What is enterprise low code platform. 2021 tutorial
In this Article:
Enterprise Low Code Platform: Concepts And Facts
Find at least one business representative who has not heard of the enterprise low code development in 2021. - Warning: you’ll have to try hard.
Low code enables small companies to build attractive sites, middle-income enterprises to develop applications, and big players - to optimize local processes for a flawless platform infrastructure creation.
In such conditions, an enterprise low code platform is a magic wand guarantees efficient digital service development. Let’s spend a few minutes to understand why.
What Is It: LCAP, aPaaS Or Enterprise Low Code Platform?
White papers and reputable media may confuse you, defining a low code tool as a Low Code Application Platform (LCAP), or Application Platform as a Service (aPaaS), or even an Enterprise Low Code Platform. But, we are still talking about the same instrument for rapid software development.
Enterprise Low Code Platform (ELCP) is a cloud-based environment for streamline software development and deployment. It contains pre-built visual templates ready for partial or complete configuration and often does not require deep programming knowledge from the user.
Meet Jack K. He will help you to learn enterprise low-code platform better. Jack is a Chief Legal Officer (CLO) at a medium-sized and fast-growing retail company. Managers of the company entered into contracts with various suppliers, landlords, and other contractors almost every day. Jack and his junior colleagues had a hard time: a significant part of the work time belonged to endless document flow. It was vital to keep track of each annex, expiration dates of agreements, etc. One day Jack suggested introducing an electronic document management system. And his colleagues supported that initiative.
The company had three options:
to buy ready-made software,
to entrust the development to a small IT department
or to purchase an enterprise low code platform subscription
The purchase of specialized software seemed unreasonable to the management. Internal developers did not have enough time to complete the priority tasks, so it was impossible to attract them.
The decision to strengthen the position with the enterprise low-code platform was obvious since it is a versatile tool for any solution development. Anyone with basic programming skills: lawyers, accountants, or marketers, can configure the products necessary for work.
Jack K. understands a thing or two about programming, so it was effortless to create an electronic document management system with an open-source low code platform. The CLO found a group of suitable templates and took the best from each of them using the drag and drop function. Striving to achieve a custom result, Jack changed the source code, enriching the system with notification and fast search features. The product was deployed in one click. Intelligent enterprise low-code platform runs that process, checking dependencies and eliminating obstacles.
Jack and his colleagues believe that freedom in software updating is a huge pro of enterprise low-code platform. Due to the enterprise's low code platform, the retailer remains flexible.
What Peculiarities Made Low Code Platforms Famous
When you know that the development process is equal to issues with tech documentation, hundreds of code lines, and a high probability of project failure - you are looking for alternatives. The low code development method is one of the most reasonable solutions.
It’s predicted that the low-code development platform market size will grow by almost 3.5x between 2020 and 2025. The main reason why the world has gone crazy about LCAP is the rapid model-driven of software product creation. It is all because of the intuitive interface, ready-made visual elements availability, and the opportunity of their re-usage. This synergy accelerates the development cycle in 2x-10x, and a user can configure MVP in a matter of weeks.
Thus, a business can test the strength of its ideas in a short time and just as quickly bring a full-fledged product to the market with minimal risks.
Obviously, the simplified software development procedure affects employee productivity and the accurate segregation of responsibility. Just imagine members of your team can optimize their process, creating products with simple logic. Beatriz Clarke, Application Development Manager at Stemcell, has already admitted a fast code positive impact on her company:
“After enterprise low code platform implementation, Stemcell got rid of the backlog issue. Now the company is ready to deliver almost any app when it is needed ”.
In this case, many thanks from your in-house developers for eliminating routine tasks is the least you can get.
To sum up the above, an enterprise low code platform has TOP 10 significant pros making the business side choose it. Among them are:
rapid software development
acceleration time-to-market period
fast checking of ideas validity
availability of the entire tech base and opportunity to concentrate on business logic
ability to expand revenue streams, creating solutions for different audiences
business processes optimization
provision of a high employees' productivity
guarantee of business flexibility
versatility concerning product design
ability to develop a robust digital service platform
In favorable conditions, an enterprise low code platform can solve practically any business issue. Pay attention to our new article and get familiar with case studies on how large companies use low code.
Low Code For Digital Service Platform Creation
What do you think you need to make your business run like a Swiss watch? Let me tell you: well-designed business processes, modern software architecture, flawless and safe data exchange.
To support it, you should implement new digital products at once your business needs them. Here you can barely manage without a long-term agile strategy, accurate predictions, and a digital service platform approach. The latter allows management and solving internal issues in an integrated manner, turning the entire system into an advanced software infrastructure. By the way, 7 of the 10 most successful world companies in 2019 owed their prosperity to digital service platforms.
"Looks good, but what do the enterprise low-code platforms have to do with it?"
you might ask. - Enterprise low code solutions enable fast product development needed to build an appropriate digital service platform. It's a sort of magic wand that helps you out at any difficult moment. Choosing an open-source low code tool, a company сan build a flexible platform infrastructure and expand its capabilities periodically.
Siemens boosted efficiency by 80% and reduced development costs due to a global digital transformation (DX) system designed with a low code platform. The client had 12 workflow systems and wanted to create the master one to support DX at all levels. A low code platform Pega has been allowing Siemens to control DX from a central point for 6 years. The new digital service platform enables employees to create applications for digitizing complex business processes independently, considering conditions and needs.
Are You In A Position To Do Everything, Arming With aPaaS?
You can apply the low code for countless purposes, such as process optimization, operational efficiency improvement, or even legacy migration. However, aPaaS is not a panacea.
Here, everything is individual: ready-made templates may suit some companies and allow them to launch new products in a few weeks. The issues of other enterprises may be more complex, and low code capabilities will not be enough to cover them.
Take, for example, the above migration from legacy to a new product. No matter how advanced the low code platform is, new app business logic may not map to low code platform built-in scenarios. Here, a client will have to:
create additional services around the platform
take care of integration
customize the low code platform itself
pay a monthly subscription using only the part of aPaaS functionality
These processes are costly and time-consuming. Sometimes the reality is different from the values promoted by ordinary aPaaS. However, a market is full of ELCPs, and where one does not suit, another might be a perfect option.
Why Engineers Aren't Happy With Enterprise Low-code platforms?
Despite all enterprise low code advantages, the IT community is wary of it. Developers are not always ready to work with aPaaS solutions for several reasons. Our specialists try to explain what exactly.
1) No coding and vendor-lock
When we talk about low code, we usually mean a development environment with a drag-and-drop feature and limited ability to code. LCAP-based products are sometimes difficult to maintain because of a vendor-lock. Engineers cannot customize, update or improve them as a particular business need. It provokes some extra challenges a company has to overcome.
2) Testing issues
Anatoliy Medvedchuk, Software Architect at XME.digital, is convinced,
"Testing is one more sensitive issue that both clients and vendors should take note of. Since users do not have access to the source code, all they can do is configure the product using UI and existing samples. Engineers don't like low code because they can't test each of the product components. They can create a complex process and put it into production without confidence in the quality of its operation.
If the low code platform allows you to use exclusively the drag-and-drop feature - it's practically impossible to write tests and check new software. There are LCAP development results tested with unit and integration tests. Unfortunately, very few platforms have a built-in test creation module. Most often, for these purposes, users need to engage utilities. Sometimes the test creation process here takes longer than the product development."
On the other hand, architects claim low code platforms with certain functionality are perfectly suitable for engineer’s work.
"Tech specialists need enterprise low code solutions. An engineer would gladly solve some routine tasks in one click. The low code method ensures this opportunity. The perfect version of a low code environment should be open-source and coding-friendly. It should also contain a built-in module for rapid and effective test creation."
If you find yourself thinking that it is impossible to find an open-source ELCP, and vendor-lock is everywhere, this information will help you make sure of the opposite.
Top 7 Tips On How To Choose A Suitable Enterprise Low Code Platform
Dig deeper into your business needs and define whether you can satisfy them using a low code platform.
Create a wish list of aPaaS solutions that you consider reliable.
Explore the functionality of each LCAP and pay attention to the tech stack it uses.
Design a basic product architecture and map it to low code platforms capabilities. You need an environment requiring reasonable investment and fully covering your needs.
Focus on open-source platforms can't limit your business activities. Vendor-lock can be a significant obstacle to your agility and scalability.
Find out how you can test products created with a certain low-code platform.
Consider alternatives of LCAP usage. Determine how else it can help you to reach the DX goal.
Is It True Each Enterprise Uses Application Low Code Platforms?
Not yet, but so soon, it will become a reality. According to Gartner's forecast, within 3 years 75% of companies will use, on average, 4 enterprise low code platforms to optimize business processes and provide fast time-to-market. Meanwhile, among active low code tools users, you can find T-Mobile, Bayer, Aviva, GSK (Appian), Accenture, Deloitte, KPMG (OutSystems), IKEA, Toyota (Power Apps), Clarity labs (XME.digital).
Rapid development instruments conquer an audience, supporting the business drive to grow faster and remain adaptable. If you have not decided to surrender or resist enterprise low code platforms, contact us for advice. We'll help you to define whether LCAPs can be useful for your enterprise.