Published on September 15th, 2020 | by Bibhuranjan

Innovative low-code enterprise platforms – what are they and what business benefits do they offer?

The dynamic development of technology has been very apparent in recent years. Innovative solutions are flooding the market and changing at a breakneck pace, bringing more and more opportunities and benefits to their users. Modern technologies have had an enormous impact not only on our everyday lives, but – perhaps above all – on the growth of companies and enterprises. One of the solutions, which has been gaining popularity every year, are modern low-code platforms – flexible software offering multiple features, allowing companies to build comprehensive and standardized business applications without needing to code.

Low-code platforms – what are they and what makes them so great?

Low-code platforms, also known as low-to-no-code or low-to-zero-code solutions are a subset of modern, highly functional and truly innovative software solutions, which enable their users to develop comprehensive, flexible and standardised enterprise applications without having to know any programming languages or coding skills. This can be done via an intuitive and user-friendly graphical user interface, as well as a variety of tools that enable users to configure and automate even the most complex scenarios and business processes in a simple, quick and easy way.

In other words, low-code platforms can be used to its full potential even by people who do not have programming expertise and coding skills. What is more, it enables direct and proactive involvement of end users in the development of IT solutions for the business – on the one hand, they are not IT experts, but on the other, they are the people who know and understand the processes the best. What is more, they are going to be the end users of the developed business applications! What is more, IT specialists can complement the process by offering their IT expertise and know-how, thus making sure that all the relevant IT standards are complied with at every stage of the application life cycle and that the developed solutions fit well with the rest of the IT ecosystem in the company.

However, the popularity of low-code platforms, which has become particularly noticeable in the last decade, has its reasons These solutions have been known and available for a while now – the launch of the no-code concept dates back to the 1970s, and the first solutions of this kind started appearing on the market as early as in the 1990s. However, they did not gain much traction back in the day and they were not as appreciated as they are now. All this is due to the growing demand for highly-skilled software developers, which we have been witnessing throughout the last decade, as well as the shortage of these experts on the market. At the same time, the demand for enterprise solutions and business applications facilitating and enabling more efficient, effective and rapid everyday operations has only been growing. More importantly, in the digital era and ubiquitous digital transformation, it turned out that the ability to quickly deliver flexible IT solutions for business at a cost to keep up with the rhythm of the dynamically changing business environment and expectations more and more often translates into the ability to keep or gain a competitive edge and take the lead on the market. The emergence of modern low-code platforms, which enables companies to become independent from specific development teams, while providing solutions that the business needs on an ongoing basis, is an opportunity that cannot be overlooked.

Low-code platforms enable companies and organizations to draw all kinds of benefits of the rapid development of modern IT solutions in business world. Some high-end low-code platforms use bespoke technologies and architecture in order to give users the ability to make the necessary changes in real time, at any stage of a business application’s life cycle, which allows the company to adapt even more efficiently to changes occurring both within the organization itself, as well as in its legal and business environment. Because of that, choosing the right low-code platform can turn out to be the best possible solution for the company, efficiently supporting the organization in its natural growth, eliminating unnecessary expenses and maximizing benefits of widespread access to modern technologies, thus ultimately coming the main platform for managing and automating virtually all business processes.

Extensive features and possibilities of using low-code platforms in real-life scenarios

A low code platform enables users to quickly develop flexible business applications without having to write code, allowing them to manage and optimize business processes thanks to their quick and efficient digitization and automation. The possibilities offered by high quality low-code platform solutions offer a variety of functionalities, including electronic document management system, workflow and information management, business process management and document management systems – in other words, they can cover all the needs for business applications, thus improving and enabling effective and efficient operations, carrying out processes and tasks, as well as achieving strategic objectives of the organization. Low-code platforms are based on a visual approach to building applications and a single, standardized and centralized environment, where applications are developed, modified, maintained and archived. Low-code platforms are also very easy to use and can be easily and seamlessly integrated with other systems already implemented in the company. Since a single environment can be used to develop solutions for virtually all business scenarios, the IT team can easily share responsibilities. What is more, covering for other employees in the event of an IT employee leaving or going on a holiday is no longer an issue. What is more, the IT department becomes a partner to the business, while people who take special initiative in order to use the full possibilities of low-code platforms become company superheroes. No longer will IT departments not have the time and resources, no longer will they face other obstacles to provide the company staff with IT tools for work – now they can be an enabler of digital transformation.

With a low-code platform, it is possible to build, modify and manage business applications using drag&drop and point&click approach, all done via GUI – the so-called designer. Because of that, all their features can also be used by people who do not have programming and coding knowledge, qualifications or skills. However, low code platforms also enable the use of code where it is technically or economically justified. This can be the case, for example, with more advanced integrations with other systems or more complex process scenarios.

The functionality of high quality low-code platforms enables companies not only to quickly build and deploy business applications, but also to achieve centralization, cohesion and standardization – all of these ensure high level of acceptance of solutions by business end users, and at the same time optimize the ongoing maintenance and development of solutions by IT staff. One of the key advantages of the best low-code IT platform solutions available on the market is efficient change management and the ability to make the required changes and modifications in real time, with immediate results, at any stage of business application life cycle – even after its deployment. Bespoke technologies used in these solutions such solutions allow for their use not only for building and deploying business applications at a rapid pace, but also for safely and quickly changing their functionality depending on current needs and without compromising other – already implemented – applications and processes. An organization equipped with such a solution can easily focus on fighting for the position of a market leader in the digital age – even with the rapid pace of change we are seeing these days.

Tags: coding, development, IT solutions, low-code platform

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.