Within the last ten years, developing a business application was only possible using skilled software developers. With the evolution of ‘low-code technology’ the need for experienced developers is far less. It is now possible for someone who has no experience of scripting languages to build processes and create applications. Low-code technology allows a non-coder to easily engage with more visual interfaces and use features such as drag and drop to create interfaces in a fraction of the time traditional methods take. This technology goes beyond just saving hours/days for any tech team, it reduces costs, massively accelerates time to market/implementation time and increases the agility of the business to respond to market led innovation.
By lowering the barrier to entry, automating processes, and slashing development time; it allows for rapid prototyping and shortens time to market, meaning time spent is hours and days not weeks and months. It enables easier integration with legacy systems while also making the overall system easier to maintain. These benefits make teams more efficient and allow for greater innovation and creativity, leading to a new generation of ‘Citizen Developers’.
Statistics
The global low-code development platform market size is projected to grow from USD 13.2 billion in 2020 to USD 45.5 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 28.1% during the forecast period. [1]
Forrester showed that total spending in this area will reach $US21.2 billion by 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of an incredible 40 per cent. [2]
Gartner forecasts that three-quarters of large enterprises will use at least four low-code development tools by 2024 and that low-code will make up more than 65% of application development activity. [3]
Every business wants to be competitive in the marketplace. Because of the development speed and flexibility of low-code, businesses can be digital-ready, proactive and agile, disrupting the market while keeping costs low.
Low code technology is extremely scalable and adaptable. This kind of technology can be used across industries, whether it’s healthcare, finance, aerospace, food and beverage or even education. Anyone from a high school student to a highly skilled professional developer can develop solutions by using an intuitive visual interface. Simple logic, drag-and-drop features, and pre-built modules are used to create the relevant application.
The visual modeling tools enable the user to create apps quickly and seamlessly, with out of the box (OOTB) functionality eliminating the need to build core modules from scratch each time. Drag and drop interfaces, reusability, cross-platform accessibility, security, scalability, reporting, and monitoring, all contribute to the cost savings made using this technology.
A great example of low-code doing exactly what it promises is Dynamedics. There was a rapid time to market for this innovative new health and wellbeing platform, which helps organisations deliver remote consultations, assessments and digital wellbeing services to employees, customers and patients. It is designed specifically to support employers to meet stringent Health & Safety Executive (HSE) standards while enabling hospitals and specialist clinics to provide high quality telehealth services. The platform is highly customisable and Plumb House took advantage of Dynamedics’ rapid deployment to ensure the safety of their employees on construction sites across the Boston area of the US, when they returned to work after lockdown. Dynamedics provided pre-screening for Covid-19 symptoms and an automated check-in process, tracking employees’ contacts.
In summary, anyone who uses low code technology will tell you that it’s a game changer. The key benefits to the client are
- Much shorter app development time
- Much faster time to market
- Increased speed of business transformation
- Much reduced costs
- Improved Customer experience
- Fluid business and IT collaboration
Usaith Uwize
Associate Manager- Market Development
Tehara Perera
Intern- Business Analyst
