies, low-code platforms will turn out to be a much better choice than out-of-the-box solutions or bespoke applications developed for individual companies, which had its heyday some years ago, as they will allow them to effectively become independent from the services of specific development teams and to easily and intuitively build their own, fully standardised business applications, perfectly tailored to their current needs and fully compliant with current laws and regulations.
In contrast to typical no-code / zero-code tools designed for Citizen Development and building simple automation processes or workflows, low-code platforms ensure standards and provide solutions suitable for handling even the most complex or core business processes.
By following the link below you will find relevant information about low-code platforms: https://webcon.com/low-code-but-better/